An Island in Greece: On the Shores of Skopelos [Paperback]

Scattered in a crescent in the sparkling waters of the Aegean, the islands of the Sporades are known to Greek fishermen as 'the gates of the wind'. It was to this unspoilt archipelago that Michael Carroll sailedAstarte, a boat of sleek mahogany with wine-red sails, named after the Phoenician goddess of the moon and the sea. But his dream of travelling where the wind took him, rootless and free, changed when he landed on Skopelos. There, a chance meeting with the charismatic Vangeli led to him buying a piece of land on a remote cove, once the site of an ancient city and the perfect harbour forAstarte.

So unfolds the story of Carroll's growing attachment to Skopelos as he sets down roots and makes it his home. Engaging and vividly-described,An Island in Greeceis a sun-drenched tale of a life full of simple pleasures, governed by the seasons, the tides and the wind; the story of a traveller who finally arrived and a unique homage to the island that harboured him.

Scattered in a crescent in the sparkling waters of the Aegean, the islands of the Sporades are known to Greek fishermen as 'the gates of the wind'. This book presents a tale of a life full of simple pleasures, governed by the seasons, the tides and the wind.Michael Carrollwas born in England in 1935. He was educated at Harrow and Cambridge but spent much of his early life in India. He is also the author ofFrom a Persian Tea House, an account of his travels in Iran (also Tauris Parke Paperbacks). 'I loved the Greece I knew... the kind of free life that could be had with a boat among the islands.'

An engaging book, flavoured with ouzo, olives and a distinct individuality. Sunday Times

Here is a study of that involvement essential to any understanding of the Greeks, or of what it means to be in Greece. Carroll writes like a travel journalist who sees the surface accurately and records it with facility. Once involved, however, his vision deepens al£+