
audiobook
THE BLIGHT OF ASIA
THE MARTYRED CITY
FOREWORD
INTRODUCTION
THE BLIGHT OF ASIA
CHAPTER I TURKISH MASSACRES, 1822-1909
CHAPTER II GLADSTONE AND THE BULGARIAN ATROCITIES
CHAPTER III FIRST STEP IN YOUNG TURKS’ PROGRAM (1908-1911)
CHAPTER IV THE LAST GREAT SELAMLIK (1911)
CHAPTER V PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS IN SMYRNA DISTRICT (1911-1914)
A stark, first‑hand chronicle, this work draws on decades of diplomatic service in the Near East to reveal how Christian communities were stripped of their men, uprooted and subjected to brutal deportations. The author recounts the harrowing scenes that unfolded in the ancient port of Smyrna, where fire and gunfire turned a bustling, centuries‑old city into a landscape of ruin and mourning. Through vivid detail, the narrative illustrates the systematic nature of the violence and the profound human cost.
Beyond the battlefield, the book examines the silence of world powers and the uneasy calculations that allowed such cruelty to continue unchecked. It questions the moral responsibilities of nations that observed the atrocities from a distance, even as their own fleets lingered nearby. The account offers a sobering look at how political and economic interests can eclipse humanitarian outrage, urging listeners to confront a forgotten chapter of history.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (364K characters)
Release date
2025-06-16
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1860–1942
A writer-diplomat who moved between American journalism and high-stakes posts in Greece and Turkey, he turned firsthand experience into novels, poems, translations, and forceful nonfiction. His life joined literature, politics, and eyewitness history in a way that still feels striking.
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