Alexandria

Book excerpt: Alexandria is a city which has haunted and inspired its visitors for over 2,000 years. Here, two of its best-known celebrants provide a view of Alexandria's present through the window of its past. Written during World War I, and later revised, this is Forster's tribute to Alexandria--a combined history of the city and a practicaql guide for the visitor. This annotated edition contains not only the first translation of Constantine Cavafy's famous poem "The God Abandons Antony" but also a specially commissioned introduction by Lawrence Durrell, who recounts his recent return to the city that served as a backdrop for the Alexandria Quartet.