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Title: The Blight of Asia: An Account of the Systematic Extermination of Christian Populations by Mohammedans and the Culpability of Certain Great Powers; With the True Story of by George Horton, James W. Gerard ISBN: 1-903656-15-X Publisher: Gomidas Inst Pub. Date: 01 January, 2003 Format: Paperback List Price(USD): $22.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4 (1 review)
Rating: 4
Summary: Eyewitness account of the first holocaust
Comment: Although a number of books exist on the subject (I wish there were more), I was hard-pressed to find an account that was not from an Armenian or Greek author. This book, first written in 1926, is a compilation of George Horton's (the American Embassador to the Near East at the time) eyewitness testimony and general commentary as well as contributions from some other eyewitnesses depicting a slice of history that is rarely told or recognized yet would become the prototype of the European holocaust of World War II. The persecution and extermination of the Christian population of Asia Minor including Armenian, Greek, and Assyrian peoples by the Kemalist Turks is a tragic event that culminated in one of the most atrocious war crimes in history - the burning of Smyrna in 1922. George Horton, the author, was present to witness this event and tells his account of the events leading up to and including the destruction of the city with its Christian inhabitants exposed to fire, rape, and murder at the hands of the Turkish troops. If this wasn't distressing enough, he goes on to say, these crimes were committed within a hundred yards of Allied (American, British, Italian) warships that saw the the events take place but refused to intervene so as not to sour relations with the Turks (and, in the case of the United States, to protect American oil interests). It is an interesting perspective given his high ranking political stature and connections to the upper political channels. Horton goes on to codemn the genocide and describe the culpability of the Allies present in Smyrna's harbor. Toward the end of the book he talks about the Mohammedan (Muslim) invasion into traditionally Christian lands, makes comparisons between Christianity and Islam and basically comments on the role of Christianity in the Middle East, its deficiencies, its future, and how it applies to the aforementioned genocide.
I initially was drawn to this book because of the actual historical events surrounding this tragedy told by an eyewitness but I was surprised to find the author's commentary on the social, political, and religious ramifications of this event: the Allies, especially the United States protecting its oil interests, Christianity versus Islam in the Middle East. Sound familiar? Although written nearly 80 years ago, there were parts of this book that seemed to foreshadow today's events. The only reason I gave this book four stars was because the author does launch into a few diatribes against the Turks and those responsible for the protection of the civilians of Smyrna. I would have to give him the benefit of the doubt however given the perspective and format in which this book is written, namely a personal testimony of events. I also found that in a few cases, the writing style (of 1926) was difficult to comprehend without a second glance at the sentence or a dictionary nearby. This was however a minor problem and did not affect my enjoyment of the book. All in all, I highly recommend this book.
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Title: Smyrna 1922: The Destruction of a City by Marjorie Housepian Dobkin ISBN: 0966745108 Publisher: Newmark Press Pub. Date: 01 October, 1998 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: The Greek War of Independence: The Struggle for Freedom from the Ottoman Oppression and the Birth of the Modern Greek Nation by David Brewer ISBN: 1585673951 Publisher: Overlook Press Pub. Date: 25 March, 2003 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: Ambassador Morgenthau's Story by Henry Morgenthau, Peter Balakian ISBN: 0814329799 Publisher: Wayne State University Press Pub. Date: 01 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea: Why the Greeks Matter by Thomas Cahill ISBN: 0385495536 Publisher: Nan A. Talese Pub. Date: 28 October, 2003 List Price(USD): $27.50 |
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