This book also has stunning pictures with lots of historical information about each region/city. It would be a great resource for traveling to Greece because it shows places to visit. It would also make a great souvenir for anyone having traveled to Greece in the past!

Thank you to NetGalley and Amber Books Ltd. for the ARCs of this book in exchange for my honest review!

A lovely coffee table book, filled with gorgeous photos and interesting tidbits about Greece, its history, and its culture. A perfect gift for any traveler, whether actual or armchair.

#Greece #NetGalley

Armchair traveling to Greece. There is a little bit of text to accompany the photographs but the pictures are the stars. I really enjoyed visiting all the places included. Enjoy the travels.

Fabulous book- great pics. I was there several years ago and boy do I wish I was going back! The photographs for this book are just breath taking! It's as if you are there!

A good visual travel guide for those who want a look at Greece. Goes through different areas of Greece - close-ups and aerial views.

An excellent book, perfect for armchair travel. It makes you wish to be in Greece and the pictures are stunning.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I frequently read travel and history books about Greece, because I was born there and love to visit often. I requested this book as an ARC thinking that I wouldn't learn much from reading it, but wanted to look at the pictures to see how it depicted laces I have visited. I was hugely surprised! I read this book with enthusiasm, and learned things I didn't know, and while that sounds conceited, I didn't think I would.
Greece describes many of the usual places that people travel to see, but also unique places that I never even knew existed. There are photographs of many natural geological features that are not often written about (at least I have never read about them). The Marble Quarry in Thassos; the strange rock formations in Cape Falakro, Lemnos; the Pozar Thermal Baths; and the Vikos Gorge in the Pindus Mountains were a revelation to me. While the captions in the book are succinct, they are clear enough to excite travelers to learn more.
In addition to places to visit, Claudia Martin also describes food festivals and foods that are unique to each region.
The photographs are stellar, better than any I have seen in any National Geographic books. I plan to buy several of the books in this series (Visual Explorer Guide) based on the quality of this one on Greece. It truly is the best travel book I have read about Greece.

This book is both full of beautiful photographs and information on the locations. I would love to visit Greece one day and this book gives me some idea of what to expect from the beauty.

I've always wanted to travel to Greece, so was curious about this picture book. The focus is primarily historical, with brief descriptions for each photo. For the potential visitor, it would be nice to have a map included, to show the various regions depicted in the book. I pulled up a Google map and found that the sites in the book seem to jump around a bit (within the region) and don't really follow a logical path (e.g., from Corinth east to Euboea then back westward to Delphi, then back east again to Volos). There are other examples in the chapters on the islands, where photos from one island might be scattered throughout the chapter. The photographs are of average quality. I'd say this might make a good library book, but otherwise, it's difficult to get too excited about it.

Travel is back! And its beautiful offerings have not changed
Posted on March 28, 2021 by michellelovatosbookreviews, world's first book color commentator, book reviews with a twist


Breathe in … breath out … breath in … breath out …
Repeat this phrase: We are no longer stuck at home … We are no longer stuck at home … Don’t forget your ding-dong mask.

I’ve always been fascinated with foreign lands. I’m not a giant fan of big bugs, sleeping in a net, peeing down my leg and onto my sock, or picking ticks out of my legs, but I do love the flora-and-fauna, shade-and-sparkling-water beauty God created in most place other than the desert in which I currently reside.

Don’t get me wrong. California’s Mojave Desert carries its own beauty – and I do love it for what it holds. The rich reds and pale green layers of minerals hidden beneath one another that are betrayed only when earthquakes force them skyward are stunning. But, I’ve been here a long time, and the blues and greens of other lands beckon me during the miserably-hot summer nights.

Traveling on a budget was once extremely one-dimensional for this penniless girl. My ‘otherworld’s exploration’ was either experienced through the Travel Channel’s Samantha Brown or by spending hours staring into the silent magnificence captured in full-color, glossy hardcover table top books. When the Internet came along in the 1990s, I thought I’d visited Heaven.

But my parched mindset is yearning for travel once more, and Amber Books’ premier of The Visual Explorer’s Guide. Greece: The Cradle of Civilization by Claudia Martin is presented in perfect timing.

