A friend told me about this book and i was intrigued, as Len Port is a very well known name in literary circles here.
I thoroughly enjoyed his previous books: "Get to Know the Algarve" and "Algarve on Wheels". How would this one be different? Well, boy is it different!
This latest work is filled with information gleaned from over 30 years of writing here - packed with colourful characters who have passed through the Algarve since the dawn of history: outrageous royals, illustrious admirals, romantic writers, dictators, sports stars, air aces, animal activists, fugitives, musical maestros, victims and villains.
A unique celebration of life through the ages – and the sort of book to which you will be forever returning, each chapter a story or episode in its own right. 
I was amazed at the number of really dark episodes that have marked the Algarve's past: from dubious deaths to macabre murders... and the chapter on people who have had run ins with the Portuguese legal system makes for very uncomfortable reading. We have all been warned!
Len’s take on Portugal’s future within the Eurozone was also intriguing, and one that truly takes into account all that has gone before. In all, a terrific read from a writer who knows his stuff. This is a perfect book for anyone who has ever passed through southern Portugal and loved it, or for people thinking of doing so and wondering what this place is all about. I look forward to Len Port’s next book with interest.
Reviewed by Carolien Van Leusden whose inspirational first book on surviving cancer secondaries: “My Path”, is available through www.carolienvanleusden.com
