Historical Fiction Book Club - Past Titles: "The Little Liar" by Mitch Albom

Mitch Albom is an American author, journalist, and broadcaster, best known for his inspirational and philosophical works. Here is a brief biography of Mitch Albom:

Early Life:

• Born: May 23, 1958, in Passaic, New Jersey, USA.
• Albom grew up in a middle-class Jewish family in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Education:

• Albom attended Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.
• He later pursued a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Columbia University.

Career:

• Albom initially worked as a musician and songwriter, playing in various bands. He also worked as a nightclub performer.
• His career took a significant turn when he became a sports journalist, working for the Fort Lauderdale News and Sun-Sentinel, the Detroit Free Press, and later, as a columnist for the Detroit Free Press.
• Albom gained widespread recognition for his sports writing, winning numerous awards.

Notable Works:

• Albom's breakthrough as an author came with his non-fiction book "Tuesdays with Morrie" (1997). The book is a memoir recounting Albom's conversations with his former sociology professor, Morrie Schwartz, who was battling Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
• His other notable works include "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" (2003), "For One More Day" (2006), and "The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto" (2015), among others.

The timeline of World War II in Greece reflects the complex series of events that occurred during the Axis occupation. Here is a brief historical timeline:

1940:

• October 28: Italy invades Greece from Albania but faces strong Greek resistance, leading to a series of battles known as the Greco-Italian War.

1941:

• April 6: Germany, led by Hitler, intervenes to support its Axis ally Italy in the Balkans. German forces invade Greece from Bulgaria.
• April 27: The Battle of Thermopylae takes place, and German forces break through Greek defensive lines.
• April 30: German troops enter Athens.
• May 20: The Battle of Crete begins, marking the first major airborne invasion in history.
• June 1: Crete falls to German forces, completing the occupation of Greece.

Occupation Period:

• 1941-1944: Greece is under Axis occupation. The occupation is marked by hardship, resistance, and collaboration. The Greek Resistance, composed of various groups, engages in guerrilla warfare against the Axis forces.

1943:

• September 8: Italy signs an armistice with the Allies, leading to a power vacuum in parts of occupied Greece. German forces take control of these areas.

1944:

• September 27: The National Liberation Front (EAM), a major resistance group, launches a general strike, known as the Dekemvriana events, against both Axis forces and the Greek government in exile.
• October 12: The Dekemvriana events escalate into armed conflict between EAM forces and British-backed Greek government forces, marking a prelude to the Greek Civil War.

1945:

• January 15: British forces re-establish control in Athens, effectively ending the conflict between EAM and government forces.

1946:

• March 31: The Greek Civil War officially begins, pitting the communist-led forces against the government and its Western allies.

The timeline provides a glimpse into the major events during World War II in Greece, from the initial Italian invasion to the German occupation and the subsequent complex period marked by resistance, collaboration, and the beginnings of the Greek Civil War.