'Irresistibly fascinating' MARIE CLAIRE GREECE

'Essential' VICTORIA HISLOP

'Brilliantly conceived' PAUL CARTLEDGE

A huge bestseller in Greece, this is a bold and intelligent reinterpretation of the history of ancient Greece by a rising star in archaeology. Two strangers meet in a trapped elevator. One is an archaeologist, the other is not.

A simple question, 'What do you do?', becomes the starting point for a dialogue that weaves a captivating story. Archaeologist Theodoros Papakostas takes us on a spectacularly iconoclastic and highly enjoyable journey through ancient Greece, from its roots in prehistory to its end.

Admiring the exceptional moments of history as well as the more commonplace, Papakostas introduces the reader to countless fascinating stories about the "birth" of Western civilization – many of which overturn accepted perceptions about the empire as well as archaeology itself.

Along the way, he answers questions such as: What did a Minoan princess bring with her on a journey to Egypt? How?