While doing research on the uses of political violence by “non-state actors” for my second novel Dreams of Bread and Fire, I came across a 1984 French documentary entitled “Terrorists in Retirement” (original title “Des terroristes à la retraite”). It told the story of a French Communist Resistance network made up of immigrant workers. The network’s leader was an Armenian poet named Missak Manouchian. In late 1943, the Germans arrested Manouchian and 22 members of his group, which was comprised of Eastern European Jews, Armenians, and Italian and Spanish refugees. The men were executed by firing squad in February 1944. The sole woman was executed by beheading in Germany some months later.
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I have been fascinated for years with Missak Manouchian and Shahnour Aznavourian. I am looking forward to reading your books. You are dealing with very touchy subjects sometimes. I am sure you have handled them frankly and with sensitivity.
Please do come and visit us in Yeghegnadzor.
Thanks, Antoine. I seem to be drawn to touchy subjects.
Eagerly awaiting for this novel while re-reading Dreams of Bread and Fire. It is even better the second time around. Amazed how I’m remembering passages before they even appear with great nostalgia. Can’t wait to read this and your upcoming one on Beirutsi’s!
Thanks, Houry. Pub date is March 12, and first book event is March 13 in NYC.
After reading your other novels, I’ve been looking forward to reading All The Light There Was. Thanks for providing the historical context, and the glimpse of the people and stories you encountered doing your research and the ideas that interested and inspired you. It’s always fascinating to get a behind-the-scenes view of what fed into a novel.
Thanks, Wendy. I enjoy the doing the research as much as any other aspect of the writing.
Nancy,
You are doing an indepth research of recent Armenian history -involvement during WWII in Europe. Very interesting indeed,but some clarifications are important.BTW, I have photos showing my participation at the 40th Anniversary of Missak Manuchian and his group’s being shot by firing squad at mONT VALERIEN, Paaris,France. In fact also photographed with Melinee Manuchian who at Dinner offered to us participatns, at the Intercontinental after visit to Mont Valerien,sat near me and after I delivered a short discourse came and kissed me on the forehead…
I have other episodes w/ref to the L’AFFICHE ROUGE*have a copy of it too.This was pasted all over central Paris -searching M.Manuchian and his group members..
What I’d like to comment upon is somethign other than all about M.M.
You also write about armenian Flag sewed to NAZI Flag in Vienna.Well,dear Nancy, there are much more to that our General Dro also being involved..so I think I should clarify myself.During a HUGE ,global War that it was, many things were possilble…to happend unexpectedly…Some ultra lefts point that out, others to the opposite.
I am to explain that our OTHER side also had the God given right to think that if the Russian(reaad soviet union,some 200,000 Armenians also within their forces-later being martyred for the Hairenagan Baderazm(fatherland war,,,,,thence Dro and his co thinkers ,calculating(turned out otherwise, but never mind,he and his followers were right in their own right too.Now just Imagine,if the other Allies ,the British,and Americans had not8especially latter) thrown in all force bombarding the German heartland with millions of tons of Boms-also supplying the soviets hundredes of thousands of tons of Food and war equipment vis the Persian Gulf(I also witnessed that, allday long U.S. Studebaker huge truck laden with -just said- hiring 16-18 yrs old Iraniasn to drive them over to julfa-soviet fronties…Russia could have lost the war….thence Dro thought not to leave R.of Armenia (soviet then)AT THE MERCY OF OUR ENENMIES…..
he would enter and declare the independent NATIONALIST ORIENTED R.OF ARMENIA.No not so much for boasting…but for saving Armenia and remaining armenians(the Young) in Armenia, from Toikish(rfead turkish) wrath…..Armenians forget things very easily…like I just described.In a War anything is probable and possible.One must be prepared for the other outcome too, not to perish TOTALLY!!!
Ask me write and describe Dro and his 80 Young Ärmenians half german etc., stayed a few dasy at my uncle´s Mansion like Bldgfs in Budapest on their way to the front…..My aunt´s husband when I ws visiting Budapest in 1947 going through Munich -Nuremberg ruins,real ruins on U.S. Military Trains with full of MPs and red cross American gals…eaching Budapest, which also had suffered some Bridges being bombed,he todl me it was true Dro had passsed from her with his Elite Armeno German small above group.So what?.
