The Book
Written on the Knee
A Diary from the Greek-Italian Front of WWII
"A story of love, separation and family ties threatened and strengthened by war — and an authentic historical document of Greek involvement in World War II."
During the Greek-Italian conflict of World War II, Dr. Theodore Electris, newly married and idealistic, was called up to the Greek-Italian front in the remote mountains of Albania. Homesick, hungry and desperately missing his young wife, Chrysoula, he kept an intimate journal to preserve his experiences for her.
Translated by his daughter, Helen Electrie Lindsay, Electris' entries and letters come together in Written on the Knee. Fully illustrated and accompanied by supporting reference material, the collection serves as both an authentic historical document of Greek involvement in WWII and a story of love, separation and family ties threatened and strengthened by war.
Often overlooked in the scope of WWII, Greece's six-month conflict with Mussolini's forces played a pivotal role in the war's outcome. The small country's fierce resistance against the Italians delayed Hitler's move into the Soviet Union, which many historians believe turned the war in favor of the Allies.
The book features an introduction by Louis de Bernières, author of Captain Corelli's Mandolin.
A new, revised third edition — with newly drawn maps of the diary's journey — is forthcoming from Calumet Editions.
An Interactive Companion
Dr. Electris' Journey, 1940–41
On November 1, 1940, Dr. Theodore Electris left Thessaloniki for the Greek-Italian front in the mountains of Albania. Six months later he walked back through the door to his wife, Chrysoula.