Review: Abducting a General: The Kreipe Operation and SOE in Crete

Abducting a General: The Kreipe Operation and SOE in Crete by Patrick Leigh Fermor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Fermor’s account of his kidnapping of a Nazi general from Crete, while entertaining in its action, provides the most value in describing the rugged landscape of the island, the people of Crete, and the impact of the war on the citizens. After Fermor tells his story, the book includes a number of his dispatches from Crete, where he was a spy. When reading these dispatches, you understand that Fermor was a young man, without the benefit of experience, but with a young man’s attempts to “do something” for the war effort. He describes various ideas that at times seem harebrained, often involving bombs. He also describes accidentally shooting a comrade. You see how the idea of kidnapping the commanding general and dragging him through the mountains makes a kind of sense. I enjoyed the story and the things I learned about Crete. I found the writing interesting, but more challenging than most of the popular books I read.

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