Paradise Lost is Giles Milton’s account of the destruction of the Turkish city of Smyrna. The book is based on eyewitness accounts of the events that unfolded in September 1922. Greek forces had previously defeated Turkey in 1919, continuing pre-existing hostilities between the two countries. Since the Ottomans’ fall of 1897, the city of Smyrna was a predominately Christian city. By early 1900, Greeks had used the city’s port access and settled there, as had Armenians, Americans, Levantines and other Europeans. Smyrna’s location and natural resources had attracted great interest. It had become attractive to the Allied forces after World War I; they decided to take it away from the Turks, who had sided with Germany. Greek forces defeated the Turks, taking control of the city. From the ashes of this defeat rose the Turkish Nationalist Movement, led by Mustafa Kemal (Ataturk) – who stirred up the Muslim population that eventually entered Smyrna on 9 September 1922, intent on purging the city of all that was not Turkish.

Milton’s book brilliantly captures the sense of foreboding, and highlights the lack of protection awarded to the innocents of Smyrna. It is both compelling and sad.