The traveler, scholar, philhellene, and war hero Patrick Leigh Fermor took on the task in 1966 of writing a short article about the famous kidnapping of German General Heinrich Kreipe, in which he played a leading role, on occupied Crete in 1944. He ultimately delivered 36,000 words, causing despair to his editor.

This book includes the complete text of that narrative, first published in 2014, after his death, reminding us how a small group of British saboteurs, in collaboration with some devoted Cretan partisans, accomplished an act of resistance. Fermor's narrative is accompanied by a preface by Roderick Bailey, a British historian specializing in guerrilla warfare, the war reports Fermor sent from Crete, and a modern guide to the route of the kidnapping, written by Chris and Peter White, following on-site research in Crete.

“A confession, a tribute, a plea for understanding… above all a hymn to Crete and the Cretans.” - Artemis Cooper, biographer of Patrick Leigh Fermor

“Patrick Leigh Fermor’s complete account liberates the rhythm, spontaneity, and liveliness of the description that characterize his classic travel writings.” - Marcos Karasarinis, BHMAgazino