ARMSTRONG Harold, “Turkey in Travail: the birth of a New Nation” / with eight illustrations and two maps, London: John Lane The Bodley Head Limited, 1925. In 8vo. xi,280pp., with frontispiece and 7 illustrations, 2 folding maps, index.

An impressively controversary account of the transition of the facts on the Ottoman Empire’s ground, from its fall during World War I and the SevresTreaty to the Treaty of Lausanne. Detailed and vivid narrations on Greek Minor Asia campaign and the “Armenian Genocide” issue. The author experienced Turkey from a war prisoner to a high rank officer (Military Attache and later Supervisor of Turkish Gendarmerie!) during a period of seven years (1916-1923). That makes him a true eyewitness, clearly influenced by British colonialism (“Pan-Turanism”) on the one hand and the idea of the "Clean-Fighting Turk" on the other, after years of close contact mainly with Turkish officers.

Despite the coverage of his captivity in the first seven chapters of this book (his descriptions of the Turkish prison system are pretty horrific), the bulk of the narrative focuses on the immediate post-war climate in Turkey, and the Allies ill-fated attempt to carve out spheres of influence in the defunct Ottoman Empire.

Original red cloth bound, black title on front cover and spine; decolorated spine, slight external wear. Clean and tight inside, fresh images. A very Nice copy of the First edition.