Scotch and Holy Water

I am half american half turkish airforce military brat. I can vouch that the attitudes and ways in the book in the time it was written and even in general today are the turkish people.It is a great way to understand the culture. I first read this book after finding it my fathers library when I was 18. I read it as almost his own stories from his stationing there earlier on.

My husband and I first moved to Izmir, Turkey in 1996 and we both read "Scotch and Holy Water". We were still living in a hotel and had not yet experienced the country and very little of the people. I laughed through the whole thing and couldn't wait to see the places he wrote about. I read it again about two years later, we were still there, and it was even better. I couldn't believe how true the book was. It was like he was writing our story. Even forty years later not much was different. We did not live on a military compound and ended up moving to a very small village outside the city. We are very adventurous people with little fear of what kind of trouble we may get into getting lost. And we were lost MANY times!!! Learning the language was very important to really enjoy it. The people are wounderful and warm. Everyday there was something new that would crack us up. They have a very different type of logic. We will go back again one day.I highly recomend Scotch and Holy Water even if you have no interest in Turkey. It is a great Read. He did a great job of bring out the realness of the country and the everyday living of the people as Turks and foriegners.

John was a special friend of mine and we shared our joy of traveling in Turkey and environs as well as other pastimes such as playing bridge, putting together jigsaw puzzles, trying different restaurants - most anything was an adventure with him. I have owned many copies of Scotch and Holy Water. It seems everytime I loaned someone a copy I never saw it again. When John sent me my current copy some time ago, he inscribed it with words to the effect of not returning it to rightful owner could result in penalty of death. That copy is still in my possession. John was a highly intelligent man who delighted in the world around him, wherever he was. I last saw him in Walnut Creek, California shortly before his death. He was not writing at this time but had turned his energies towards growing roses and gardenias and spending time with his adored baby sister. I have missed him but my life is richer having known him.

When I met John D. (as his friends called him) at the Karamursel Air Force Base in 1964, he had already been in Turkey for 6 years and was quite familiar with Turkish way of life. Having studied Latin, French and German and taught speech at the University of Notre Dame, he learned Turkish quickly. His passion for archeology motivated him to travel extensively in Turkey and visit the many ancient Greek and Roman sites there. As a bachelor he engaged himself in night life where he met interesting people, experienced local customs and became an expert (Saki) in drinking RAKI. An empathetic character, John D. had the innate talent to get along with people. He was a perfect diplomat with a charming smile, intelligence, humility (rare in those days for an American in Turkey) and a scholarly knowledge about practically everything. As an expert bridge player with capacity to drink anyone under the table, he was very popular in social circles. My brief friendship with him ended in 1965 when I left Turkey for an assignment in Canada. As a Turk I loved the book. It was a joy to read it. Thanks to "Scotch and Holy Water" I learned more about ancient history, Greek and Roman mythology and places I have not yet visited in Turkey. My Scottish wife who has been to Turkey several times and is very knowledgeable about Turkish culture also loved it. John D's humor, wit and description of Turks and American alike were just hilarious. When I read about my former colleagues Yuksel Enginsu, Bertram Crane, Kemal Simsek and John Hicks, it evoked so many fond memories of my days in Turkey. More than anything else in this book, as in life, John D. illustrates his deep understanding and respect for Turks and their culture. Anyone who has any interest in or connection to Turkey should read his insightful book. I was deeply saddened to learn that John David Tumpane, a truly Renaissance Man, died in October 1997. Muharrem Sev (Istanbul native), still residing in Ottawa, Canada (Sep 3, 1999)

I was stationed in Diyarbakir (unaccompanied) as a chaplain in the USAF in 1983 and in Izmir in 1988-1990 with my family. It is a five-star, especially if you have lived there and experienced the people and the culture. It really is a "cult book" for those with great memories like ours. We can identify with so many of the places and events. We have worn out 2 copies and are now getting a couple of more!!