This book is Geor … ge … ous! Gorgeous!

Covering Athens and Attica, the Peloponnese, Central, and Northern Greece, Crete, the Ionian, and the Aegean Islands, this travelogue is a book that showcases some of Greece’s most beautiful assets.
No wonder our human forefathers found inspiration of thought and civility in Greece. Who wouldn’t? And the diet! Mediterranian. Just what I wanted.

To wander through these pages and read the short narrative Martin uses to punctuate the already speechless topography, is a chance to witness a glimpse of early civilization and its intense statement of advanced architectural creation. Greece, like the Mojave Desert, is built, one layer of history over the top of another layer of history, revealing its hidden treasures only when excavated by expert hands. Greece’s historic rises and falls are fascinating and very mirror-like to what will likely happen to the future United States.

I did not know that feta cheese was featured in Homer’s Oddessy. I barely knew what Homer’s Oddessy was, to begin with. Actually, that’s not true. My former lifetime partner had an incredibly intelligent young and educated mind and inspired me to catch up with his college education by learning of these fine literature pieces. I will be forever grateful for his priceless awakening.

I like how the Greeks, and Roman-influenced Greeks, built massive reminders to their people that they are dedicated to strength and power. No wonder the Greek civilization still thrives.

Greece, its culture and landscape, are a sense-overwhelming wonder. Buy this book, and its sister books dedicated to Italy, Scotland, and Iceland for readers who love to mix the imagination of amazing photography with just enough history to inspire their minds to yearn for more.

As for me, I won’t be getting my VISA anytime soon. But, that’s okay. Thanks to people like Claudia Martin, I can still enjoy a snapshot of what must be a colossal on-the-ground experience. And, if Claudia has not yet photographed a location I want to see, there’s always the Travel Channel, which occasionally televises exotic locations.

Where’s Josh Gates when you need him? I like that guy. He reminds me of Dudley Do Right.

BoutiquePublishingService@hotmail.com

BoutiqueBooks@hotmail.com

Happy are those who respect the Lord and obey him. You will enjoy what you work for, and you will be blessed with good things. Psalm 128: 1-2

A heartfelt thanks to Netgalley & Amber books for the timely opportunity to view in pictures what I can't see in person. While in not completely through this glorious tour of Greece, I needed to rave about the photographs. As so many other reviewers stated, Greece has long been on my travel wish list. I especially enjoyed the contrast of regions from snowy mountains to palm trees and the glorious sea. If this book was by my reading chair, it would be dog-eared & coffee stained from constant use!

Just a quick follow-up after I finished my photo travel adventure with Greece yesterday, I happen to notice the price printed on back cover - what a bargain! I would have expected to pay more than double that.

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

Greece is a stunning book of photography of Greece, showing breathtaking photos of so many places I've never heard of. This book has lots of information and captures the real spirit and culture of Greece and Greek people.
I really want to go back to Greece for a holiday and this book has left me itching to go back soon!
This is a great coffee table book and another fantastic installment in this collection of books!

Visually Immersive

As our travel has been constrained during our current global crisis, books like this are particularly enjoyable because we can be instantly transported to another place and even time. This book’s chapters break down Greece geographically. The author provides a brief introduction to the book as well as to each chapter, but the strength of the book is really in its photographs. The photographs vividly show not only the significant vestiges of Greece’s well-loved past, but also give glimpses of modern Greek life, like market vendors, umbrella shades on a sandy beach and whizzing traffic. The captions for the photos are detailed and fascinating, perfect adjuncts to the photos. Many pictures are somewhat pedestrian, but others are amazingly gorgeous, like the Temple of Poseidon, the Blue Caves, and the Nidri waterfalls. If you love Greece or you just want to do some armchair travel, this outstanding book will have you visually immersed in the beautiful, well-storied country of Greece. You might also learn a few things along the way from the detailed captions and introductory material. Highly recommended.

