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The Cretan Runner: His Story of the German Occupation by George Psychoundakis

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"I bought this book to read whilst on holiday in Crete last week. It was my 4th visit to the island, and I had already worked my way through 5 of the other 6 books I'd taken with me. I'm a novels sort of girl, but I have a fascination with the Cretan countryside, people, and way of life.

I was somewhat nervous of embarking on a dusty historical narrative (and I'm afraid I didn't really gain much from Mr Leigh Fermor's introduction), but the rest of the narrative was incredible. To have someone explain first-hand the amazing pain, suffering and yet dignity suffered by the Cretans during WWII was heart-rending. I felt like shaking my next door neighbours in our hotel (95% german tourists) and demanding that they account for the attrocities inflicted by their parents and grandparents.

Because of George's simple view of life (which is NOT to say that he is simple: far from it), the narrative is refreshingly accessible. Candid in the extreme, and a real eye-opener.

Go to Crete. Buy the book. Read the book. Don't EVER forget."


and

"Read this book: George still needs the money! Psychondakis is, or at least was, an authentic genius. Now in his late seventies & still resident in his birth-village after a life of near poverty no-one is more deserving of a belated windfall... The history of George's life & trials is eruditely covered in Fermor's excellent introduction. After a valiant & poorly rewarded war he endured false imprisonment & near persecution whilst still managing to turn out volumes of translation & poetry. The 'Runner' itself was written during the course of the war when George was in his early twenties & working for the British & the Cretan resistance & tells the story of the struggle for liberation from the Germans from the point of view of an uneducated 'though brilliantly articulate Cretan peasant. The strengths lie in its' witty pen portraits of the allied officers that George meets & in its' conveyance of the utter hatred & disgust felt by the local people for their barbaric German oppressors. Fermor's own translation of George's original manuscript neither alters or edits anything significant in either the narrative nor in the rhythms of Psycoundakis' slightly idiosyncratic demotic prose. Only recently republished in Penguin paperback the book is widely available at last & provides perhaps the only authentic indigenous account of a neglected war theatre, though one much visited by the British, & sadly German, tourist. "




The book is superb and I recommend it to everyone who buys this game.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASI ... 92-9378846

I have a copy I bought from George back in 1979. He personally signed it. He was working as a caretaker at the German cemetary at Meleme IIRC. It is an excellent read full of insight into the resistance movement on Crete. I heartily recommend it.

Back in 1979 I was fresh faced training officer at the naval dockyard at Garden Island ( Sydney ). My wife and I were planning a trip to Europe and when I mentioned that we were going to Crete to the Communications Officer at the dockyard, Lew Lind, he asked me to drop by before I left. I did so and he gave me this letter to give to a man in Retimo. I asked him if he had his address and he said don't worry just ask in the town and they will show you.

When we arrived on Crete we hired a small car and drove to Retimo and sure enough were given directions at the town. We knocked on the door and gave the letter as directed. The man read it and then invited us in for a drink. He then told me all about Lew Lind and how he fought with the Australian Army on Crete, escaped from the Germans and assisted the resistance till he was taken out by submarine. He said this letter of introduction from Lew was better than any passport. It proved to be.

He showed us around the battlefield at Retimo. Evidence of the trenches on the hill overlooking the airfield were still there. He gave us a great acount of the battle. He showed us where the submarine rendevoused, bringing in supplies and taking out escapees. I'll never forget driving down the track to that beach. He then directed us to go and see George at Meleme.

George made us most welcome. I found him to be a very humble man who obviously lavished great care in looking after the graves of his fallen foe. So please buy his book. The world is richer for his presence and it's only fair that he be a little richer for it too.

What a Story, so this was a suprise to you then? Did you know before hand that the man who gave you the letter in Austraila had done these things?

No not all. It was a complete surprise. It was only when I got back to Australia that I found out that Lew was head of the Australian-Crete Association. Lew didn't talk much about his WW2 experiences then but since he retired has written a number of books, including one on his escape from Crete.

see http://www.antiqbook.com/boox/hay/B33952.shtml

His book "Flowers of Rethymon" is mentioned in the bibliography of this article on the battle there from the Australian War Memorial:

AWM article

You can also buy it from this link at:

Amazon.

Here's a brief account of Lew's experience in Crete:

Experience

In fact, check out the website of the above link. It's very good.

TY for that, I ordered the "original" book from the first link, increadable story.