Red Star over the Black Sea: Nâzim Hikmet and his Generation

Nâzım Hikmet (1902-1963) is best known as a poet and communist whose daring flight by motorboat from Turkey to the Eastern Bloc captured international headlines in 1951. One of the most important poets to have written in the Turkish language, Nâzım Hikmet's dramatic life story is fascinating in its own right, but also intersects with the story of the broader twentieth century.

James H. Meyer situates Nâzım Hikmet within the broader context of Turkish communist "border-crossers", individual...