Minotaur: Sir Arthur Evans and the Archaeology of the Minoan Myth

MacGillivray's study is a careful analysis of the work of Sir Arthur Evans. Done by an archologist who has spent many years on Crete digging into Minoan civilization, it is a solid piece that shows Evans as an upper-class Victorian who had the time and money to engage in on-going research on the island, but who was hampered by the preconceptions and scientific limitations of the period. It is an important work that shows the roots from which modern Mediterranean archeology has sprung.

Sandy MacGillivray's in depth analysis of the life and times of pioneer Cretan archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans was a pure joy to read. The author's own experiences as a professional in the field on Crete add great weight to his arguments as he finds himself coping the Evans' legacy on a daily basis. I really got the sense that the author knew Evans, both the man and the scholar, through close attention to and extensive research on the amply available primary sources. This is a wonderfully scholarly, yet very readable and highly interesting book to both the professional archaeologist and interested armchair amateur.