Cambridge University classicist Mary Beard brings the Parthenon to life in this lively tale of the construction, significance and many uses -- cathedral, mosque, cultural icon -- of the 2,500-year-old Athenian marvel. With 24 black-and-white photographs, a few illustrations, site and building diagrams and a map. The book is both an introduction to the ancient Greeks and an engaging guide to the Parthenon. She opens with a chapter "Why the Parthenon Might make You Cry." A volume in the Harvard University Press series, Wonders of the World.  (GRE195, $19.95)

Athens & the Peloponnese
Wonders of the World series