The Cretan Runner

Description

The story of a legendary resistance hero George Psychoundakis was a young shepherd boy who knew the island of Crete intimately when the Nazis invaded by air in 1941. He immediately joined the resistance and took on the crucial job of war-time runner. It was not only the toughest but the most dangerous job of all. It involved immense journeys carrying vital messages, smuggling arms and explosives, and guiding Allied soldiers, agents and commandos through heavily garrisoned territory. And George did not escape capture and torture on his many forays. This brilliant account of George's activities across mountainous terrain, come blazing summer or freezing winter, is a gripping story of bravery against impossible odds. 'Unique' The Times Literary Supplement

George Psychoundakis was born in Crete in 1920. After a brief period of schooling he lived as a shepherd until the beginning of the German occupation in 1941, when he joined the Cretan resistance as a runner. He was later awarded the BEM.

Full of death, and the excitement of a fighter who wildly enjoys his own part of the dangerous business * Sunday Times * Unique * The Times Literary Supplement *