Book excerpt: This lavishly illustrated volume is the most complete study of Greek island embroidery yet published. Each group of islands developed quite different styles and repertoires of designs using linen, cotton, and silk. Varying populations — urban foreigners and rural natives, Catholic towns and Orthodox villages, invading navies and armies — all contributed to a fusion of styles and motifs that led to one of the greatest displays of decorative folk art to be found anywhere in the world. The styles range from aristocratic and patrician designs from Rhodes, the monochrome geometric work of Naxos, to the exuberant narrative style of Skyros and the Ottoman-influenced work of Epirus.