The Villa Ariadne - Softcover

Powell, Dilys

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1780600356 ISBN 13: 9781780600352

Publisher: Eland Publishing, 2016

Synopsis

The Villa Ariadne is a meditation on the island of Crete, centered on the house built by Sir Arthur Evans, the famous archaeologist of Knossos. Dilys Powell captures the spirit of a place she loved dearly and a group of people she knew well, from local Cretans to the archaeologists Evans and Pendlebury, and the German General Kreipe who was famously kidnapped on the island by Paddy Leigh-Fermor in one of the most audacious actions of World War II. Weaving the myths of the island with its archaeology, ancient history, and modern tales, she gives us a loving portrait of this classical land.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Built in 1906, The Villa Ariadne was used as living quarters by the great archaeologist, Sir Arthur Evans, during his excavations of Knossos, the fabled palace of King Minos on the island of Crete. Donated by Evans to the British Archaeological School in Athens, the Villa was home to many dashing young scholars during the 1920s and 30s; among them, John Pendlebury, who became a local legend thanks to his selfless participation in the defense of Crete when the island was invaded by the Nazis during World War Two. Dilys Powell had come to know the Villa and Pendlebury before the war; many years later she returned to Crete, and it was this trip that led her to trace the story of the Villa, from Evans¹ days, to the Nazi take-over, and on into the postwar years.

About the Author:

Dilys Powell (1901-1995) was film critic for The Times and The Sunday Times, and was married to the archaeologist Humfry Payne. Her books about Greece include 'An Affair of the Heart'.

About this edition

• Publisher: Eland Publishing
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1780600356
• ISBN 13: 9781780600352
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 261