The Ariadne objective : the underground war to rescue Crete from the Nazis

The incredible true story of the WWII spies, including Patrick Leigh Fermor and John Pendlebury, who fought to save Crete and block Hitler's march to the East. In the bleakest years of WWII, when it appeared that nothing could slow the German army, Hitler set his sights on the Mediterranean island of Crete, the ideal staging ground for German domination of the Middle East. But German command had not counted on the eccentric band of British intelligence officers who would stand in their way, conducting audacious sabotage operations in the very shadow of the Nazi occupation force. The Ariadne Objective tells the remarkable story of the secret war on Crete from the perspective of these amateur soldiers -- scholars, archaeologists, writers -- who found themselves serving as spies in Crete because, as one of them put it, they had made "the obsolete choice of Greek at school": John Pendlebury, a swashbuckling archaeologist with a glass eye and a... Number of Words in Auth: 2 Formats : EPUB Number of Formats : 1 Has Cover : Yes All Identifiers : isbn:978-0-307-46015-8 Single Author : Wes Davis Original Source : Mirc New Files 03 27 Sorted Author by LN, FN: Davis, Wes Title Length : 021 Title Parm D : The Ariadne Objective Title Parm F : The Ariadne Objective Num of Aut : 1 Title Parm B : ( Record ID : 7033 Uncomma Author : Wes Davis Title Parm A : The Ariadne Objective The incredible true story of the WWII spies, including Patrick Leigh Fermor and John Pendlebury, who fought to save Crete and block Hitler's march to the East. In the bleakest years of WWII, when it appeared that nothing could slow the German army, Hitler set his sights on the Mediterranean island of Crete, the ideal staging ground for German domination of the Middle East. But German command had not counted on the eccentric band of British intelligence officers who would stand in their way, conducting audacious sabotage operations in the very shadow of the Nazi occupation force. The Ariadne Objective tells the remarkable story of the secret war on Crete from the perspective of these amateur soldiers -- scholars, archaeologists, writers -- who found themselves serving as spies in Crete because, as one of them put it, they had made "the obsolete choice of Greek at school": John Pendlebury, a swashbuckling archaeologist with a glass eye and a swordstick, who had been legendary archeologist Arthur Evans's assistant at Knossos before the war; Patrick Leigh Fermor, a Byronic figure and future travel-writing luminary who, as a teenager in the early 1930s, walked across Europe, a continent already beginning to feel the effects of Hitler's rise to power; Xan Fielding, a writer who would later produce the English translations of books like Bridge over the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes ; and Sandy Rendel, a future Times of London reporter, who prided himself on a disguise that left him looking more ragged and fierce than the Cretan mountaineers he fought alongside. Infiltrated into occupied Crete, these British gentleman spies teamed with Cretan partisans to carry out a cunning plan to disrupt Nazi maneuvers, culminating in a daring, high-risk plot to abduct the island's German commander. In this thrilling untold story of World War II, Wes Davis offers a brilliant portrait of a group of legends in the making, against the backdrop of one of the war's most exotic locales. The incredible true story of the World War II spies, including Patrick Leigh Fermor and John Pendlebury, who fought to save Crete and block Hitler's march to the East. In the bleakest years of World War II, when it appeared that nothing could slow the German army, Hitler set his sights on the Mediterranean island of Crete, the ideal staging ground for German domination of the Middle East. But German command had not counted on the eccentric band of British intelligence officers who would stand in their way, conducting audacious sabotage operations in the very shadow of the Nazi occupation force. The Ariadne Objective tells the remarkable story of the secret war on Crete from the perspective of these amateur soldiers – scholars, archaeologists, writers – who found themselves serving as spies in Crete because, as one of them put it, they had made “the obsolete choice of Greek at school”: Patrick Leigh Fermor, a Byronic figure and future travel-writing luminary who as a teenager had walked across Europe in the midst of Hitler's rise to power; John Pendlebury, a swashbuckling archaeologist with a glass eye and a swordstick, who had been legendary archeologist Arthur Evans's assistant at Knossos before the war; Xan Fielding, a writer who would later produce the English translations of books like Bridge over the River Kwai and Planet of the Apes; and Sandy Rendel, a future Times of London reporter, who prided himself on a disguise that left him looking more ragged and fierce than the Cretan mountaineers he fought alongside. Infiltrated into occupied Crete, these British gentleman spies teamed with Cretan partisans to carry out a cunning plan to disrupt Nazi maneuvers, culminating in a daring, high-risk plot to abduct the island’s German commander. In this thrilling untold story of World War II, Wes Davis offers a brilliant portrait of a group of legends in the making, against the backdrop of one of the war’s most exotic locales. In The Bleakest Years Of World War Ii, When It Appeared That Nothing Could Slow The German Army, Hitler Set His Sights On The Mediterranean Island Of Crete, The Ideal Staging Ground For German Domination Of The Middle East. But German Command Had Not Counted On The Eccentric Band Of British Intelligence Officers Who Would Stand In Their Way, Conducting Audacious Sabotage Operations In The Very Shadow Of The Nazi Occupation Force. The Ariadne Objective Tells The Remarkable Story Of The Secret War On Crete From The Perspective Of These Amateur Soldiers--scholars, Archaeologists, Writers--who Found Themselves Serving As Spies In Crete Because, As One Of Them Put It, They Had Made The Obsolete Choice Of Greek At School: Patrick Leigh Fermor, A Byronic Figure And Future Travel-writing Luminary Who As A Teenager Had Walked Across Europe In The Midst Of Hitler's Rise To Power; John Pendlebury, A Swashbuckling Archaeologist With A Glass Eye And A Swordstick, Who Had Been Legendary Archeologist Arthur Evans's Assistant At Knossos Before The War; Xan Fielding, A Writer Who Would Later Produce The English Translations Of Books Like Bridge Over The River Kwai And Planet Of The Apes ; And Sandy Rendel, A Future Times Of London Reporter, Who Prided Himself On A Disguise That Left Him Looking More Ragged And Fierce Than The Cretan Mountaineers He Fought Alongside. Infiltrated Into Occupied Crete, These British Gentleman Spies Teamed With Cretan Partisans To Carry Out A Cunning Plan To Disrupt Nazi Maneuvers, Culminating In A Daring, High-risk Plot To Abduct The Island's German Commander. Deposited On The Limestone. Shank's Mare -- Sword Stick -- Oak Apple Day -- The Fishpond -- Spaghetti And Ravioli -- In The Minotaur's Lair. Fleshpots -- Tara -- Moonstruck -- Intersection -- Bricklayer -- Epilogue: Ritterlich! Wes Davis. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. A committed band of partisans were a thorn in the side of the German occupiers of Crete from May 1941, with an unlikely group of British spies organizing, orchestrating and supplying them. This book tells the story of the operatives, including future travel writer Patrick Leigh Fermor, John Pendlebury and Xan Fielding, who lived in the Cretan mountains for years conducting sabotage operations culminating in the abduction of the German commanding officer. American-cut pages.