Homer's Odyssey has been read and studied for thousands of years, and this summer it reaches a new audience with Christopher Nolan's epic film adaptation, starring Matt Damon as Odysseus. This map and guide locates the mythological places of the poem in real Mediterranean islands and coastlines, from the volcanic Aeolian Islands to the straits of Messina, from the Croatian island of Mljet to the shores of Corfu. It draws on centuries of scholarly debate about where Homer's fantastical lands might exist, presenting the most compelling theories alongside the stories themselves. Witty, informed and designed to make people want to visit these places, it's written by Laura Coffey, author of Islands: A Mediterranean Odyssey, which documents a six-month journey through the Greek Isles, exploring the mythical, real-world locations of Odysseus's journey.
