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THE GREAT FIRE: ONE AMERICAN'S MISSION TO RESCUE VICTIMS OF THE 20TH CENTURY'S FIRST GENOCIDE
Library Journal Reviews
April 1, 2015
by Ben Neal
SECTION: REVIEWS; Social Sciences; Vol. 140 No. 6
Ureneck, Lou. The Great Fire: One American's Mission To Rescue Victims
of the 20th Century's First Genocide. Ecco: HarperCollins. May 2015.
448p. illus. maps. notes. bibliog. ISBN 9780062259882. $26.99; ebk.
ISBN 9780062259905. HIST
Ureneck (journalism, Boston Univ.; Cabin) tells the story of a
group of Americans--led by sickly pastor Asa Jennings along with
a colorful group of U.S. Naval officers--as they rescued countless
Armenian and Greek Christian refugees from the Great Fire of Smyrna
in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide in 1922. This is an unusual
angle to take in describing this historical event. The book features
impressive research from primary resources from the Turkish region
and puts considerable focus on the coordination among these Americans
as they attempted to save refugees. While this creates an intriguing
perspective, it sometimes shifts the focus away from the fire itself
and the larger genocide that it was a result of. The narrative is
fairly accessible but is nonlinear at times, making it somewhat
disjointed. VERDICT This account is written with fans of popular
narrative history in mind. Despite the muddled material, many will
find this a worthwhile read. Students of this dark part of history,
however, will most appreciate Ureneck's research. [See Prepub Alert,
11/17/14.]--Ben Neal, Richland Lib., Columbia, SC
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
Library Journal Reviews
April 1, 2015
by Ben Neal
SECTION: REVIEWS; Social Sciences; Vol. 140 No. 6
Ureneck, Lou. The Great Fire: One American's Mission To Rescue Victims
of the 20th Century's First Genocide. Ecco: HarperCollins. May 2015.
448p. illus. maps. notes. bibliog. ISBN 9780062259882. $26.99; ebk.
ISBN 9780062259905. HIST
Ureneck (journalism, Boston Univ.; Cabin) tells the story of a
group of Americans--led by sickly pastor Asa Jennings along with
a colorful group of U.S. Naval officers--as they rescued countless
Armenian and Greek Christian refugees from the Great Fire of Smyrna
in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide in 1922. This is an unusual
angle to take in describing this historical event. The book features
impressive research from primary resources from the Turkish region
and puts considerable focus on the coordination among these Americans
as they attempted to save refugees. While this creates an intriguing
perspective, it sometimes shifts the focus away from the fire itself
and the larger genocide that it was a result of. The narrative is
fairly accessible but is nonlinear at times, making it somewhat
disjointed. VERDICT This account is written with fans of popular
narrative history in mind. Despite the muddled material, many will
find this a worthwhile read. Students of this dark part of history,
however, will most appreciate Ureneck's research. [See Prepub Alert,
11/17/14.]--Ben Neal, Richland Lib., Columbia, SC
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress