When We Dead Awaken: Australia, New Zealand, and the Armenian Genocide

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On April 25th 1915, during the First World War, the famous Anzacs landed ashore at Gallipoli. At the exact same moment, leading figures of Armenian life in the Ottoman Empire were being arrested in vast numbers. That dark day marks the simultaneous birth of a national story and the beginning of a genocide. When We Dead Awaken the first narrative history of the Armenian Genocide in decades draws these two landmark historical events together. James Robins explores the accounts of Anzac Prisoners of War who witnessed the genocide, the experiences of soldiers who risked their lives to defend refugees, and Australia and New Zealands participation in the enormous post-war Armenian relief movement. By exploring the vital political implications of this unexplored history, When We Dead Awaken questions the national folklore of Australia, New Zealand, and Turkey and the mythology of Anzac Day itself.

Reviews

This is a fascinating book about what nations seek to remember and forget. * Listener, New Zealand *
'Lest we forget the other side of Gallipoli, this book tells the Armenian genocide with eye witness account from ANZAC soldiers, US diplomats, and missionaries. Its a heart-breaking story, movingly told, of mass murder provoked by racial and religious hatred. * Geoffrey Robertson AO QC, author of An Inconvenient Genocide: Who Now Remembers the Armenians *
James Robinss book tells a story that needs to be told, and he tells it with passion and power. The genocide of the Armenians is a part of Australia and New Zealands history, and Robins shows why this tragic story of atrocity and denial should matter to us still. * Professor Peter Stanley, University of New South Wales, Australia *
A terrific read that points to the links between the Armenian Genocide and Anzac. * Serj Tankian, Grammy Award-winning Artist and Activist *

Author Bio

James Robins is an award-winning journalist and historian. His work has appeared in the Guardian, Times Literary Supplement, the Spectator, Current Affairs, and the New Statesman. He is the former managing editor of TheBigQ.org, and the creator of The Great Crime: A Podcast History of the Armenian Genocide. He lives in London.