Secrets of the swamp
(Books)

Book compliments of the M.T. Bobick Trust.

As the Macedonian Struggle intensifies in 1906, two Greek military officers arrive at the swamp at Lake Giannitsa to lead the Greek rebels. Captain Agras—"the ideal hero"—radiates energy and spirit; Captain Nikiphoros, in contrast, is more deliberate and reflective. Both are courageous and fearless—"united in their aims and dedication." A child and an adolescent dominate a plot resembling that of a spy story: Jovan, the "little Bulgarian," and Apostolis, "the best Greek guide west of the Axios River." Other key figures include the brave teacher Miss Electra, the mysterious giant Gregos, revenge-seeking Vasilis, and young Pericles, volunteer from Crete. Rival Greek and Bulgarian fighters strive desperately to drive each other from the swamp, in order to secure it for themselves as a base from which to control the surrounding villages. And all the while they face a common enemy, the occupying Turkish power whose army pursues them both relentlessly. With mounting tension and a startling turn of events, Secrets of the Swamp re-creates the fierce war "on land and water" at Lake Giannitsa—one of the most dramatic and little-known chapters of Modern Greek history.