This is not a book of military history. It is a human document. It is the story of all those Greeks, Allies and Germans who lived and witnessed every moment of the eleven-day battle of Crete, the one and only air-borne invasion in history. Combined with the six-month epic on Mainland Greece this epoch-making campaign greatly contributed in turning the tide of World War II in favour of the Allies. This book is an anthology of authentic testimonies. Supported by letters, diaries, poems, photographs, sketches, it recaptures in a uniquely vivid way the feel of this fateful battle. But, above all, it reflects the futility of war, the heavy penalty paid by losers and victors alike.