The photographs in the book are breathtaking and range from the beauty of the landscapes to the grandeur of the ancient and modern architecture of Greece. The historical information is fascinating as well. For example, on page 64 there is a photo of St Peter's Church in the city Argos, a city which has a 7,000 year long history! I particularly enjoyed the photos taken in Knossos of a Minoan palace (2,000 BCE) and the photos of Mount Olympus. It actually has 52 peaks, the tallest being Mytikas (9,570 ft).

If you can't travel to Greece and tour the entire country, then this book is a wonderful alternative!

Take a trip without ever leaving your home! The pictures capture the essence, beauty and culture of Greece so vividly, I felt like I was reviewing my own memory book. The arts, the people, the food, the cities, the open spaces, mountains, islands, you name it, and it is covered in this visual tour guide. I could almost hear the sounds, taste the food and feel the warmth of the sun on my face. The descriptions are informative and very helpful for the area you are reading about. A beautiful visual guide to add to any library or coffee table. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher through NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own, freely given.

This book has provided a respite from the chaos that is Lockdown 2021 and having to stay within 5 miles of home since December 2020.
This is a perfect antidote with beautiful pictures taken all over the Greek islands. The many images of the sea bring peace and calmness to the day. It is the perfect coffee table book which you will reach for again and again. My recommendation would be to grab a glass of wine and prepare a small mezze plate and sit back and enjoy the book. Before long you will be reaching for a pen and paper and preparing your travel itinerary. I have mine which includes Windmills of Chora, Rock Formations at Lemnos, Samaria Gorge and the Lagoon of Missolonghi!
I cannot recommend this book enough.

Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of this eBook for an honest review.

Claudia Martin's Greece delivers exactly what it promises: a series of gorgeous photographs from all over Greece- places you've heard of, like Athens and Mykanos, and places you've never heard of - like the Prodromou Monastery which is literally built into the side of a cliff. It looks as terrifying as it sounds! So if you're experiencing an overload of wanderlust having been held captive by the pandemic for over a year, give this book a go. It doesn't compare to actually traveling somewhere, but it's still fun to look.

Whilst we can’t travel this is the next best thing! Amber Books never disappoint and this is no exception. I feel like I have travelled the whole of Greece from the comfort of my arm chair. Not just the usual beach views, but a full coverage of the history, sights and smells of a fascinating country accompanied by informative, but succinct narration. Divided by the different areas of Greece, this book captures the character of each. Only problem is I am left feeling very hungry with a yearning for feta and olives!
My thanks to Netgalley and Amber Books for allowing me access to a digital copy of this book in return for an honest opinion.

A trip to Greece has been on my bucket list almost forever. Covid has made it very unlikely to happen, at least for a few more years, so I was very excited for the opportunity to review Greece by Claudia Martin. Full of stunning pictures and informative captions, this book is like having the best tour guide who shows you EVERYTHING, from the Oracle of Delphi and the Odeon of Herodes Atticus to a pub in a tiny fishing village to a gorgeous waterfall hidden in a secluded wood. Nothing is missed.

If you have any interest in Greece or travelling there, this book is just about the next best thing to actually going.... if only it came with an order of Spanakopita.

Thanks to NetGalley and Amber Books for the opportunity to read Greece in return for my honest opinion.

Wish I were there! I live in the Mediterranean part time and this evocative book brought tears to my eyes, tears of longing and happiness. Greece is known for its history, mythology, literature, sports, scenery, beaches, caves, science, monasteries and food and this book captures its very heart and soul. The photography is out of this world magnificent! Now I have a hankering for feta, roasted chestnuts, olive oil, soujouk, grapes, oranges and almonds. And figs. Especially figs.

Greece is an outdoors living country. To see it all would take many lifetimes and these glimpses take my breath away. Larissa Castle, Angelokostro, Corinth Canal, ancient bridges, temples, saffron fields, Agia Triada Monastery (those picture, though!) and Vikos Gorge (deepest on earth relative to its width) stand out to me in particular. Well, the entire book does. There is also information on the various regions in Greece and what is of special note. Though mostly pictures, I learned a lot today!

Those who wish they were in Greece or plan to be some day or enjoy dreaming, this book is for you. If this doesn't inspire you, nothing will. Pure joy.

My sincere thank you to Amber Books Ltd. and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this sublime book!