| vtsaogames | 22 Jun 2012 4:41 a.m. PST |
I just got back from two weeks in Turkey (a great trip). Can anyone suggest a good English-language history of the Independence War? I already have Great War Turks… |
| Pedrobear | 22 Jun 2012 5:33 a.m. PST |
Haha, when I came back from my trip there I felt the same way too – must be all those pictures of Ataturk you see all over the place! |
| vtsaogames | 22 Jun 2012 7:54 p.m. PST |
Also had a tour guide who gave a good intro using a map of Turkey – while my wife persuaded the other folks on the tour bus they would be bored to tears if he put it on the microphone. |
 Grelber  | 23 Jun 2012 7:49 a.m. PST |
vtsaogames,
Is this the 1919-1923 war between Turkey and Greece? I've heard it called The Greco-Turkish War or, from the Greek view point "The Debacle in Asia Minor." Anyway, if this is the same war, I don't think there's a whole lot available in the English. I have Lord Kinross' book, Ataturk: A biography of Mustafa Kemal, father of modern Turkey, which wasn't bad. I read an account of part of the war by a Greek royal, who was a division commander, until he was relieved for political reasons. A History of the Hellenic Army, 1821-1997, by the Hellenic Army General Staff, has nine pages on the campaign, plus a great deal more on the organization and administration of the Greek Army. The Polemos (War) Museum in Athens has some displays. The National Museum in the old parliament building (where the Lazarus Parliament--brought back from the dead--was held), includes paintings of The Crossing of the Salt Desert, 1921 and the cruiser Georgios Averoff steaming past Constantinople, which might turn up on a Google image search. There is a film with Tony Curtis and Charles Bronson (I think it was called You Can't Win 'em All) that is set against the background of the war and the burning of Smyrna. I should check to see if it is available on DVD. Grelber |
| Grelber | 23 Jun 2012 8:10 a.m. PST |
vtsaogames,
Here's a link to a forum where somebody posted a copy of the picture of the Greek Army Crossing the Salt Desert; there are also photos of the Greek Army in Asia Minor. link Checking Amazon.com, it looks like the 1970 Tony Curtis/Charles Bronson movie was once available in VHS and can now be purchased on DVD, though only in Region 2 format. Grelber |
| vtsaogames | 23 Jun 2012 2:00 p.m. PST |
Grelber, Yes, that is the war I was talking about. I have Andrew Mango's Ataturk bio, which is light on the military events of this war. I'll look for the film. Region 2: where is that? Thank you. Edit: of course, any film I'd like to see is not on Netflix instant download. Grr. |
| KTravlos | 23 Jun 2012 6:20 p.m. PST |
There should be a Hellenic Army General Staff General History of the War in English. Ah here it is link note that the publishing house seems nationalist. But if the book is a exact translation of the military history from the chiefs of staff it will be ridiculously detailed for the Greek actions |
| vtsaogames | 24 Jun 2012 7:09 a.m. PST |
Hmm. Pricey, too. Perhaps the 42nd street library has a copy… So far it looks like my main source will be Wikipedia (shudder). It looks like no English-language history, not to mention an even-handed one has been published. Thanks, gents. |
| majormike69 | 24 Jun 2012 8:35 a.m. PST |
There is Ionian vision Greece in Asia Minor 1919-1922 by Michael llewellyn Smith ISBN 1850653682. There is also a chapter on this conflict in The Great War by Winston Churchill Vol 3. |
| Monophagos | 25 Jun 2012 7:32 a.m. PST |
Try "The Blight of Asia" written by a US missionary who was in Smyrna, or a trilogy by Elia Kazan "America, America", "The Anatolian", and "Beyond the Aegean" which details the war from the perspective of the civillians who suffered most…… |
finds bridges to match the river sets.
