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Natural Born Heroes

How a Daring Band of Misfits Mastered the Lost Secrets of Strength and Endurance
Jan 12, 2018scp2695 rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I really wanted to fling handfuls of stars on this title when I heard Patrick Leigh Fermor was in it. Fermor's walking to Constantinople from the Bight of Holland was recounted in three books, with the first, "A Time of Gifts", being my favorite. McDougall recounts a later adventure of Fermor: kidnapping a German General in Crete with a band of Cretan "bandits" and shipping him to Cairo during the Second World War. McDougall also includes archaeology, Greek mythology, the nature of the hero, Parkour, and nutrition. Which was why I took away one star: no index. This many topics, one needs an index. I also have a grouse about the single map; I think the reader deserves a better map(s) including Fermor's route to the coast. On the bright side, it has a decent bibliography. I was disappointed to see the absence of Patience Gray's "Honey From a Weed" in the books cited for nutritional information. Old reference librarian grumbles notwithstanding, I did find the story interesting and enjoyed my visit to Crete.