You may want to do some background reading before the trip. Here is a short list of some of the books we have enjoyed.
Non Fiction: Greek History
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Ancient Greece : A Story in Eleven Cities ~ Paul Cartledge
More than just a book about Greece, but an excellent starter’s guide to the Ancient Greek World
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Ancient Greece: A Very Short Introduction ~ Paul Cartledge
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Greece: Biography of a Modern Nation ~ Roderick Beaton
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The Greek Myths: Stories of the Greek Gods and Heroes Vividly Retold ~ Robin & Kathryn Waterfield
Non Fiction: Travelogues
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Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese ~ Patrick Leigh Fermour
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Roumeli: Travels in Northern Greece ~ Patrick Leigh Fermour
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Abducting a General: The Kreipe Operation and SOE in Crete ~ Patrick Leigh Fermour
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Wild Abandon – A journey to the deserted places of the Dodecanses ~ Jennifer Barclay
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The Golden Step – A walk through the Heart of Crete ~ Chrsitopher Somerville
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Greece on my wheels ~ Edward Enfield
An entertaining account of the author’s cycle ride through the Peloponnese
Fiction
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Zorba the Greek ~ Nikos Kazantzakis
Podcasts
All from the “In Our Time” series with Melvyn Bragg, these podcasts are freely available to download and make an introduction to their topics.
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Sparta
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Xenophon
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Thermopylae
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Minoan Civilization
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The Delphic Oracle