It Turns Out It's An Armenian Genocide Fortnight

Whenever something frightens and/or angers me, I try to learn as much about it as I possibly can. Obviously this isn't unique to me; witness the nationwide upsurge in interest in the Middle East after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. I'm not sure why we puny humans do this, but I assume it's because it gives us an illusory sense of control. I know for my part, when terrorists detonate a nuclear device ten blocks from my home in 2009, I plan to shout "I understand EXACTLY why this is happening!" just before I turn into a small puff of water vapor.

All of this is to say: do you find the Armenian Genocide terrifying and infuriating? And does this make you want to learn more about it? If so, I you suggest you check out the below books. I would also like to hear from anyone who has additional books to recommend.

1. The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and America's Response, A History of International Human Rights and Forgotten Heroes by Peter Balakian

This is of particular interest to Americans because -- as you can tell from the title -- it's about both the genocide itself and the response in the United States. I'd compare it to King Leopold's Ghost, in that it describes horrible crimes but also rescues from oblivion extraordinary efforts to stop them. For instance did you know that Julia Ward Howe -- lyricist of "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and the originator of Mother's Day -- spent much of the end of her life working for human rights for Armenians? Me neither.

I'd also compare it to King Leopold's Ghost because they're both fantastic books. You should read this, not least because it's one of the few books about genocide that leaves you with a small measure of hope for humanity.

2. Black Dog of Fate: An American Son Uncovers His Armenian Past by Peter Balakian

This is a more personal book by Balakian (written before The Burning Tigris) describing his childhood in New Jersey in the 1950s and 60s, and how he gradually learned about the genocide and that much of his grandmother's family perished in it. At the beginning of the book he describes how his grandmother knew large chunks of the Bible by heart, and would tell him, "Words are friends. In bad times they keep you company." Later you learn just how bad the bad times she'd experienced were.

3. Survivors: An Oral History of the Armenian Genocide by Donald and Lorna Touryan Miller

I love oral histories, and could read them until my eyes bleed. They capture the human elements of the past that otherwise would evaporate like dew. This is the only oral history I've come across about the genocide, and thus should be high on your reading list. (It also includes the basic historical facts, so it's easily accessible even if you don't know anything about the subject.)

4. Remembrance and Denial: The Case of the Armenian Genocide, Richard Hovannisian, ed.

This is a collection of pieces by various authors about different aspects of Armenian Genocide denial, including one chapter devoted to Bernard Lewis. Probably only for obsessives like myself.