On the rugged and remote coasts of southwestern Crete, the exceptionally proud and independent Sfakians have had to confront some of the most aggressive and dominant cultures in the world for millennia – and have managed to survive. This book describes the lives of these untamed fighters as they struggled not just to survive but to thrive amid and against the greatest empires of Europe – the Greek, Roman, Arab, Byzantine, Venetian, and Ottoman – and to resist the German occupation during World War II.

The book Sfakia, Within the Context of Cretan History, is the result of research in two directions: it is based on the careful exploration of the rich oral tradition of the area as well as the meticulous compilation over years of information provided by archaeological findings, records, and historical sources from the time this area was first inhabited to the present day.

Its main characteristic is also that it captures the spirit of the Sfakians who dominated the deep gorges, high plateaus, and majestic mountains of their land.

This retrospective on the history of Sfakia is aimed at those interested in Sfakia and their tumultuous past, but who do not have the time or easy access to older historical sources to delve deeply into the journey of the Sfakians from the beginning of their settlement in this wild, rugged yet beautiful place.