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Book: War And Peace

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  • Book: War And Peace

    WAR AND PEACE
    by Prince Frederick

    The Hindu
    http://www.thehindu.com/arts/books/article2928509.ece
    Feb 24 2012
    India

    Having survived a string of harrowing misfortunes as a boy, John D.
    Balian drew upon his own experiences to create the inspirational
    protagonist of his first novel, Gray Wolves and White Doves. The
    desire to tell his life story under the guise of a novel was certainly
    compelling, but the 49-year-old author also sensed a need to throw
    fresh light on certain events that lie forgotten in the dingy, back
    chambers of history. Pursuit of these twin goals has resulted in
    an engrossing coming-of-age tale that is interwoven with threads of
    Middle-East politics, culture and conflict.

    The novel particularly paints a picture of the internal conflicts in
    Turkey for the simple reason that Balian has had a ringside view of
    them. But he offers only thin-cut slices of history, Turkish or any
    other. "There are many historical references, but they are offered
    in calculated measures - a line here and a line there - so that the
    reader is not distracted from following the central thread of the
    story," says Balian, who is touring India to promote the book.

    Through his characters, Balian presents the 1915 Armenian genocide in
    the Ottoman Empire - the forerunner of Turkey - and also describes
    events in the 1960s and 1970s that show the Turkish establishment's
    ambition to "mould the non-Turkish citizens of Turkey in the image
    of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the beliefs he personified."

    Responses from readers, mostly in the United States, have convinced
    Balian that he has succeeded in the effort to entertain and educate
    people through this work. "Many readers have written to say they were
    unaware of the Armenian genocide," says Balian, an Armenian himself.

    "The Jewish Holocaust in Nazi Germany is a well-known fact of history.

    Not so the Armenian genocide." (Around 20 countries and many scholars
    accept the Armenian massacres of 1915 as genocidal, the Republic of
    Turkey, however, denies it was genocide).

    The central characters in the novel live under a cloud of uncertainty.

    They either nurse wounds that refuse to heal or they live in
    anticipation of danger.

    The title of the book is aimed at capturing this tension. "It's
    meant to bring out the idea of predators and preys," explains
    Balian. "Grey Wolves is a secret group in Turkey." The Idealist Youth -
    a ultra-nationalist group - is unofficially called 'Grey Wolves'.

    Such references are bound to make the novel appealing to students of
    world events. In one episode, protagonist Jonah Ibelinian is swept
    into a pervasive panic at the Tel Aviv airport. In response to an
    explosion, waiting passengers fall to the floor. Jonah - who is caught
    in a flashback of his childhood - is slow to respond to the emergency
    and a policeman pulls the boy down to safety.

    The terrified passengers soon learn a balloon had caused that explosive
    noise, but nobody is embarrassed.

    Balian writes people lived in a climate of fear and they expected
    the worst, all the time. In this context, an oblique reference is
    made to the sensational hijacking of an El Al plane in 1968.

    Considering he is a medical doctor working in a senior position for
    a big corporation, Balian's wide knowledge of history is impressive.

    "I have always been interested in history and keep following world
    events. When I write, I just have to verify the facts."

    Given that he has also lived in parts of Europe and has put down roots
    in the U.S., Balian can be expected to deliver more historical novels
    that are spiked with autobiographical elements.

    "Readers of this book have asked me to bring out a sequel," says
    Balian. "For now, I want to focus on marketing this book." His plans
    for Gray Wolves and White Doves include finding an Indian publisher
    and also trying to have a film made on it.

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