By Yervant Odian, translated from the Armenian by Jack Antreassian, illustrated by Alexander Saroukhan

Comrade Panchoonia (Good-for-nothing) represents an Armenian Revolutionary propagandist who is assigned by his party to visit the provinces and revive the nationalistic spirit among the people. The book is a series of letters in which he reports his activities and adventures to his superiors.

In Panchoonie's character the psychology of Armenian nationalistic parties is mercilessly ridiculed. And it could not have been an easy thing for Odian to do: to point up the weaknesses and follies of movements that sought, no matter how ineffectually, to serve the national interest.

Born in a suburb of Istanbul in 1869, Odian first published a short story at the age of 23. He just barely survived pogroms of 1896 and went into exile.

158 pages, hard cover