Patrick Leigh Fermor: An Adventure

At the age of 18, Patrick Leigh Fermor, known as Paddy, began walking across Europe and never really settled down again. He evolved from a raconteur who made powerful friends in prewar Central Europe to a World War II soldier stationed primarily in Greece and then to a travel writer. Along the way, Fermor learned numerous languages, had many affairs, was a champion of the people of Greece and Crete, kidnapped a German general, and became a legend. While many of Fermor's stories are told in his books, including A Time of Gifts and Mani, this biography helps clarify and connect his sometimes romanticized and composite tales. Cooper (Cairo in the War, 1939–1945), who has written other author biographies, uses not only Fermor's published stories but also letters, interviews, and journals to write this authorized biography that shows the big picture without ever apologizing for her subject's faults.