Placing the rich literary output of Nikos Kazantzakis within the context of not only the author's ongoing spiritual quests but also the tumultuous political events that marked Greece in the 20th century, Peter Bien argues that the Cretan writer was an imperfect genius - although his works were not always successful, they were, as strictly as one may judge him, a significant intellectual figure.

The book at hand is the second and final volume of the complete and monumental biography of Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957) written by Professor Peter Bien. This volume describes and analyzes Kazantzakis's life and work from 1938 until his death, a period during which he wrote the novels Life and Adventures of Alexis Zorba and The Last Temptation, which brought him worldwide fame.

As a demonically prolific novelist, poet, playwright, and translator, Kazantzakis was undoubtedly one of the most important Greek writers of the 20th century and the only one recognized internationally as a novelist. However, it should be emphasized that his works were merely one aspect of his persistent and tormenting effort to confront a series of religious, political, and spiritual issues.

In the 1940s and 1950s, which were characterized, among other things, by the Civil War and the events that followed, Kazantzakis continued his efforts with unwavering energy and passion, overcoming every obstacle and writing novels that were recognized as classics all over the world.