KEFALONIA READ ON

If you would like to review any of the books listed here or want to suggest books associated with Kefalonia and the Ionian islands, please contact Francesca Roe by email

homers@otenet.gr

Henriette Metaxas
ISBN 960-87349-2-4
The locally produced guides are usually the best ones and this handy pocket-sized guide will give you a wealth of information about Kefalonia that is not always available from the larger publishers. There's a calendar of Paniyiria - local festivals throughout Kefalonia and some excellent information on the history of the islands of Kefalonia and Ithaki. Available from shops and kiosks on Kefalonia or from:
Reithron Books, Leoforos Andoni Tritsi 74, Argostoli, 28100, Kefalonia, Greece
Tel. ++30 26710 23775, fax 0030 26710 29305 email: reithron@hol.gr

Anna-Maria Simpson
Illustrations by Gerasimos Razis-Galiatsatos
ISBN 960-86481-0-6
A beautifully illustrated book which relates the wild herbs and trees of Cephalonia to the island's historical background and traditions.
Available from shops on Kefalonia.
Distribution: 14 Ioannis Phokas, Phokata, 28100 Kefalonia, Greece

With the Blessing of the Most Rev. Spyridon Metropolitan of Cephalonia
As it says in the introduction, 'The superb island of Cephalonia which the creator God decorated with rich physical beauties is also full of Holy pilgrimages, of increased interest, evidence of its glorious past and the unfolding, in the highest degree, of the religious feeling of its inhabitants and of the Cephalonians residing abroad.'
An excellent guide to some of the monasteries and churches on the island, available from Saint Gerasimos Monastery in Greek and English.
Published by the Holy Metropolis of Cephalonia 19

George N. Moschopoulos
ISBN 960-90811-26
Written by a university professor who has published a synopsis of his two-volume book, this covers the island's history from ancient times to he Roman conquest and in part II, the middle ages to modern times covering the island under British rule and up to World War II.
Available in bookshops locally.

A pocket-sized guide including maps of the mountain and photos of flora and fauna making an ideal souvenir for around 5 euro. Published and available from the Museum of Natural History in Davgata village, Kefalonia, Greece

A wonderfully illustrated recipe book written by Tassia Dendrinos available from her taverna in Fiscardo and in local bookstores.

The Search for Homer's Ithaca by Robert Bittlestone

Where is the Ithaca described in such detail in Homer's Odyssey? The mystery has baffled scholars for over two millennia. This book offers a compelling solution to one of the oldest problems in classical scholarship using a combination of literary, geological and archaeological clues.

Beautifuly illustrated by
Maria Teresa de Rosario

Assisted by and dedicated to her two children Lukas and Nikolas, Doris Wille has produced a delightful book for children about Kefalonia featuring turtles, castles, grottoes, beaches and more. It's an unusual guide to Kefalonia with drawings, puzzles and games

960-91987-1-6

willedor@otenet.gr<

www.artistswindow.com

A mouthwatering selection of Greek recipes, straight from the taverna kitchens of the island of Kefalonia. Recreate the flavours of Greece in your own home with forty traditional family recipes. 24 chefs share their culinary secrets for creating familiar Greek dishes as well as Kefalonian specialities.
￿ Cook real taverna food
￿ Recreate the flavours of your summer holiday
￿ Carefully tested, authentic recipes
￿ Easy-to-follow instructions
￿ Perfect gift for the Mediterranean cook.
More than just a cookbook, this is an artistic celebration of Greek taverna life. It is full of local info and insights into Greek culture. Classic taverna recipes have been carefully selected and personally tested for the home.Cook, artist and grecophile, Gill's evocative watercolour sketches capture the colour, light and atmosphere of Captain Corelli￿s Island. The book is a colourful celebration of Greek taverna life with more than 350 full-colour illustrations.

www.artistswindow.com

Gill trained as a cook and as a cookery teacher. She worked in mainstream catering, ran her own snack bar, cooked in vegetarian/wholefood restaurants, and also taught wholefood cookery classes.
Later, a growing interest in art led Gill to study printed textile design at Chelsea College of Art & Design, and a new career began as a textile designer in London. However, regular visits to Greece were always an essential escape!

This book combines a love of food, cooking and Greek culture, with her love of artistic expression and colour. At the time of writing, Gill and her graphic designer husband, Mick, have just followed their dreams and moved to a village near Koroni in the south-west Peloponnese. Gill is planning to offer classes in traditional Greek cooking, featuring local village ladies and taverna chefs.

by Nicholas Enessee

960-87338-5-5

The author lives on Cephalonia and writes:
'During WW2, two former allies, the Germans and the Italians, fought a little-known mini war on the island of Cephalonia, with tragic consequences for the local inhabitants and catastrophic ones for the Italians.'

The period of foreign occupation was followed by bitter civil strife which lasted a good seven years. And then, as the Cephalonians had at last started to rebuild their lives, the earthquakes of 1953 destroyed not just their towns and villages, but the very cultural fibre of their society.

The story runs in paralel with the active involvement, during this entire period, of a remarkable woman, who had landed on Cephalonia in the middle of the war, armed only with her violin. The narration, which makes liveral use of her witty diaries, follows her as she experienced, and empathized with, the plight of the common people and, through her direct actions, became for many a beacon of hope and a safe haven.

Available from local bookshops and from the Gentilini Wine Estate shop during the summer months.

Helen Cosmetatos
Helen Cosmetatos was curator of the Corgialenios Museum and compiled a fascinating guide to the history of the roads of Kefalonia, the work being dedicated to the memory of Charles James Napier (Resident on Kefalonia 1825).

ISBN 960-90220-0-6

Available in local book shops and at the museum.

Panayis Dendrinos and Nikos Bakounakis
ISBN 960-14-0739-1
Described as an anthropology of an island community, this is also a personal photo album compiled to preserve the image of a bygone era. Lovingly compiled with some wonderful photos dating back to the early 1930's.
Published by Livani Publishing, 98 Solomos Street, 10680 Athens, Greece
Tel ++44 210 3661200 Fax ++44 210 3617791
Website www.livanis.gr
Available locally in bookshops.