The Island Everyone Wanted: An illustrated history of Cyprus

My Greek Cypriot in-law appreciated this gift to read to the grandchildren

My husband ,from Cyprus is in his 80's. Wishes we were back there so this book is a touch of home for him.

Fantastic. I had read this book in Cyprus as it was recommended by a friend there. I just had to get myself a copy and one for my friend who visited Cyprus with me. It really is terrific.Thank you.

I come from this little island in the Mediterranean and we grew up with the real belief that it was very much the navel of the earth. It is nestled in the corner of the Eastern Mediterranean and let me tell you for an island that size it has a presence and an importance far greater than its physical size. It is easy to understand why when you read through the history which is something that Marina Christofides has done so well, finding the right words and explaining the meanings, so that they text is intelligible to young people who would be interested to find out more.Growing up on the island and in spite of its rich and wonderful history a lot of the school books on the matter were horribly boring and uninteresting. Marina Christofides has succeeded with her text side by side with Eleni Lambrous's illustrations to make this book a real winner. This is the book that would appeal so much to Greek schools abroad, or those on the island, so as to give the children a real potted history in a way which is fun, open for further discussion and eye catching.In fact it is instructive and fun for any child irrespective of their origins. It is not easy to reduce historical events to something that children can understand and take in and I think Marina Christofides has managed to do this very successfully.You come away with nuggets which stay with you - its an island where you can study parts of the sea bed without getting your feet wet ! When the French ruled it they spent their time hunting moufflons and leopards. I love the thought that leopards once roamed the island. The moufflons are there to this very day.

If you are thinking of visiting Cyprus this book is the best way to begin to appreciate its complex history. Beautifully illustrated, with great attention to detail, this is actually a book for children but adults will enjoy it just as much. It is perfect for anyone who wants to be informed without being overwhelmed by historical detail and it will whet the appetite for those who want to learn more. The text and layout is simple yet nothing is omitted with two pages devoted to each period. The illustrations are rich with detail, bringing the story to life and inviting the reader to pore over them at leisure. Reading this book will encourage the casual visitor to the island to delve further into its fascinating history. I wish more history books were as exciting and delightful as this.

What a great book! Cyprus is my home so when my son wanted to do a report on it for third grade I was excited. Then I walked into the classroom and the teacher had spelt it wrong on the wall! that started my search for an appropriate kids' book on Cyprus and found this. Beautifully and simply written it goes through the history of Cyprus, the changes of hands, the agriculture, the people. The illustrations are gorgeous and my son enjoyed sharing this with his class so much, I gave the school a copy for the library. That way there will be no excuses for Cypress instead of Cyprus! Lovely lovely book.

This is an outstanding illustrated history book for children. It's an easy read, but is never condescending or over-simplistic Any parent wanting to get their child interested in the rich history of Cyprus should have little difficulty in doing so, as it is so attractively presented. The breadth of history covered is also impressive - from the geological formation of Cyprus to the 21st Century.As another reviewer has noted, it is of interest to adults too - I learned a lot!

Childrens book

One of the best books on Cyprus with an objective lens. All Cypriot communities should embrace such a peaceful approach taken by this book for future generations. Well done.

No useful information. Looks and feels like it was produced for children, with illustrations and absence of any information on dramatic modern history of Cyprus. Worthless.