Ancient Athens on Five Drachmas a Day Philip Matyszak Thames Hudson, £12.95
This is an ingenuous guidebook to one of the most exceptional cities of this or any other era. Learn how to arrange a meeting with the oracle at Delphi and read the indispensable guide to the Academy, the training ground for the Olympics (married women can skip this bit, as they're not allowed into athletic events, but virgins are more than welcome). The ancient Greek phrase book will be essential when you bump into Socrates or have to haggle at the agora for a few trinkets for the barbarians back home. This is an irreverent, erudite and razor-sharp guide to what to eat, drink and do in the world's first great democracy, and for those who haven't the means to leave their kingdoms, and have a few thousand years to wait for cheap flights to be invented, the everyday and earthy detail brings the city and its bawdy, brutal, bustling civilisation to life.
Crete
Victoria Kyriakopoulos
Lonely Planet, £11.99
Although modern-day Athens seems every bit as chaotic as its ancient forebear, Crete retains its ancient and elegant island atmosphere. This guide begins with a sort of greatest hits of Crete, with plenty of pictures to get your feet itching. There's a lengthy section on history and culture, including some fascinating sections on the 23m-high tsunami that destroyed the Minoan civilisation. A short section on Samaria Gorge and the location of Europe's only palm-tree-fringed forest beach make this worth reading before a holiday in the birthplace of Zeus. The level of detail also makes the island's interior as appealing as its rocky, pristine shores.
lmackin@irish-times.ie