Burning Tigris, Burning Bright
by Daisy Maryles -- Publishers Weekly, 10/20/2003
When Peter Balakian's The Burning Tigris: The Armenian Genocide and American's Response hit the national bestseller charts (#11 on PW's October 13 list and #17 this week), many were surprised that the subject held such widespread interest. HarperCollins has 50,000 copies in print after five trips to press. The publisher offers several reasons for the book's bestseller success: it is the first major history of the genocide, and the Armenian community has rallied behind the book, with huge grassroots promo efforts through Armenian-American churches, Web sites and publications. Balakian estimates that there are about one million Armenian-Americans in this country. —With reporting by Diane Roback
