Forced into genocide : memoirs of an Armenian soldier in the Ottoman Turkish army / Yervant N. Alexanian ; edited by Adrienne G. Alexanian ; with an introduction by Sergio LaPorta and a foreword by Israel W. Charny.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 143-144).

Memoirs of Yervant (Edward) Alexanian -- Childhood/Early Life -- School Years -- Life in Sivas before Deportations -- Deportations and Genocide -- Life in the Army -- Istanbul -- America -- Afterword -- Final Thoughts (1953) -- Appendices -- A: Reflections of Yervant Alexanian -- B: Letters of Yervant Alexanian -- C: Documents of Yervant Alexanian (Facsimile with English transcript/translation) -- Timeline -- Map: Armenian population centers in Ottoman Turkey, on the eve of the Armenian Genocide -- Photo Essay: Scenes from Sivas.

"This memoir recalls Yervant Alexanian's death-defying experiences in the center of the Armenian Genocide. Like other Armenians of his generation, he was an eyewitness to the massacre and dislocation of his family and fellow countrymen in Ottoman Turkey during World War I. Alexanian was conscripted into the Turkish army--but unlike others so conscripted, he survived. Alexanian was forced to become an onlooker while he watched the atrocities unfold. His story of resourceful action and fateful turns is a suspenseful 'insider's account' of a Genocide survivor. From his singular position, Alexanian was able to document the tragedy of his people in his journals and diaries, but he also offers us a behind-the-scenes look into the motivations and actions of Turkish military officials as they committed the atrocities. His story continues after the war as we follow the trail of his journey through Europe and finally to America, where he found solace and was able to start anew with fellow survivors. No comparable account exists in the literature of the Armenian Genocide. This edition, translated from Alexanian's hand-written Armenian-language chronicle, includes never-before-seen documents and photos that the author preserved. Through his eyes we relive the astonishing cruelty of the Genocide's perpetrators--but also rare, unexpected acts of humanity between victim and oppressor"--Provided by publisher.