Accidents of an antiquary's life

The narrator never set out to be an antiquarian; a blend of childhood infirmity and a sudden fascination with ruined stone sparked a lifelong quest to recover the forgotten. His memoir reads like a travel diary, each chapter opening onto white cliffs, sun‑lit valleys, and half‑buried theatres that whisper of ancient rites. Interwoven with his reflections are the voices of a cast of companions—yacht owners, fellow scholars, and guides—who share his wanderings across the eastern Mediterranean and the far‑flung corners of Asia Minor.

The book is illustrated with photographs the author took on his expeditions, from the stark marble of Myra’s theatre to the sand‑choked ruins of Patara and the eerie tombs of Crete. These images lend a tangible sense of place as he recounts the awkward moments of loading camels in Baltimore, the sudden storm over the Euphrates, and quiet evenings spent deciphering Hittite inscriptions beside a fire. The tone remains that of a curious observer, more interested in the process of discovery than any grand conclusion, inviting listeners to imagine the world through his careful, almost tactile, eye.