EAST OF ATHENS By Eric Gifford
The islands and ports of the Aegean and the Levant are the subject of East of Athens (John Gifford, I2S. 6d.), and the author has packed an extraordinary amount of varied in- formation into it. Considering the unusual attractiveness of this part of the Mediterranean, it is a wonder more travel- writers don't write about it. Perhaps the tangle of its history, and of the pattern of its civilisation frightens them. Any- way, Mr. Gifford has made the attempt, and the result is well worth reading. It is no more than a sketch, but he has an eye for significant detail and enough history to keep his im- pressions in shape. The main points in his itinerary were Cyprus, Rhodes Athens, Istanbul, Smyrna, Cairo, Corfu, Tel Aviv Crete and Andros: a list that should give some idea of the Aviv, diversity of scene. The chapters on Cyprus will
not please the British residents or the island's administrators; Mr. Gifford gives an alarming picture of the snobbery and ignorance that still persist there in the face of an increasingly dangerous situation.
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