This book, along with a couple by Henry Miller and a few others of Durrell's, was responsible for causing my husband and me to leave life and jobs in LA and move to Greece for nearly a year. Bitter Lemons is part memoir, part political commentary, part travel writing, and part philosophy. It's the story of Durrell's fairly brief stay on the island of Cyprus, conflict between Greeks and Turks, impending world war, buying a house and trying to settle into a unique niche of the world. It's a book about Life and all its myriad difficulties.
Tip-top - and wonderful writing. It's one of those books whose memory will stay with me always.

_Bitter Lemons_ begins as you would expect a piece of travel writing to do-- with Durrell's impressions about Cyprus, some history, the stories of his first days there and the way in which he comes to make himself a home on the island.

Where it ultimately goes, however, is somewhere far different than most travel writing. Durrell is drawn into the conflict around Cypriot independence and is forced to examine his position as expatriot in a troubled environment.

The initial chapters of the book are so lovely and the scenes sketched so charming, that something in the reader rebels when the book turns its attention to the problem of terrorism and the echos of violence. That very quality, of course, is what lifts the book above the average travel book as it creates a Cyprus for the reader than is far more real-- not just a utopian garden existing somewhere far, far away for the weary reader to someday visit.

Forget all those insipid Peter Mayle books and the myriad imitations that they spawned. This is the real thing; a book about settling in a new country, buying a house (the funniest chapter in the book) and the slow realisation that, politically, the situation is becoming untenable. Bitter Lemons, which starts off so optimistically, is a sad commentary on the inability of people to get along with each other. Take this book away with you this summer and Mr Durrell's unique ability to evoke the Spirit of Place (see his collected letters) will stay with you and haunt you long after you return home from your tame vacation on the beach.

For anyone with the least bit of interest in the Vietnam "police action" and the Gulf War, and honest wartime reporting from someone with an impenetrable sense of integrity, this autobiography is a "must read." Dr. Arnett's autobiography should also be required reading for all jounalism students as a measure of their worth and what it takes to persevere when the "real story," the story on the ground, may not necessarily match that of the "party line."

Want to know what really happened on the battlefield in Vietnam and else where? Read this book. As with most good journalists who stood firm maintaining the freedom of the press, and gave the public a true picture of what was happening abroad, he was railed on by the Pentagon and Whitehouse officials throughout his career. I've just read the book and something especially haunting was the last chapter. He is covering Afghanistan, the year was about 1993 after the 'freedom fighters' got rid of the communists and the entire country is ridden with corruption, violence, and warring factions. While waiting for his plane to Kabul he has a conversation with an influential Pakistani who blamed the chaos on the "mercurial American foreign policy". Saying "all you Americans cared about was destroying communism, and you welcomed extremists to the struggle and trained them to kill. But many of those people don't like you either, and you're the next target". On the very last page, Arnett ends the book as he is leaving Afghanistan, he writes: "The collapse of the Soviet empire, the end of the Cold War, had not brought harmony to Afghanistan, merely conflict and criminality. And the United States would reap a bitter harvest from the seeds of the Islamic revolution it helped sow. I was glad to be leaving Afghanistan but I knew that the story was not over". I would probably have to go back". As usual,the Pentagon and their right-wing pundits who attack people like Arnett as sympathizers, and conspiracy theorists, have been proven wrong by history, and the current events today.

A thrilling account by a master journalist who pursued 'the story' for four decades over four continents. Guided by a determination to write only what he himself saw, Arnett sent out a steady stream of reports about what was actually happening in Vietnam, shrugging off the official military handouts as the "Five O'Clock Follies." His doggedness, bravery and resourcefulness in getting to where the action was resulted in Pulitzer Prize winning reports. He later became famous, if controversial, as one of the few American reporters to cover the Gulf War from inside Baghdad. An exhilarating read.

beautifully and richly presented pictures of marbles ,ceramics,bronzes,mosaics and frescoes looted by the british colonial administration of Cyprus.This important work showcases the overwhelming significance of this little mediterranean island to the heritage of the world through the millenia from neolithic times,early greek and byzantine times and the post byzantine period of foreign domination for most of this millenium.Worth purchasing just for the pictures ...the commentary is mediocre at best.

