Turkey and the Armenian Ghost: On the Trail of the Genocide, Laure Marchand and Guillaume Perrier (hardcover)

In Turkey and the Armenian Ghost, Laure Marchand and Guillaume Perrier visit historical sites and interview politicians, elderly survivors, descendants, authors, and activists in a quest for the hidden truth. Taking the reader into mountain regions, tiny hamlets, and the homes of traumatized victims of a deadly persecution that continues to this day, they reveal little-known aspects of the history and culture of a people who have been rendered invisible in their ancient homeland.

Seeking to illuminate complex issues of blame and responsibility, guilt and innocence, the authors discuss the roles played in this drama by the “righteous Turks,” the Kurds, the converts, the rebels, and the “leftovers of the sword.” They also describe the struggle to have the genocide officially recognized in Turkey, France, and the United States. Arguing that the massive cover-up has had consequences for Turks as well as for Armenians, the authors point out to a society sickened by a century of denial.