Peter Balakian 'the Burning Tigris'

[Armat]

'The Burning Tigris'

 

By Harut Sassounian

Publisher, The California Courier

 

Between now and the end of September, Armenian-Americans have the unique

opportunity to place a very valuable book on the Armenian Genocide on the

best-seller list.

Peter Balakian, the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, "Black Dog

of Fate: An American Son Uncovers His Armenian Past," has written a new

book, "The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response,"

which will be released by HarperCollins on September 30. Balakian is the

Donald M. and Constance H. Rebar Professor of the Humanities at Colgate

University.

His previous book, "Black Dog of Fate," received rave reviews in scores of

major American newspapers and literary journals. The book told the story of

the Armenian Genocide from a very personal perspective to large segments of

the American public. It won the PEN/Albrand Award for Memoir and was

selected as a New York Times Notable Book as well as one of the best books

of the year by the Los Angeles Times

Balakian's new book, "The Burning Tigris," is expected to educate an even

larger number of Americans about the Armenian Genocide. It documents the

humanitarian efforts of Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, John D.

Rockefeller, Clara Barton, Ezra Pound, high-ranking clergymen of all

faiths, and millions of ordinary American citizens. The book includes

eyewitness accounts, survivor testimonies, and official reports from the

archives of the United States, Great Britain, Germany, Austria and Turkey.

"The Burning Tigris" has already received advanced praise from several

major writers and historians. Paul Fussell, author of "The Great War" and

"Modern Memory and Wartime: Understanding and Behavior in the Second World

War," wrote: "Peter Balakian's The Burning Tigris is a gripping treatment

of the official Turkish mass murder of a whole people.... The book, fully

documented with appalling details, is a masterpiece of moral history, and

it needs to be widely read."

Prof. Robert Jay Lifton, the author of "Nazi Doctors" and "Destroying The

World to Save It," wrote: "This is the only study of a particular genocide

that fully records the motivations of perpetrators, the suffering of

victims, and the responses of the outside world. Balakian brilliantly

integrates all of these dimensions so that they become a single, compelling

narrative. This book will be a classic...."

Prof. Deborah Lipstadt, the author "Denying the Holocaust," wrote: "The

Armenian Genocide is a double tragedy: the tragedy of the horrific event

itself and the contemporary tragedy of its denial by Turkey. Peter Balakian

tells the powerful and largely unknown story of America's response to both

these tragedies. This important and compelling book is long overdue."

Sir Martin Gilbert, author of "The Righteous: The Unsung Heroes of the

Holocaust" and "Empires In Conflict: A History of the Twentieth Century,

1900-1933," wrote: "The terrible fate of the Armenians, whose attempted

destruction provided a template for the Jewish Holocaust, is brilliantly

described, as is the remarkable response of the United States.... Peter

Balakian has done a great service to the history of the Armenians."

The Publisher's Weekly, the book industry's publication of record, wrote in

its starred review: "Balakian exposes the roots of the genocide in the

total war atmosphere of WWI, which combusted in the pan-Turkish nationalism

of the Young Turk government, inflamed Muslim rage against 'infidel'

Armenian Christians, and a long-simmering Ottoman hatred of the Armenians

dating to Sultan Abdul Hamid II and his slaughters in the 1890s.

...Readers will come away sadly convinced that Armenians' brave but doomed

stand in Van should be as celebrated as the Warsaw ghetto uprising, and the

corpse-strewn Lake Goeljuk as well known as Babi Yar."

With the aid of this valuable book, Armenians have the unique opportunity

to disseminate the facts of the Armenian Genocide to a worldwide readership

and counter the lies spread by Turkey on this subject.

Thanks to the billions of dollars of aid provided by the US government, the

Turkish government spends millions to deny and distort the facts of the

Armenian Genocide. The Turks pay large sums of money to hire Turkish and

foreign mercenary writers to pen these lies which are then translated into

dozens of languages and mailed to newspapers, libraries and politicians

worldwide.

Mr. Balakian has devoted several years to research, at his personal

expense, and write this very impressive book. The least Armenians could do

now is to buy as many copies as possible and donate them to family members,

friends and colleagues. The Armenian National Committee has already

announced that it has arranged to distribute 1,000 copies of this book to

Members of Congress and the Bush Administration. Individuals or

organizations could purchase and donate additional copies of the book to

newspapers, libraries, and local and state government officials.

If thousands of copies are pre-ordered before September 30, "The Burning

Tigris" could go on the best-seller list, substantially increasing its

exposure and readership worldwide. Those who order this book now from

Amazon.com will get a 30% pre-publication discount ($18.87 instead of

$26.95). Barnes and Noble (www.bn.com) is offering it at a 20% discount.

Since best-seller lists are based on the number of books sold per week,

pre-ordering it now on-line in large quantities could place Balakian's book

on the best-seller list when it is released on September 30!

Every Armenian could participate in this worthwhile effort and play an

important role in helping to advance the Armenian Cause!

[Armat]

Although some on this very forum have severe view of Balakian, I on the other hand believe we should buy and read his books with more open-minded view of his work. (Reading before criticizing helps) The fact of the matter is we have only few writers who care enough to speak for Armenian Genocide in greater American and international arena therefore Peter Balakian has all my support and I hope he tops N.Y. top forty list.All power to you Balakian.

[Haytorontonian]

Thanks for the information.

 

I just ordered mine through chapters.indigo.ca, in Canada of course and it is $41.00 CDN. I did my part.

[Armat]

Thanks for your iterest Haytorontonian.The release date is sept.30th. The amazon has a 30% off the list price.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/sim-e...5151810-2715852

[Armat]

Shame on NPR for insisting giving equal air time for a denialist Turkish view when inviting Peter B to speak about his book. Luckly Peter refused.

Imagine if a producer from NPR invited a scholar to speak about his new book on the Jewish Holocaust and then, to provide “balance”, including another guest known for denying that the nazis murdered six million Jews. Outrages right?That is exactly what NPR did to Balakian.

Edited December 23, 2003 by Armat

[ED]

yes I heard that to, Armat its because as they claim there is still historical debate going on regarding Armenian Genocide, on those bases its only fair and balanced ( my ass ) thing to do, I heard about historical none séance even on PBS every time they have a program about genocide.

[Nikephoros_Phokas]

You know who this 50/50 bs benefits. It is no suprise. For example Turkey raises claims on the Aegean, and what does it have to lose, nothing. What does Greece have to lose, alot. Reporters covering Turkish fighters invading the Greek FIR give the impression alot of times that the area is a disputed region, because they give a forum for Turkish fascist expansionism to propagate on a verbal level.

 

It is the same with the Armenian genocide, Armenians stand to be vicitimized by allowing denialists a forum and they stand to lose their place in history. The way news works, no reporter and no paper can really investigate every conflict and every issue so tend they tend to ask for both sides of a conflict to speak. The more fanatic side making the biggest claims is gonna win these 50/50 scenarios, defacto. You cannot lose something that is not yours, but if someone claims something that is yours, you could stand to lose it. For Turkey it is a defacto win even if they are pummeled in the debate, because it will a create an impression that is clear, this subject is still a matter of historic debate and not a closed case. No matter how trounced they are in such debates still the impression will be created that the Armenian genocide is controversial and in dispute. It was very smart of Balakian to refuse, because he could not win.

 

Has anyone read the work in question does it tell a balanced story, of American humanitarianism along with the story of vested American interests and real-politik? If it just one sided about American goodwill it is not worth reading, because it does not reflect reality properly. In the end vested interests won out and Armenians lost. Even the missionaries who helped publicize the Armenian genocide, after it is was completed they downplayed the genocide to earn the good-will of the Turkish authorities so they would get the good graces of the Turkish regime and be able to hold onto their property. But what are the use of Christian missions and missionaries, in a nation that just killed its native Christians? It defies logic.

Edited December 24, 2003 by nairi

[Stormig]

Twaddle, no nation other than Greeks use this concept of "invasion of FIR"...

Don't take my word for it:

 

http://www.un.org/documents/ga/docs/55/a55776.pdf

 

http://www.google.ca/search?q=%22FIR+viola...le+Search&meta=

 

http://www.google.ca/search?num=100&hl=en&...le+Search&meta=

 

How does one invade a Flight Information Region? Trying to sound sophisticated so people can hoo-haa and forget how Greeks try to expand their territorial waters in the Aegean from 6 nautical miles to 12, and, where they feel they're going to get a good smacking if they insist, come up with such weird things as oblique fight spaces - those that are not the shape of the territorial water but extend 12 nautical miles so you have the shape of an overturned hat? Indeed the Greeks are creative!

[Anileve]

Mr. Balakyan charges $3,000 to speak for his fellow Armenians, students in particular and that is in addition to all of the expenses he demands to be paid for him. Nice to know that he volunteers with such selfless sense of dedication to help out Armenian Students....ahem...

[DominO123]

If I was Balakian I would have accepted the 50/50, but I would ask something in return, I would want it to be done in a confrontational way, and not a cut 50/50 speech, where one talk, and then the other. Or if it is not this, I would accept the denialist to speak first, and I would end it by debunking all his claims.

 

This would show how their claims doesn't hold water, and to finish I would criticise openly the NPR and ask them if they would permit the 50/50 show if a Holocaust denialist asked to "balance" a Holocaust scholar in a similar circonstances.

 

Dadrian faced many denialists during his conferences in the past, he had no problem with that, he was placing them all in their place without any problem.

Edited December 26, 2003 by Fadix

[Sasun]

If I was Balakian I would have accepted the 50/50, but I would ask something in return, I would want it to be done in a confrontational way, and not a cut 50/50 speech, where one talk, and then the other. Or if it is not this, I would accept the denialist to speak first, and I would end it by debunking all his claims.

 

This would show how their claims doesn't hold water, and to finish I would criticise openly the NPR and ask them if they would permit the 50/50 show if a Holocaust denialist asked to "balance" a Holocaust scholar in a similar circonstances.

 

Dadrian faced many denialists during his conferences in the past, he had no problem with that, he was placing them all in their place without any problem.

Good point Domino. But could Balakian debunk as well as Dadrian - I doubt? Maybe he made a wise step.

[Azat]

Mr. Balakyan charges $3,000 to speak for his fellow Armenians, students in particular and that is in addition to all of the expenses he demands to be paid for him. Nice to know that he volunteers with such selfless sense of dedication to help out Armenian Students....ahem...

Dear anileve, are you saying that he should do it for free? How is he suppose to support his family?

[DominO123]

Sasun, I think any genocide scholar that does not study denialism and how to debunk it, does not worth to be given time on air.

 

Debunking denialists would be a piece of cake if the scholar really did his homework... if you want to write a work about the event, it should be writen in a way that it reject every claims made by denialists. If that is so, then such scholars will have no problem debunking denialists.

 

I've read his first book, I must admit, I've hate it, I've seen his second work, turmed the pages, but still havn't read it, I just think the book is overprized for the study he did to write the book.

 

I would accept anyday a confrontation against a denialist, and when you write such a work, you should be prepared, and I disagree that we will always loose it this way... if you destroy ones claims one by one and shut his mouth, you then turn on the commentator of the show, and tell him that like he can realise the Armenian genocide is undeniable you can only win this way.

Edited December 26, 2003 by Fadix

[DominO123]

Dear anileve, are you saying that he should do it for free? How is he suppose to support his family?

Azat, there is supporting his familly and there is nearly stealing students money. This remind me the about 2000$ of genocide courses by Zoryan Institute.

[Sasun]

I understand Domino, but my point is Balakian is not really a genocide scholar, he is a writer. I don't think his book needs as much scholarly research as Dadrian's works (of course it would never hurt, and it is possible he has done enough research to answer all denialist claims). So depending on the denialist he may or may not have been able to debunk.

[THOTH]

Yeah Domino - I hear you...though perhaps your being a bit harch/demanding - and I agre with Sasun's point - he's a writer and not a scholar - and his books have gained a wider appreciation then just scholarly works and this brings soem recognition in and of itself - so not at all a bad thing.

 

But yeah - were (of course) anxiously awaiting the Domino institution of Genocide and Genocide denyining debunking institute!

 

Bring it on (the phrase of the day eh)...

[Armat]

Not knowing P.B. financial situation etc. I can only add that there is nothing wrong gaining some financial success from one’s work. What I don’t understand why we have a problem with celebrating success.3k seems a lot but add the air fair, hotel, food and you got a 1k left which is what most middle class Americans make a week.

He probably only can do this in a very narrow time period, once the book becomes year or two old then people generally lose interest hence no more invitations to go to.

I agree with Sasun that he is a writer not a scholar and I did enjoy reading his personnel memoirs. His first book is basically American Armenian searching for self identity and in the process brings forth the AG .Nothing wrong there and all the more power to him. He brought the issue to a larger audience

Edited December 26, 2003 by Armat

[Armat]

Domino j,

Perhaps the time is ripe for someone like you to write a denialist rebuttal book with all the details and the latest sleazy campaigns by the Turks.

The problem is who will buy it other then few Armenians.What we need is a major fictional narrative book, which could have potentials for a huge blockbuster. People like stories and get bored with statistics…

[America-Hye]

Peter has done more for the Armenian Cause over the last few years than ANY other individual. College Professors don't make that much. Stop crticizing him. Stop being TYPICAL Armenians.

[DominO123]

Peter has done more for the Armenian Cause over the last few years than ANY other individual. College Professors don't make that much. Stop crticizing him. Stop being TYPICAL Armenians.

Why don't you do something for the Armenian cause, and turn your tong 7 times before saying something?

[DominO123]

Domino j,

Perhaps the time is ripe for someone like you to write a denialist rebuttal book with all the details and the latest sleazy campaigns by the Turks.

The problem is who will buy it other then few Armenians.What we need is a major fictional narrative book, which could have potentials for a huge blockbuster. People like stories and get bored with statistics…

I am not criticising his work, I just think that the book is overprized for the amount of work it contain. That is my opinion.

 

As for a work debunking denialists, who told you my work would be on sale? It will be free of charge.

[America-Hye]

Domino,

 

You would be surprised to know how much I have done for the Armenian Cause, much more than you could ever imagine. I can do more as a closet Armenian than I could do as an open Armenian.

[Armat]

As for a work debunking denialists, who told you my work would be on sale? It will be free of charge.

That's the real spirit!Kudos to you bro

[ED]

Mr. Balakyan charges $3,000 to speak for his fellow Armenians, students in particular and that is in addition to all of the expenses he demands to be paid for him. Nice to know that he volunteers with such selfless sense of dedication to help out Armenian Students....ahem...

Is there any kind of proof to this? or this is (no offence) just a kitchen talk?

I dont think Balakian needs to charge 3K, and beter yet to an Armenian students? <_<

 

I dont belive it for one minute!!!!

[Nikephoros_Phokas]

Given enough time to confront a denialist, yes like you said, Domino, the chance should be taken. If you keep brining up evidences hard to impeach like:

 

A)Lemkin the inventor of the term genocide having what happened to the Armenians in mind when formulating the term

B)Ataturk's speeches where he said 800,000 Armenians were killed

C)Turkish post-war military tribunal

D)Turkish post-war parliamentary debates

E)Turkish scholars like Akcam, the guy who wrote "How Karabekir destroyed Armenia", Ismail Besikci etc.

etc.

 

and then the denialist keeps rejecting these sources because they have to perpetrate their denial, even those who do not know about the genocide or its denial will see the pattern. No matter what the denialist will just dismiss everything on some pretense or another. This is under ideal circumstances.

 

In reality the question is how long the debate is given airtime on the radio or some other form of media. Without much time, no pattern will emerge showing the denialists are just dismissing evidences that are hard to impeach. Then, will people think listening think there is an Armenian genocide if they never heard of it before? I am not too sure. I do not know how long the average radio show interview or newspaper article is, but the less time given the better chance the denialists have to create doubt, the more time the more chances there are for the denialists to bury themselves by denying evidence on flimsy grounds. But without enough time to someone who has never heard of the Armenian genocide before, I think the denialist has a chance of winning the debate by creating doubt and creating the impression it is still a matter of historical debate.

Edited January 7, 2004 by Nikephoros_Phokas