Discovered on the bookshelves of the friend for whom I am currently cat-sitting, this brief guide to the ruins of the palace of Knossos is the sort of thing one buys on site, and is oriented toward the tourist, rather than the scholar. My friend visited Crete during her recent trip to Greece (lucky, lucky woman!), and I can only assume that she used this beautifully-produced book, with its glossy, color photos and diagram of the site, as her guide.

The brief historical introduction, which outlines Cretan (pre)history from the Neolithic (6000-2600 BC) through the various stages of the Bronze Age Minoan civilization (2600-1100 BC), offers little information that a student of Greek antiquity would not already possess. The gorgeous photographs however, and detailed "tour" of the ruins, make for a charming hour of browsing. Having read a great deal about this ancient civilization, whose unusual art and (apparent) social organization has sparked quite a few interesting theories, I have always wanted to visit Crete, and see the palace of Knossos (not to mention that of Phaestos, Malia and Zakros). Gazing at the pictures in this book only increased that longing. ( )