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Book Review

WILLIAM TAYLOR

Remembering the Armenian Genocide 1915. Patrick Thomas. £8.50. Gwasg Carreg
Gwalch, 2015. Paperback. ISBN: 978-1-84527-546-4.

THIS YEAR is the 100th anniversary
of the Armenian Genocide, some-
times called ‘the forgotten genocide.’
This epithet generally refers to Hit-
ler’s infamous remark, uttered on the
eve of the occupation of Poland
“Who now remembers the annihila-
tion of the Armenians?” It is impor-
tant that the book is written by a
Welsh Anglican priest. Partly due to
his tireless e?orts and those of the
welsh shepherd Eilian Williams, the
Welsh government recognises the
Armenian genocide and will be mark-
ing the events of 23rd and 24th April -
the day on which the Mother See of
Holy Echmiadzin canonises the vic-
tims of the genocide as martyrs.

This is an important and
timely book. In ?ve chapters, Patrick
Thomas takes us through the “air-
brushing of history” and the removal
of the Armenian tragedy from international consciousness; through Armenia’s
proud claim to be the ?rst Christian nation and always trapped between larger
empires; through the execution of the genocide with meticulous planning; ‘the
descent into hell’ or the actual murderous events of 1915, and the result as an
Armenia without Armenians.

Patrick Thomas gives some important new insights from eye witness
accounts and a chilling re?ection on German complicity in the annihilation of
the Armenians. He charts the disastrous e?ect of the combination of national-
ism and racism in the motivations of the main players. Here, I would have liked

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