In his 1934 bestseller, the forty days of musa dagh, franz werfel took what might have been a footnote to world war ithe deportation and mass murder of the ottoman empires armenian minorityand wrote an epic that anticipated the ominous events unfolding in germany. Armin wegner asked franz werfel not to write his 40 days of musa daghpart i. A chronicle of the armenian genocide factor in the subsequent suppression, by the intervention of the united states government, of the movie based on franz werfels the forty days of musa dagh, by edward minasian cold tree press. Apr 24, 2015 in february 1934, deeming it a danger to public order, the german government seized all remaining copies of the forty days of musa dagh. A book that should be read by a member of the staff that should be sold by the contagion of personal enthusiasm. Coming events the story begins with gabriel standing near the cliff of musa dagh as he wonders the question of where he came from. It is 1915 and gabriel has returned to his childhood.
Unable to deny his birthright or his people, one man, gabriel bagradianborn an armenian, educated in paris, married to a frenchwoman, and an officer doing his duty as a turkish subject in the ottoman armywill strive to resist death at the hands of his blood enemy by leading 5,000 armenian villagers to the top of musa dagh, the mountain. Viking press, a historical novel based on true events that took place in 1915, during the second year of world war i and at the beginning of the armenian genocide. Musa dagh traces the trials and tribulations of franz werfels the forty days of musa dagh in hollywood. This material was nothing but aram andonians fake documents. The forty days of musa dagh is a 1933 novel by austrianbohemian writer franz werfel based on true events that. Armin wegner asked franz werfel not to write his 40 days of. In 1933 franz werfels epic novel the forty days of musa dagh was published to huge acclaim.
The forty days of musa dagh is franz werfels masterpiece that brought him. Mar 04, 2008 based on true events of that time and the eyewitness was a journalist, who later wrote the book about that 40 days of heroism and struggle of this armenian village, and turkish atrocities against. Online shopping from a great selection at books store. June 2012 matt mcgregor fiction the forty days of musa dagh by franz werfel, translated by geoffrey dunlap and james reidel. Its the saga of a passing race, a race long condemned to accepting an attitude of rather contemptuous pity. Zohrab yaralian period 6 the forty days of musa dagh chapter summaries book one. The forty days of musa dagh novel international encyclopedia of. The forty days of musa dagh is a 1933 novel by the austrianjewish author franz werfel. That story inspired the pragueborn austrian writer, franz werfel, to write a novelized version of the events as the forty days of musa dagh. But here is a book that creates too strong a temptation to resist. The forty days of musa dagh by franz werfel, first edition. Franz werfel 18901945 was a germanspeaking jew born in prague, and he and the readers of his meticulously researched novel realized that the eradication of armenians in turkish lands bore an ominous resemblance to what was beginning to.
Apparently no source says forty days, and auron believes that this number was chosen to symbolize the forty days of the great flood, or the forty days that it took moses to ascend the mountain. The novel, which tells of five armenian villages that resisted the ottoman empires attempts to exterminate them, was first published in germany in 1933, eight years. His novel is based on a historical event in summer 1915, when several thousand armenian peasants escaped their imminent deportation and hid on a mountain. The book is an original work and the first to deal with the historic controversy werfels masterpiece stirred since its publication in the united states in 1934. The forty days of musa dagh is franz werfels masterpiece that brought him international acclaim in 1933, drawing the worlds attention to the armenian genocide.
Pdf the forty days of musa dagh download full pdf book. Viking press published the english translation in time for the 1934 holiday book season and metro goldwynmeyer secured the film rights. Armin wegner, a german soldier and medic, wrote a lengthy letter on december 14, 1932, asking franz werfel not to write his novel, the forty days of musa dagh, because he was in the midst of writing his own fourvolume book on armenians, california courier. Click download or read online button to get the forty days of musa dagh book now. Mar 15, 2012 the forty days of musa dagh was first published in 1933, barely a decade after the armenian genocide. The forty days of musa dagh download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl. Used items may not include supplementary materials such as cds or access codes. But it also means any book or collection of writings constituting the sacred text of a religion, and, at the same time, any book considered as authoritative in its field. Jewish response to the forty days of musa dagh wikipedia.
Werfel was then at the height of his powers, an internationally known author. The forty days of musa dagh novel franz werfel s worldfamous novel made the armenian genocide internationally known. Bookslut the forty days of musa dagh by franz werfel. Complete summary of franz werfels the forty days of musa dagh. The forty days of musa dagh is a historical novel depicting the heroic battle of musa dagh, which took place in 1915. Fortunately, franz werfel was not dissuaded by wegner to give up his plans to write the forty days of musa dagh. Those who read it could see the young turks of the novel as the nazis of real life and the armenians as europes jews. Armenian opportunists, immediately recognized that they were at a turning point and provided werfel with material. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. The junkshooting, painkillerpopping populace has since drunk and bled its nostalgic local economy dry. Buy the forty days of musa dagh by franz werfel online at alibris. Then on april 12 hear 5 prominent americanarmenian. The 40 days of musa dagh was captured by the armenian mafia before it was translated and each passage that could create a suspicion was removed from the book. The forty days of musa dagh by werfel, franz and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
A group of seven villages in syria decided to rebel and rather than joining the death marches, the inhabitants fled to the nearby mountain of musa dagh. Its name in ottoman times was musa dagh, the moses mountain, and its summit forms a high plateau called the damlayik. The principal characters are all fictional, but real historical figures feature in supporting roles, such as a german priest who attempted to gain international support to stop the massacres, and some of. The first several chapters of book i also reveal the background of both the main and minor characters. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. First american edition, translated from the german by geoffrey dunlop. Bbc radio 3 sunday feature, the forty days of musa dagh. The forty days of musa dagh penguin modern classics ebook. But the fate of musa dagh took another course outside of central europe. Franz werfels classic the forty days of musa dagh, about the armenian. Published in 1933, the book became an instant bestseller, but with the rise of hitler, werfel, himself a jew. On the 85th anniversary of its publication, join us in reading or rereading this historical novel that brought the armenian genocide to the attention of the world. On damyalik plateau they set up a village under the leadership of some of the leading citizens. Aug 14, 2019 franz werfels 1933 novel, the 40 days of musa dagh.
Armenian genocide musa dagh resistance workshop youtube. The principal characters are all fictional, but real historical. This is the story of how the people of several armenian villages in the mountains chose not to obey the deportation order of the turkish government. This is the story of how the people of several armenian villages in the mountains along the coast of presentday turkey and syria chose not to obey the deportation order. The forty days of musa dagh is franz werfels masterpiece, bringing him international acclaim and a bomc main selection. Read, highlight, and take notes, across web, tablet, and phone. And the climax, as unexpected as it was stirring, etches the whole drama in sharp relief. The forty days of musa dagh by franz werfel, paperback. This stirring, poignant novel, based on real historica.
This is the story of how the people of several armenian villages in the mountains along the coast of presentday turkey and syria chose not to obey the deportation order of the turkish government. There they managed to fend off the ottoman army and survive until rescue came from the sea. The forty days of musa dagh penguin modern classics. The books title is the forty days of musa dagh although according to different documentary sources, the rebellion lasted for 36 days, or for 53 days, or 24 days. The forty days of musa dagh is a 1933 novel by austrianbohemian writer franz werfel based on true events that took place in 1915, during the second year of world war i and at the beginning of the armenian genocide. This novel, the forty days of musa dagh, published in germany and then the united states, kept the armenian genocide from being forgotten and lost under the enormity of the other losses of in 1933 franz werfel wrote a 900 page blockbuster about a very similar incident that took place in turkey in 1915. The principal characters are all fictional, but real historical figures feature in supporting roles, such as a german priest who attempted to gain international support to. It is not light reading and yet the drama carries one through without ever a moment of anticlimax. On the mountain, they for forty days carry out armed resistance against the turks.
The forty days of musa dagh by franz werfel alibris. Franz werfels 1933 novel, the 40 days of musa dagh. In reality, the siege lasted 56 days, but in this book, it is a 40 day siege. Apr 19, 20 armenian genocide musa dagh resistance workshop. The forty days of musa dagh download ebook pdf, epub. The novel was written in 1933 by the austrian writer franz werfel 18901945. The book that first drew americas attention to the armenian genocide, which began 100 years ago on april 24, 1915. The novel focuses on the selfdefense by a small community of armenians living near musa dagh, a mountain in vilayet of aleppo in the ottoman empirenow in hatay province, part of southern turkey, on the mediterranean coastas well the events in constantinople and provincial. On the other hand, wegner published only the first volume of his planned fourvolume book, depriving the world of his precious eyewitness accounts of the armenian genocide.
The forty days of musa dagh, because he was in the midst of writing his own fourvolume book on. Gabriel leads the inhabitants of the seven villages in his area to musa dagh mount of moses. Armin wegner asked franz werfel not to write 40 days of. The forty days of musa dagh by franz werfel goodreads. Franz werfels the forty days of musa dagh, about the armenian. Musa dagh stood as the sole instance where the western allies at war with the ottomans averted the death of a community during the armenian genocide. Based on the events at musa dagh in 1915 during the armenian genocide in the ottoman empire, the book played a role in organizing the jewish resistance under nazi rule. Read download the forty days of musa dagh pdf pdf download.
Musa dagh is, to the contemporary reader, a curious book. The forty days of musa dagh was first published in 1933, barely a decade after the armenian genocide. Gabriel is introduced as a dedicated ottoman army artillery lieutenant who had. I eyed the thick, brittle spine of franz werfels bestknown classic, a book that. May show signs of minor shelf wear and contain limited notes and highlighting. The forty days of musa dagh paperback january 21, 1993. On the 85th anniversary of its publication, join us in reading or rereading. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. The first time i ever heard of frantz werfels novel the 40 days of musa dagh, which drew the worlds attention to the armenian genocide, was by a survivor of the warsaw ghetto living in. Other important characters are introduced in book one. Publication date 1990 topics jebel musa syria, defense of, 1915 fiction. International encyclopedia of the first world war, ed. First published in 1933, the chilling and riveting story takes place along the anatolian coast in the mountain villages that chose to disobey the deportation. Published in 1933, the book became an instant bestseller, but with the rise of hitler, werfel, himself a.