Eli Shaul (1916-2004) was a Turkish Jew. After spending his childhood in the colorful Balat neighborhood, he received a superb education at the prestigious İstanbul Erkek Lisesi (Istanbul Mens High School), the University of Istanbul, and the Reserve Officers Training School in Ankara. While still in high school, he began keeping a diary, which he continued during his college years and the time he spent serving as an army dentist in eastern Turkey. Those diaries, contained in this book, provide rare insigh