Set over 40 years against the backdrop of the most romantic story-filled villa in Crete, The Villa Ariadne is the tale of three of the most charismatic British Hellenophiles since Lord Byron - Sir Arthur Evans, John Pendlebury and Patrick Leigh Fermor. Dilys Powell captures the spirit of a place she loved dearly and a group of people she knew well. Weaving the myths of the island with its archaeology, ancient history and modern tales, she gives us a loving portrait of this classical land.