The present research, based on 171 testimonies from individuals of all factions across central and northern Greece, aims to investigate the conditions prevailing in the Greek countryside during the turbulent decade of 1940-50, the causes that led to conflicts within villages, and their contribution to the generalized civil war.

Although the relevant literature is extensive, we believe that the investigation of how the rural inhabitants experienced the civil war in their village is minimal, and those that exist are usually one-sided. Testimonies were collected from young people of that time who voluntarily enlisted or were persecuted into the Democratic Army of Greece (DSE), from young people who were forcibly conscripted, from young individuals who had no political affiliation, as well as from children whose parents had been positioned or forced to take a side.

Through the analysis of the testimonies, the comparison between them, and with the literature, an effort is made to reconstruct the events through the "objectification" of individual experiences. The first part of the book describes the mechanisms of memory and the contribution of testimonies to the study of historical events. In the second part, the author's conclusions are presented as a "Summary". The third part follows with the main excerpts from all the testimonies by region.

A short "Historical Context" is provided at the beginning of each geographical area of the country, as well as where significant events took place. Thus, the "unknown" individuals are given the opportunity to describe their experiences and, alongside other sources, contribute to the recording of history.