Crete

With his sure grasp of history and wide-ranging curiosity, Barry Unsworth brings to life the rich heritage of Crete and her stubbornly independent people, whose fierce spirit has withstood successive waves of invaders.Unsworth explores every aspect of this realm, from the ancient myth of the Minotaur to the stunning archaeological sites that reveal the secrets of long-lost civilizations, from remote hermits' caves to Venetian palazzos to the Mosque of the Janissaries, fearsome shock troops of the Ottoman Empire. And woven throughout are tales of the heroes at the heart of the Cretan self-image, like the proud sixteenth-century rebel George Kandanoleon, who fought the Venetian invaders to a standstill until he was betrayed at a wedding-feast massacre worthy of a tragedy by Sophocles or Shakespeare.