The Cretan Runner

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