Island Dreams: Mediterranean Book

Romance and adventure and a sunlit sea—the stuff that dreams are made of—inspire a major new series from Thames & Hudson.

The most magical islands of the Mediterranean are beautifully evoked by renowned photojournalist Jeremy Horner in the first volume of this series. Some, like Capri, are already well known; others, like Croatian Vis, are just entering the consciousness of island travelers.

"Velvet-green, rimmed with golden sands, and set in shallow turquoise waters" is Jeremy Horner's description of the islands off the coast of Dalmatia. Here, Brioni—once the private home of President Tito—is now one of the region's most exclusive hideaways. Hvar, a verdant ridge rising out of the Adriatic, was an outpost of the Venetian empire and enjoys a legacy of elegant architecture, as does neighboring Korcula, sometimes referred to as "Little Dubrovnik."

The main islands of the Bay of Naples—Capri and Ischia—have always been attractive to travelers from northern Europe and America, and all their delights are fully reflected in this book. But what of Procida, whose colorful fishing port of Corricella became famous as the setting for the film Il Postino? Equally fascinating and lively are the Pontine, Aeolian, and Egadi Islands.

Corfu, Rhodes, and Mykonos have been included from the galaxy of Greek island gems, but so too have delicious Santorini and less familiar Zakynthos, an Ionian paradise of white beaches, towering cliffs, and blue caves.

Whether the desire is for an unspoiled coastline (Gozo), escape from the obvious (Djerba off the coast of Tunisia), Riviera sophistication without the accompanying overdevelopment (Porquerolles), or a Spanish interlude (Majorca and Ibiza), everyone's dreams will be fully satisfied here. 200 color photographs.