Wherever he went, I went. I had to see the places where he acted and hear from the people who knew him and lived with him. The fortunate thing is that in the early 1970s, when I began my research, I managed to meet most of those who either adored or hated him, who fought against him or were his comrades.

Thus, many of his characteristics, behaviors, and authentic phrases were preserved, passed down from mouth to mouth, like a folk song. And I was lucky to have great guides in each place. It is one thing to go searching and another to be shown around the first guerrilla hideout of Parnassus by the captains Periklis and Nikiforos. It is one thing to gaze at the mountain from afar and another to have the black-scarfed Katsantonis show you the paths of Chelidona.

At first, I traveled unsuspectingly hundreds of kilometers to speak with someone who supposedly was 'very close to Aris' and discovered from their words that they had merely seen him pass through the square of their village on horseback. I also encountered so many first mates, so many messengers, secretaries, and chiefs of the leader that the number became outrageous. I do not blame them; I understand. The myth attracts.

In most Greek villages, especially the mountainous ones, someone always had at least one shocking story to tell me about the leader of ELAS, in which they were an eyewitness. However, nothing has been included in this book without being absolutely verified. If someone mentioned an episode, I would ask who else was present, seek them out, and only if they confirmed it accurately would it be recorded in the material that I might include in the book. If there were no other witnesses to the episode, no matter how convincing my interlocutor was, it was as if I had never heard it.

In 1974, with the fall of the dictatorship, the road to return opened for hundreds of former mountain fighters who had sought refuge in Eastern countries to survive. A new flood of interviews, information, and written memories. By 1990, I had gathered an enormous amount of material that needed to be organized, transcribed, the most interesting elements selected, and finally, the book written.

I abandoned every professional or other activity and devoted myself to this effort. In presenting the fighters, I did not take into account their post-liberation paths, whether they continued with social struggles or became private citizens. The individuals are presented and largely judged for their contributions during the burning years 1940-1944.

[Excerpt from the introduction text]