From Homer to Gaza...the history of books in times of war

Major damage to the main library in Gaza in December 2023 as a result of the Israeli aggression (Anatolia)

At the beginning of 1939, with the darkness of World War II approaching, London's libraries were bustling with visitors.

Curiosity and the desire to understand the mechanisms of war and the conflicting nations were everyone’s preoccupation, in parallel with hope and a longing for knowledge.

When bombs forced thousands of Londoners to take shelter in the city's underground stations, people often set up small libraries to keep themselves together.

One of the most famous photographs, taken in wartime London, shows a group of quiet men, wearing hats, examining books on the shelves in the bombed-out library of Kensington Palace.

The American magazine "The New Yorker" published a report by writer Claudia Ruth Pierpont in which she sheds light on how armed conflicts have opened up readers' appetite for books about wars, boosting sales of American stories about previous conflicts.

The report also discussed the history of the book since ancient times, reviewing the influence of the Iliad and the Library of Alexandria as beacons of knowledge and culture.

He also touched on the role of books in shaping cultural and national identities, noting the devastating impact of wars on libraries in Ukraine and Gaza, stressing the established idea that books can be tools for peace and human understanding, if there are minds willing to absorb them and apply their principles.

Book and war

In his book, “The Writers at War,” British writer Andrew Pettigery draws inspiration from the events of the American Civil War, highlighting “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” the pioneering novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe that changed the face of history by inspiring the movement to abolish slavery in 1852. Writer Frederick Douglass described its influence as vibrant and astonishing words. .

Douglass (1818-1895) was first a slave and then became a prominent writer and activist in the fight against slavery and defending the rights of individuals of African descent.

In 1845, Douglass published his autobiography, “The Story of the Life of Frederick Douglass.”

The American Civil War began in 1861, after the election of Abraham Lincoln, who pledged to end slavery, sparking a rebellion in the agricultural states of the South that relied heavily on slaves as their main labor force.

This era witnessed major transformations, and the novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” played an unforgettable role in shaping public awareness and pushing for social change, especially as it succeeded in transforming crying readers into advocates for abolishing the death penalty.

The novel's huge success gave its author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, international fame.

When she visited Britain in 1853 to protect the copyright of her work, she was received with great enthusiasm, as crowds welcomed her in the streets and was presented with a huge petition weighing more than 26 pounds (one pound = 0.4536 kilograms) signed by British women from all over the world, calling for an end to slavery.

Even Queen Victoria herself expressed a desire to meet Stowe, demonstrating the influence of the writer and her novel.

During her European tour, Stowe was received with the same welcome and celebration as she had received in Britain, confirming her status as a symbol of the struggle against slavery and racism.

Her name became known internationally, with coverage from major newspapers and magazines such as The New York Times and The Independent, and she became a regular presence at international anti-racism events.

President Lincoln described Stowe's novel as "the little woman who wrote the book that sparked this great war."

The novel also sparked a storm of responses in the South, where copies of it were burned and counternarratives emerged that depicted slavery in a positive light, trying to refute the realistic picture drawn by Stowe.

During World War II, President Roosevelt realized that books were powerful weapons, and thousands participated in protest marches against Nazi book burning.

Special editions were issued to serve the armed forces and soldiers, providing them with comfort, entertainment, and sometimes peace in times of war, and as a kind of confirmation of the power of books to enlighten and entertain.

The novel "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" emerged as a prominent example of books that were widely acclaimed among soldiers, and author Betty Smith received thousands of letters annually from her fans in the army, which emphasized the deep and influential role that books play in the lives of individuals, even in the darkest times.

Iliad

The writer points out that the epic "The Iliad" - which tells the story of Achilles' anger and his bloody victory over Troy - is not only considered a cornerstone of the Western tradition, but it was also the most popular book in ancient Greece.

What adds to its magnificence is that people used to take parts of it with them to graves and coffins, in appreciation of it as a sacred text.

The Iliad continued to inspire European soldiers and leaders throughout history, including Alexander the Great, who saw in himself a new Achilles and is said to have accompanied the poetic epic when he conquered vast lands from Egypt to India.

The writer also notes the role of “The Persians,” a play written by the Greek Aeschylus and first performed in 472 BC.

It is distinguished by the fact that it does not deal with myths like other tragedies, but rather tells a true story that occurred after the Battle of Salamis, where Aeschylus himself participated in defending Athens against the Persians.

Innovatively, Aeschylus presents events from the enemy's point of view, showing the Greeks overcoming their opponents with humanity and depth.

The development of writing and books

In another context, the author highlights the technological developments that helped preserve ancient texts, manuscripts, and patches made of animal skins that began to replace papyrus since the second century BC, paving the way for the emergence of the manuscript, a type of book that is easy to preserve and whose pages can be turned.

This development not only meant an improvement in durability and the ability to write on both sides, but it also played a major role in spreading a culture that benefited from the ease of transporting and reading manuscripts.

The writer talked about how Emperor Constantine ordered the writing of sacred texts on parchment, which allowed the manufacture of light books that could be easily carried.

This step played an important role in expanding the scope of reading and writing, making books more widespread and influential.

As time progressed, hope for the growth of knowledge increased thanks to the spread of books.

Paper, which China had used for a thousand years, slowly found its way to the West, with the spread of Islam and then into Europe.

But the real leap was the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in the 15th century, which made books available and affordable for the rich.

This invention was not just an ease of life, but rather a light that dispelled the darkness of ignorance, achieving “salvation on earth,” as one of the monks said.

But history teaches us that reading does not always lead to the desired positive results.

In the books "Stalin's Library" and "Hitler's Private Library" we see how the deep interest in books by these two dictators did not prevent them from committing atrocities.

Even Soviet poet Osip Mandelstam, who angered Stalin with a satirical poem, found himself persecuted and exiled, highlighting the gap between the hope in books and the reality of oppressive power.

However, his wife Nadezhda continued to preserve his literary legacy, reminding us of the power of literature in the face of repression.

War and destruction of libraries

The author points out that one look around us might make us believe that only a few of us have read those books that touch and soften the heart, but current times carry a contradictory picture, as an expressive picture from Kiev shows the window of an apartment protected by stacked books that prevent the entry of fragments and broken glass, and provides an example. On a people resisting violence with culture, similar to the image of bookworms in London in a building without a roof during World War II.

In Ukraine, libraries have been devastated and reduced to rubble.

Also in Gaza, where public libraries and the Samir Mansour Library were destroyed twice, an embodiment of an attack on culture and identity.

Before the war, Mansour Library embraced cultural diversity, from Kanafani to “Anne in the Green Heights” by Canadian writer Lucy Maud Montgomery, through the “Harry Potter” books. Books in such times reflect the absent peace, and indicate that their pages carry answers and solutions to problems that we still have. We are looking for it.

The story of the destruction of libraries tells the story of a merciless attack on unique cultures, not only Ukrainian and Palestinian, but also global cultural identity itself.

Before the darkness of the war took hold, the Samir Mansour Library was not only a corner for displaying classic Palestinian literature such as the works of Ghassan Kanafani, but it was also home to books from all over the world, including works in English by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Carrie Fisher, and others.

In these libraries, books were promised an unattainable peace, like quiet moments in ancient Alexandria.

The author concludes with a moment of reflection, describing the deep shock we feel when we see these cultural havens under bombardment.

She hints that the most important books about the war may not have been written yet, those that carry hope for changing the course of events, such as Kanafani’s hopes for a promising future.

Source: The New Yorker