Cyprus-Forum.com

[erolz]

Hello Erol,
There are many Libraries in south Nicosia and I am sure most of them will have it. Most likely though it will be in the reference section and therefore you cannot borrow it for outside use. Probably only for a couple of hours in order to make copies if there isn’t a copy machine there, but that will require to live some kind of deposit with them. Try the Nicosia municipal Library next to Eleftherias square, or the University of Cyprus or any other major College in Nicosia, such as Intercollege or Cyprus college.

Would it be possible for you to find out the phone numbers of any of the above possibilites so I could ring first and establish if they haave said book and on what terms I might be able to gain access to it? If you could it would be most appreciated.

[cannedmoose]

I have been looking for a copy of this book for as long as I have been studying the Cyrpus problem. Do you know of any libraries that have it? I had found some second hand book sellers that claim to have a copy but as you point out it is priced in the £100's and thats a bit out of my reach.

Hi Erolz,

Have you checked out Amazon.com, there's a couple of sellers in the US retailing this book for $140 (about CYP£90 roughly), still expensive, but it's the cheapest I've seen it.

Rotate, is this book really that authoritative? I'm considering getting it, but it is after all almost 30 years old and things have moved on apace since it was written. I assume its focus is on the events from 1955-1974 mostly?

[Kifeas]

Hello Erol,
There are many Libraries in south Nicosia and I am sure most of them will have it. Most likely though it will be in the reference section and therefore you cannot borrow it for outside use. Probably only for a couple of hours in order to make copies if there isn’t a copy machine there, but that will require to live some kind of deposit with them. Try the Nicosia municipal Library next to Eleftherias square, or the University of Cyprus or any other major College in Nicosia, such as Intercollege or Cyprus college.

Would it be possible for you to find out the phone numbers of any of the above possibilites so I could ring first and establish if they haave said book and on what terms I might be able to gain access to it? If you could it would be most appreciated.

Achillios Municipal Library
Address: Constantinou Palaiologou 30, tel. +357 22763033 Nicosia
http://www.nicosia.org.cy/english/ipiresies_politistika_axileios.shtm

Univerisity of Cyprus
http://libweb.lib.ucy.ac.cy/cgi-bin-EN/egwcgi/24304/showfull.egw/1+0+3+full
(Library of the University of Cyprus search. It seems to exist there. Tel: +357 22892036 )


http://www.cycollege.ac.cy/

http://www.intercol.edu

http://www.ciim.ac.cy/default.asp?pc=81

[erolz]

Rotate, is this book really that authoritative? I'm considering getting it, but it is after all almost 30 years old and things have moved on apace since it was written. I assume its focus is on the events from 1955-1974 mostly?

The main reason I am interested in it is that it is referred to and quoted in so many of the other books I have read about Cyprus. If that makes it authorititve or not, I am not sure.

Canned, how about I pay half and you pay half for one of the copies you have found on amazon and we share the book? I am certainly in no rush to read it as I have failed to find it for so long. I also would be happy to not 'hold' the book - you are welcome to do that as long as I could have it for a month or so at your convience to read and disgest (and copy as necessary) from it for my own 'library' on Cyprus problem. If this is at all attractive as a proposition to you then just PM and we can try and sort out the details.

Thanks for those number Othellos - much appricated.

[magikthrill]

i started reading the conspriracy book and although it seems ok not what i expected but amazon screwed me over and it was the only cyprus book i could find in the city. gonna order some more some time this week.

if you guys had to choose 1 book thats exceptional in terms of clear history (impartiality is best ) which one would it be?

[cannedmoose]

Andrew Borowiec, Cyprus: A Troubled Island is what you're looking for Thrill. It's the most balanced book I've come across.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846

Only drawback is that it's not cheap - $88 on Amazon. Cost me £40 in the UK a couple of years ago.

[magikthrill]

thanks moose! it seems really good. i noticed its not a paperback (i dont usually read hard cover books - i like to judge em by thir covers ) is it heavy though. anyone else recommend this or something else?

[magikthrill]

no barnes and noble in the city carries the title but i ordered it for wedensday. sweet . interesting thing i read from the intro:

"Hami's children go to an expensive private English school in Nicosia - at the government's expense"

no one seemd to brought that up when discussing the rights of TCs in the south.

[cannedmoose]

It's not a heavy read at all, and it's not a heavy book physically either, very portable. Borowiec was a journalist reporting on Cyprus for 30 years and has a very readable writing style. He also generally manages to achieve the impossible and manage to steer the line between supporting one side over the other. My favourite bit of the whole book is the final paragraph of his conclusion:

"International mediators usually speak of their efforts to 'reunite Cyprus'. Cyprus has never been united in the proper sense of the term except under colonial rule and during the first three years of its independence. Even then, the two communities lived basically apart, with their own local administrations. Reuniting Cyprus would be a herculean task. More feasible would be an effort to help create a Cypriot consciousness that would overcome the dividing line. In fact, that should be the priority, ahead of esoteric discussions about the statutes, laws and regulations of a federation that may never see the light of day". (Borowiec, 2000: 175)

Wise words indeed. Shame the politicians on both sides aren't listening.

[Kifeas]

Andrew Borowiec, Cyprus: A Troubled Island is what you're looking for Thrill. It's the most balanced book I've come across.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... s&n=507846

Only drawback is that it's not cheap - $88 on Amazon. Cost me £40 in the UK a couple of years ago.

I happen to have this book in my bookshelf, but I wouldn't agree that it is a particularly balanced and thorough book. In fact, I noticed that there were a number of inaccuracies on dates and more importantly on the description of even well known events to the average person, who had lived through the said period. Also, its background analysis was quite simplistic. This is the impression I retained after reading it once, about two years ago and it is always in comparison to other similar books on the subject.