'An extremely entertaining read ... a book that is both learned and eloquent' - Erich Segal; 'If you're planning a trip to Athens - or to the British Museum - this ... is a must-read; but armchair travellers will be equally enthralled' - Andrew Crumey, Scotland on Sunday; 'The classical world still rouses fierce passions, and books like this help to make the study of ancient Greece urgent and relevant' - Tom Holland, New Statesman; 'Wry, lively ... entertaining, provocative ... highly readable' - Alexander Masters, Times Literary Supplement; 'A classic in every sense of the word: scholarly, informative, but with a laugh - or at least a broad smile - on every page. I loved it - and so will you' - John Julius Norwich; 'She succeeds brilliantly in bringing back [the ruins of the Parthenon] to imaginative life' - Joan Smith, Financial Times; 'Sophisticated, engaging ... she unravels the intricacies with the light and deft touch which characterises the whole book ... something for classicists and laymen alike' - Gavanndra Hodge, Independent on Sunday

Mary Beard is a Professor of Classics at Cambridge and is a Fellow of Newnham College. She is general editor of the Wonders of the World series and author of The Parthenon.