A refreshingly insightful, carefully constructed analysis of what transboundary 'cooperation' has really meant to the two main communities on the island of Cyprus over the past 40 years!Delves into previously unchartered waters including third party-, state-, NGO- and community-led transboundary initiatives. Finally brings together a full and frank review of the water resource management dilemmas facing the island's inhabitants - both north and south of the UN buffer zone. In all, this book has provided me with a more concrete understanding of the reality and the rhetoric behind the water resource transfers, the UNDP's activities (esp. the Nicosia Master Plan), UNFICYP's role within the buffer zone, and the policies adopted by the representatives of the 2 Cypriot communities regarding transboundary resources. Also includes an extensive and up-to-date bibliography of work not only on Cyprus, but also transboundary resource management and partition worldwide. A 'must' addition to the library of anyone interested in contemporary Cypriot affairs or 'ground level' developments in implementing transboundary policy and principles.

This is the best book on Cyprus travel that I have found. You will find not only the regular tourist sites listed, but also those out of the way gems that few have discovered. A very complete and thorough guide to Cyprus.

No, I just want to see if there are book available. Send me info pleas

This book examines the role of international community and its main players in trying to mediate a solution in the Cyprus problem between 1964 and 1986. In so doing, it outlines the role of belligerent parties and outside actors as well as factors which detrmined the policy of each towards the conflict. The divergent policies of various players and thier pursuing different paths together with the intercommunal mistrust on the island are the focus of this study. Each period is closely studied and each main event comes under scrutiny. In the end a short piece brings the latest developments into focus and examines their impact on the conflict. In conclusion factors responsible for the stalemate are outlined and some suggestions out of the impasse are put forward.

This book is very descriptive and interesting guide to the greatest beauties of the Paphos area. It is an in-depth guied which gives the reader all the information he would like to know about anything to do with these archaelogical monuments.

This book was given to me as a gift. I was not prepared for the story and the very eloquent talents of the author. I felt seduced. At many times, I felt as though I was part of the story, part of the group, traveling throughout Turkey, Cyprus, and Amsterdam. I took the book on vacation with me and when I got home, I immediately went to Amazon.com to see what else Hofstadter has written. Wonderful book!

Second book by Markides looking at a spiritual healer and more. If you liked the first one, you will also love this one. More great true stories about spiritual healer Daskalos and his companions.

The Magus of Strovolos : The Extraordinary World of a Spiritual Healer was the first and only book approved by Daskalos ( the magus of Strovolos ). Even though Daskalos did not approve this book it is still worth reading. I highly recommend both of these books. Avoid the rest.

Homage To The Sun is an excellent book on Daskalos Kostas, and their group the Order of the Unpointed Dagger.

It relates how Daskalos tells us how our Karma, Fate, and life is evolving through phases. He tells us how to briefly train for out of body experiences, and what we must face as to the spirits of the land and nature.

The book also relates about the more then four dimensions we in everyday life experience. He relates that we must cope with at least seven dimensions.

He also relates about the Logus, Supreme Being of the Universe and how we relate to it. Further what we must do to face it safely. Also the invisible forces of nature ethereal and natural good and evil.

He also explains briefly how we must treat each other.

Daskalos also relates how he worked with ufos. And how he with the aliens worked with forcing the satellite that was crashing to earth was later diverted to Canada's wastelands to minimize damage and injury.

The book is a sequel to the Magus of Strovolos, which is worth reading also. This first book in the series introduces the reader to the order of the Unpointed Dagger, Daskalos, Kostas, and the other members.

The last book is Fire In The Heart. All worth reading.

Sincerely,

Mike Andrew Kounas, B.S.E.E.

Researcher on Remote Viewing and other subjects.