Crescent And Star [Revised Edition] [Paperback]

Subjective remarks can be found on page 18: "You in the West also had long periods of backwardness and intolerance, a Turkish diplomat once told me as we walked along a quiet corridor in the foreign ministry in Ankara. You had dictatorships, civil wars, religious fanaticism, the Inquisition, all kinds of horror. Then, over a period of centuries, you climbed out of that hole." (page 18).

More conclusory commentary is found on page 19: "For decades, each of Turkey's important political parties has been run by a single individual, sometimes with a tiny coterie of coconspirators. These few figures choose candidates for public office by using a single criterion: blind obedience." (page 19).

Irrelevant commentary is found on page 73: "Erbakan was a white-haired, grandfatherly figure, surprisingly elegant in appearance. He moved delicately, gestured calmly and spoke softly. For most of our two hours together, he smiled indulgently as he drifted from cliché to cliché, not showing much in the way of analytical power or concentrated intelligence." (page 73).

We find another example of the book's tact of not providing facts, but of instead providing commentary about facts: "Turkey's refusal to confront events surrounding the 1980 coup cannot continue forever. Criminal investigations may not be the best way to determine what actually happened during that period, but some way must be found. Turks need to know how their country fell into near anarchy during the late 1970s and who ordered the imprisonment and abuse of Orhan Taylan and so many other citizens after the coup." (page 95)

Another example of "story-telling" occurs on page 116: "We were led to the local police station, and as I crossed the threshold I felt an involuntary shudder. Who knew how many unfortunates, guilty or otherwise, had been brought through this door for rough, perhaps very rough, interrogation sessions?" (page 116)

More subjective, fact-free commentary can be found on page 177: "Turks are becoming steadily more European and that is good, because it means they are embracing ideas and perspectives that will make their lives richer and more fulfilling." (page 177).

I believe that the book would make better reading if the author had provided more facts, rather than stringing dozens of conclusory paragraphs together. If the author had drafted a fact-based book, rather than drafting conclusory commentary, then the reader would have the enjoyment of coming to a few conclusions herself or himself. The book leaves you with an empty feeling. The book under review has a writing style like that of Time Magazine, but even worse. Both leave you with an empty feeling of having been tricked into reading a page or two of indistinct impressions (rather than of interesting facts). Two stars.

For a reader already familiar with recent history of Turkey, or for a reader who has lived in Turkey, this book is likely to be captivating reading. Here, the book will allow the reader to compare her or his own subjective reactions to life in Turkey with the subjective, conclusory thoughts of Mr. Kinzer. However, for a novice reader interested in learning why, for example, Turkey has been more successful in adapting to the modern world than other countries to the immediate east, this book will not be the answer.

Kinzer liked Turkey. You can feel that on every page in the book. Liking the country, having friends there, he wanted to use his journalistic power to best advantage, to strike a blow for his friends, who like him, believe in freedom and democracy, and see a bright future for Turkey if it goes down that road. I too, from a great distance, sympathize with this picture. I like people who don't hide behind some abstract "objectivity". But I am afraid his desire to help turned the book into something of a polemic. As he discusses each of the main aspects of modern Turkish politics and society---Ataturk, the party politics, the military, the Kurds, Islam, censorship and repression, the great earthquake of 1999, and relations with Greece-we receive the same lecture a number of times. Encourage dissent, he cries, embrace ethnic and religious diversity, own up to the Armenian massacres of 1915 or at least discuss them, give religious people a voice in society, let Parliament have the ultimate power instead of the soldiers, decentralize, don't lose Ataturk's desire for change and modernization, and above all, trust your own citizens to be mature enough to choose what they want in government. If you don't mind this rather heavy-handed insistence on the same theme, then CRESCENT AND STAR is an excellent book for anyone wanting to know the main issues, trends, and political feelings in modern Turkey. The sections Kinzer refers to as "snacks" or meze are all very interesting. Another book on modern Turkish life and culture as seen by an American ? Please.