Survivors: An Oral History of the Armenian Genocide

by Donald E. Miller, Lorna Touryan Miller

Between 1915 and 1923, over one million Armenians died, victims of a genocidal campaign that is still denied by the Turkish government. Thousands of other Armenians suffered torture, brutality, deportation. Yet their story has received scant attention. Through interviews with a hundred elderly Armenians, Donald and Lorna Miller give the "forgotten genocide" the hearing it deserves. Survivors raise important issues about genocide and about how people cope with traumatic experience. Much here is wrenchingly painful, yet it also speaks to the strength of the human spirit.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East, Politics, Biography, World War I

274 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 1993

About the author

Donald E. Miller is the Leonard K. Firestone Professor of Religion at the University of Southern California and Director of Strategic Initiatives at USC’s Center for Religion and Civic Culture. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of ten books, including Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement and Reinventing American Protestantism: Christianity in the New Millennium.

Reviews

[Zabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading this book since college (over 15 years now). I halted in my reading probably because the authors were thorough in describing the Armenian Genocide and it became too sorrowful to read. I do plan to finish it. I gave it 4 stars and would have given it 5 stars if not for the horror of this part of Armenian history. I'm grateful for the elderly Armenians who were willing to relive nightmares from their past so that the rising generation could know of the roots from which they come.

[Elmira · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was traumatized but this was an amazing book😭everyone in my class said they cried and had nightmares.

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great history. Well-written with minimal bias. But it's not a pretty history -- quite depressing yet important to know.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book on the shelf of my public library while looking for Taner Akçam's book 'A Shameful Act.' I'm very grateful I did. In the past year, I've been reconnecting with my Armenian identity and delving into the history of the genocide to better understand my family's own history (2 of my great-grandparent are genocide survivors).

I read this book quickly, perhaps too quickly. I read over half in one day, and the next day fell ill. I think the emotional toll of hearing the survivors' stories was greater than I expected. I encourage Armenians reading this book to take care of themselves and tend to their spirits and souls before, during, and after reading. Many of the images described are haunting. Reading this book felt itself like an act of mourning.

I'm very grateful to the Millers and the survivors they interviewed for their important work. One of the survivors describes running away from a surrogate family after being orphaned during the deportations - she was treated well in her surrogate family but still left because "'I thought that if I ran away, some Armenians, someplace, would take care of me'" (183). To me, the act of telling our history and recording it for future generations so we can know our legacies is an act of care-taking. Though devastating, this book is a reminder that there are Armenians out there, someplace, many places, writing, remembering, and taking care of one another.

On a different note, I felt the authors balanced their inclusion of secondary research and archival research in an expert way that allowed the oral histories of survivors to shine in their full context. Reading, I could tell great care was taken to honor the survivors' stories and do them justice.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative book about a little known but horrifying chapter of history. While it is technically a book of oral testimonies, the book is written by academics and contains a lot of facts, figures, and explanations. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but just be forewarned.

[Elizabeth Barrett Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re only going to read one book about the Armenian genocide, this would be a good one. I was expecting it to be entirely word-for-word testimonials based on the title, but this had historical context and explanations of key events, as well as scholarly analysis and reflections.

[TimEs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Learned a lot. Could be a harsh read though.

[Xiaochuan Yu · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible oral history project done in the 70s & inspires more thinking on the role of diaspora in organizing and representing collective memory

[Anne Haack · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book and the research that went into it is a treasure. The Millers managed to blend academic excellence with personal family history and human compassion.

[Katya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating and informative project. Well organized, engaging, and a good source from a survivor perspective.

[Ann Odonnell · Rating 5 out of 5]

The FACTS - so carefully collected - are as compelling as any historical novel could be
Could not forget this book

[Katie]

Armenia

[Megan Blood · Rating 3 out of 5]

It requires some talent to take the personal stories of survivors of the Armenian Genocide and turn them into an incredibly boring book.

This would have been much more powerful if they had just given us the stories whole instead of tearing them into little pieces: Violence against Women & Children, etc.

I understand what they were trying to do, but I think it would have been better served by just letting the stories speak for themselves. All the additional commentary/philosophy/supporting evidence should have been condensed into an introduction or conclusion, not left to interrupt the stories themselves.

[Sev Mardi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written book. The research is impressive. At some points felt really sad as I was reading it, the writers did great job at the end.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read on a largely forgotten aspect of history.