The Making of the Cretan Landscape

by Oliver Rackham, Jennifer Moody

This is the first book to help the visitor understand Crete's remarkable landscape, which is just as spectacular as the island's rich archaeological heritage. Crete is a wonderful and dramatic island, a miniature continent with precipitous mountains, a hundred gorges, unique plants, extinct animals and lost civilisations, as well as the characteristic agricultural landscape of olive groves, vines and goats, Jennifer Moody and Oliver Rackham explain how the island's peculiar and extraordinary features, moulded and modified by centuries of human activity, have come together to create the landscape we see today. They also explain the formation and ecology of Crete's beautiful mountains and coastline, and the contemporary threats to the island's fragile natural beauty.

200 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 1997

About the author

Oliver Rackham OBE FBA was an English academic who studied the British countryside, especially trees, woodlands and wood pasture, Rackham wrote a number of books, including The History of the Countryside (1986) and one on Hatfield Forest. He also studied and published extensively on the ecology of Crete, Greece.

In 1998 he was awarded the OBE for "services to Nature Conservation". In 2006 he was appointed Honorary Professor of Historical Ecology in the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge.

He was a Life Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and Keeper of the College Records. On 15 October 2007 Rackham was elected Master of Corpus Christi College until 1 October 2008.

Reviews

[Nina]

This book is a treasure trove of information. So much of this could have been taught at school and I'll be forever salty.

This is more of a textbook, not a reading book. But it's actually very enjoyable to read and easy to follow. Would like to know how insights have changed now, as it is a book from the 80s. But the authors put in a huge amount of work.

[Graham X.]

A must-read for anyone visiting Crete who is at all interested in landscape and its history.

[Martin]

I've never been to Crete but this book is a fascinating depiction and celebration of its landscape and life and history. It oozes love for Crete too. I loved it.

[Alastair Lack]

The title is slightly misleading. Not only is this how the landscape was made, but it is a full description of everything from geology, natural history, castles, houses and roads.
A wonderful book for anyone thinking of discovering Crete, but limited as a story