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Review
"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 and he writes with affectionate insight, a richer man because he understands more." --"The Guardian"
"Readers who enjoyed his "From a Persian Tea House" will be glad to meet him again in a Greek setting and he should attract a wider public." --"The Times"
"Carroll evokes the atmosphere and the essential kindliness of the people splendidly. Good, tautly-written, sun-drenched stuff…" --"Irish Times"
"Greece seems to inspire writers to write well. Michael Carroll is a new and welcome addition to the list which Patrick Leigh Fermor heads. [This] is one of the best and most enjoyable travel books I have read fo
Product Description
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 sailed Astarte, 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 for Astarte. 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 Greece' is 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.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I recently bought this book thinking it was a follow-on from 'Gates of the Wind' by the same author. When the book arrived, I was disappointed to find out it is the same book, retitled and with a different cover photo. There is nothing to alert the purchaser of this. Call me a cynic, but would this have anything to do with trying to increase sales on the back of the recent success of 'Mamma Mia', by now including the word 'Skopelos' in the title? Having said this, the book is a good read for those interested in tales involving greek islands and, a particularly good read for those familiar with the Sporades, remembering of course, that it was first published in the mid-sixties.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a nice read, and dare I say so too are Tzatziki For You to Say,Moussaka to My Ears" and "Feta Compli!" by John Manuel. If you're a Grecophile and can't get enough of books about Greece and her islands this is very evocative indeed, albeit some years old now. I read the original "Gates of the Wind" in an old self-published edition, which goes to prove that there's a lot of good writing out there by unknown and unconventionally published authors, like me folks!
I did think it naughty though, on checking this edition out, that nowhere does it tell you that it was first published as "Gates of the Wind." These above reviews revealed this fact and saved me wasting some money, as I was just about to click "buy."
I have scoured the web looking to find out what Carroll is doing now, but without success. Perhaps the author himself will let us know.
I did think it naughty though, on checking this edition out, that nowhere does it tell you that it was first published as "Gates of the Wind." These above reviews revealed this fact and saved me wasting some money, as I was just about to click "buy."
I have scoured the web looking to find out what Carroll is doing now, but without success. Perhaps the author himself will let us know.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I felt conned by this publication. Many people who know the area will have read Michael Carroll's "Gates of the Wind". It is the same book - so far as I can tell identical - with some five or six pages of introduction from the author. If you haven't read the original, then it is a lovely book that not only describes the development of a wonderful relationship between the author and the local people, but gives a graphic picture of the way they live. Although times have changed - particularly in Skiathos - the island life in Skopelos and Alonissos is recognisable today.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
A great find for Grecophiles
It's such a shame that several people have given this book a poor rating simply because they'd read it before under a different title! The publisher should have made it clearer. Read more
Published 1 month ago by JB
an island in greece
an excellent book. i believe it to be the same as 'the gates of the wind'one thing slightly dissapointing is the lack of photographs
Published 7 months ago by dicky
Gates of the Wind - rediscovered!
I was given a copy of Michael Carroll's book, the Gates of the Wind, when on holiday in Skiathos in the 1990's, by an old friend who has since died. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Norah
An enchanting book for anybody who loves Greece, and who has ever...
The Northern Sporades, comprising Skiathos, Skopelos (popularly known as the "Mama Mia island") and Alonissos have been catapulted fast into the frantic world of tourism, from the... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Philhellene9
Not as great as I thought it would be
I really wish I had not bothered with this book, because although there are some mildly amusing little tales, on the whole I found it not at all interesting. Read more
Published on 10 Feb 2010 by Lucy
Insight to the Sporades
I have previously read "The Gates of the Wind" which gave a good account of these small islands in the norther Aegean. Read more
Published on 7 Dec 2009 by S. Williams
Same book, new title
I love the Sporades Islands and enjoyed Gates of the Wind so was excited to see a new book from the same author. I was disappointed. This is not a new book. Read more
Published on 7 Oct 2009 by kelv books
re live 60s Greece
I read this book under its original title of "Gates of the Wind" (a much better title in my opinion). Read more
Published on 5 Sep 2009 by Cliff
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