viii
Preface
exaggerated importance, it is my fervent hope that the many
Armenians living in the Arab Middle East will not suffer at
the hands of fanatics because an American of Armenian descent
happened to write this book. To them I can only say that I
have told the story honestly, as I saw it. And to my Arab
friends who asked only that I "tell the truth," I can say in all
conscience that I have told the truth. Let me assure them that
I speak in this book as an American, and purely in an individual
capacity, with no tics to or membership in any ArmenianAmerican body save the church into which I was born. Any
retribution against the Armenians—a minority island in a
Moslem sea—would be an unwarranted and senseless cruelty.
I have written this book with the hope that it will bring both
Arabs and Jews into truer focus for the reader; that it will help
reveal what they are and what they are not, what may be expected of them and what is impossible. I pray that these ancient
Semitic peoples will reconcile their differences, that Palestine
refugees who, in the main, left their homes because Arab
leaders urged thern to do so—expecting a short war and a quick
victory—will be resettled. The only alternative to peace is
disaster for Arab, Jew, and Christian, for none may hope to
prosper alone. Together they may ultimately build a prosperous
and democratic Middle East. To remain apart, at dagger's
point, means only that Communism and anarchy can be the
ultimate victors.
This book could not have been written without the faith
and love of friends. It would never have seen the light of day
without the help of those who stood by steadfastly through the
four stonny years of its preparation and writing, 1947-51. To
Harold Strauss, my editor, and Paul Reynolds, my literary
agent, I am grateful for their continuous faith and patience
since they took me on four years ago. To the Reverend L. M.
Birkhead I am equally thankful for his continued understanding and kindness. To Gerold Frank, who helped enormously
in the editing and in clearing up a vast amount of the underbrush of writing, I especially owe a lasting debt of gratitude.