On October 28, 1940, Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas said "NO" to Mussolini's provocative ultimatum; thus, Italian forces invaded Greece through Albania.

This attack was the result of Mussolini's desire to achieve an easy victory to compete with Hitler, who quickly conquered France. Theoretically, the Greek army was not adequately equipped nor prepared for such a conflict, but Mussolini underestimated the determination of the soldiers who were fighting for their homeland.

Within weeks, the Italian army was forced to retreat, and the Greeks entered Albania. The same outcome occurred with the new Italian attack in March 1941, resulting in Hitler intervening to save his ally. The Germans invaded Greece through Bulgaria on April 6.

The Greeks, with the help of British forces, resisted on land, sea, and air, but were defeated by the vastly superior German army. Despite the last-ditch effort of Australian and New Zealand soldiers at the Thermopylae pass, Athens fell on April 27, and the British evacuated 50,000 soldiers from Crete.

John Carr, through this remarkable chronicle of Greece's defense, without underestimating British assistance, relies on Greek sources and emphasizes the sacrifices made by the Greeks in battle and their participation in the fight against fascism.