"Robin Waterfield offers us an elegant narration of the history of classical Athens, while also giving us a charming picture of the modern history of this amazing city."

(Mary Beard, author of Parthenon)

"Waterfield's 'Athens' is a wonderful introduction, without emotional outbursts, likeable and full of information for all those who care about Greece, both ancient and modern."

(Mary Lefkowitz, author of "Not out of Africa")

"The history of Athens through time and space, by Waterfield, is a sympathetic narrative of the city's eventful history, beautifully written by a classicist, translator, olive oil producer, and philhellene."

(Victor Davis Hanson, author of "The Wars of the Ancient Greeks")

If there is a city in the world whose present and future are wrapped in the myth of its past, it is certainly Athens, which produced and continues to be the greatest European heritage.