Ten Days to Destiny: The Battle for Crete, 1941 [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Next to Callum McDonald's THE LOST BATTLE: CRETE 1941, G.C. Kiriakopoulos' TEN DAYS TO DESTINY: THE BATTLE FOR CRETE 1941, is one of my favorite books on this important, but often-overlooked battle of World War II.

Overshadowed by Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union a little over a month later, the Battle for Crete has been downplayed by many historians because the strategic implications of the German victory never came to pass, i.e., a possible stepping stone to Egypt, the Suez Canal, and oilfields of the Persian Gulf. However, at the time of the conflict, many in the world, particularly the British, viewed the battle as a life or death struggle for control of the Mediterranean.

Author, G.C. Kiriakopoulos' knowledge of Crete and its people is superior to any other author I have read. Kiriakopoulos is obviously well-known and respected by the Cretans. Many of the personal accounts of Cretan civilians caught up in the struggle are not available in any other books on the subject. As a native Greek, Kiriakopoulos has an understanding of the intricacies of Cretan civilization and culture that are lost on some of the other authors that have written similar works. Moreover, Kiriakopoulos writing style is more akin to fast-paced action novels than dry history. . . . but, alas, herein lies the problem: although the book is well-written, interesting, thrilling, and contains numerous personal accounts, the line between actual history and the author's conjecture is blurry. For example, Kiriakopoulos spends more than a few paragraphs on what the commander of the German assault force, General Suessmann, was feeling while waiting on the tarmac before taking off in a glider bound for Crete. Kiriakopoulos then reports what Suessmann was thinking when his glider was cast off early by its tow plane while still over the Aegean. Kiriakopoulos even writes about what the pilot of Suessmann's glider was thinking as he heard the wing of the glider break off. Since Suessmann, the glider pilot, and all of the other passengers were killed in the subsequent crash, one has to ask the question: if their were no survivors, how could Kiriakopoulos write about what Suessmann and the glider pilot knew, heard, thought, etc., if none of them survived the mission to tell anyone? If this were the only instance where Kiriakopoulos seemed to "climb into the head" of the people he is writing about, it could easily be overlooked. Unfortunately, Kiriakopoulos does this with annoying frequency. Accordingly, the reader is left to decide for himself whether a particular passage is derived from actual evidence or is simply Kiriakopoulos' own opinion of what might have happened. In this regard, Kiriakopoulos' knowledge of the subject material is substantial. His opinions may, in fact, be correct. However, in my view, Kiriakopoulos should alert the reader and present opinions as opinions, not fact.

My only other complaint about the book has been noted by some other reviewers. Throughout the book, Kiriakopoulos own countrymen are presented as "superheroes" that rise up en masse with pitch forks, swords, and old flintlocks against the Nazi invader. Whilst the courage of the Cretan civilians, Greek soldiers, and their British Commonwealth allies should not be downplayed, little credit is given to the German fallshirmjager and mountain troops who, despite horrendous casualties that rivaled the worst parts of Omaha Beach on D-Day, continually rallied to ultimately rip victory from the jaws of defeat.

Since the book was written in 1997, World War II and the evils of Nazi Germany should be far enough in the past for modern historians to acknowledge that the Germans, on many occasions, displayed courage, daring, and skill at arms, often against seemingly hopeless odds. Although the German victory will always be inexcusably stained by the barbaric and cruel execution of innocent civilians by vengeful German troops towards the end of the battle and throughout the subsequent occupation, these atrocities should not mean that we should ignore the talents, determination, and bravery of many other German troops.

In summary, for the casual student who wants to learn more about the Battle for Crete, Kiriakopoulos' book is exciting, thrilling, and well-paced. However, for the more serious researcher who wants to read a more balanced account fully supported by the historical record, I would recommend Callum MacDonald's book, THE LOST BATTLE, as a viable alternative.

The author has out down on paper the struggle of the heroic Cretan people during this difficult time in their long history of fighting for their freedom..It also covers the battle from both the Greek and British as well as the German side. It covers the background and the reasons for the invasion as well as its effect on the Nazi timetable for the invasion of Russia.. It begins with a spy story that rivals the most bizarre inWorld War 2..It takes you through the Battle and its aftermath in great detail...I have read and reread this book several times and I think it belongs in everyones bookcase

The author does an excellent job of describing the world's first airborne invasion. The detail of the defensive planning is extensive, as is the background to the conflict. However the author's account (he is of Cretan descent) is heavily biased toward the Cretan defenders. German successes are attributed to luck or air superiority, while German losses are due to the bravery and skill of the defenders. Reading this makes one wonder how the Germans were able to fight the world for 6 years if they were the `keystone cops' that the book portrays them as. Still, this is book provides the most extensive account of the battle I have found.