Also in Tokyo an ex-imperial army captain sadly told me about Hiroshima…had not that happened he said we might ahve come otu of that war else wise…so take it easy…we armenians have to learn to <MEASURE all ..before siding with one or another.Rather time to learn from great Turkey not to side with any,,JUST PRETNED THAT THEY DO ,THEN AT AÑLST MOMENT TURN TO THE OTHER SIDE,THUS SAVING OWN SKIN….
We have been to naive dying for others,
An armenian writer (now hope not dead) in Cote DÁzure wrote book entitled ¨¨Esh Nahatag Hay Zoghovourt) to that effect where he describes(is from Istanbulla) how we ahve been silly and always got martyred for odars…
Gaytzag, Thanks for the comment. You raise many good points, a few of which are directly addressed in the novel.
Good research, Nancy. Would like to read your book when published and I hope you can come to Southern California for a book presentation. Let me know about it. I have been working on an eyewitness account and a memoir of a POW who describes part of the Armenian involvement including being in the entertainment group that went to Paris. Also have you seen “Summer of ’48” by Thomassian?
Gregory, Thanks for the comment. Interesting parallels in our work. I have not seen “Summer of ’48” by Thomassian, but I have moved away from Paris in the 40’s (after spending 10 years living there in my imagination) and I’m now focused on Beirut in the mid-seventies….I’ll be coming to Los Angeles in March for the book launch–March 19 at Book Soup and March 20 at Glendale Public Library.
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L’ARMEE’ DU CRIME ~ ADAJIAN REVIEW
For Immediate Release Sunday April 3 2011
Contact: MIKE ADAJIAN ADAJIAN@gmail.com 312 . 493 . 7827
Copyright (C) Michael Adajian 2011 All Rights Reserved
FILM REVIEW: L’ARMEE’ DU CRIME
L’Armee’ Du Crime [Army of Crime] is a 2009 Robert Guediguian film which I received on DVD as a gift from my friend David Hansen, Publisher of The Ant Farm Journal.
I spent an enjoyable 2 hours watching it while reclining in my warm cozy bed 1 night in March 2011.
The film follows a group of Parisians as they respond variously to the WW II German occupation of their city.
It is a story smoothly told, with much careful attention & serious skill applied to plot, script, casting, character, costume, sets, design, camera work, music, subtitles & all the other elements of high class European cinema.
For all this to everyone involved I say, Mes felicitations !
But therein lie my reservations about L’Armee’ du Crime.
I know something of the real life fear, uncertainty, anger, ugliness, randomness, complexity & confusion of a military occupation & of citizens’ resistance to it.
So I was aware that I was watching an exquisitely produced film rather than being swept up, up & away into the near dream state that obtains when a film disappears & a deeply life-like illusion takes over my consciousness for 2 hours.
Often I found myself remarking upon the wonderfully designed sets, fashionable costumes, perfect makeup, beautiful visual compositions & soulful acting before me.
Everything seemed to me very French.
By that I mean fashionable, perfectly tailored, carefully groomed, deliberate, academic, cultured, self-conscious & rather focused upon appearances, impressions & subtleties.
That sense of life that shouts THIS IS REAL ! THIS MATTERS ! was nowhere to be found.
Instead, I found an highly artful exercise in storytelling.
That is not necessarily a bad thing in itself .
But artful storytelling may not be the best way to speak of shame, danger, suffering, killing, sacrifice & loss.
Armenians will note that M. Guediguian has organized his tale around the real life poet & resistance fighter Missak Manouchian who like M. Guediguian & myself & many others is of Armenian descent.
Simon Abkarian, also Armenian, performs admirably as M. Manoukian.
Please note that the FTP-MOI saboteurs & gunmen with whom M. Manoukian operated were French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Jewish Hungarian [Hungarian Jewish ?] & Armenian.
These men & women & many others, most now long dead & gone, were all heroes, including M. Manoukian.
This is a universal story, not simply an Armenian or French story.
With these reservations based upon my personal perceptions & preferences I recommend L’Armee’ du Crime to those who enjoy such films.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missak_Manouchian
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/army_of_crime/
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Nice review, Mike. Thanks for posting.