The memoirs of Cemal Granda, who served as Atatürk’s valet for exactly 11 years, constitute a very important document for our recent history in terms of recounting, in all their nakedness and simplicity, the events that took place in the private quarters of the Çankaya Mansion or the Dolmabahçe Palace, in the back rooms that even most of his inner circle could not enter.

In these memoirs, one finds not so much the official-looking Atatürk, but rather the Atatürk in his private life and among his friends. For example, there is an Atatürk in this book who, regarding Dr. Reşit Galip, who dared to stand up to him, first tells Granda, “We have been nursing a snake in our bosom,” and then takes his revenge by having him carried away in the arms of two soldiers, struggling like a baby. Granda’s memoirs also contain interesting details about what time Atatürk went to bed and woke up, what he ate, and how much he drank. As the waiter who served him, his account is as valuable as a document: − “Atatürk used to drink the famous raki of the era, ‘Dimitrokopulo.’ (…) 3 bottles of beer and half a bottle of Dimitrokopulo; this was the amount of alcohol the nation was so curious about. He also liked champagne; he rarely drank other spirits. Only one night, at Kâzım Özalp’s house, it is recalled that he drank exactly 28 glasses of a ‘Napoleon Cocktail’ made with gin, vermouth, and Seribrandı liqueur. Atatürk, who drank every night, did not consume alcohol during the day, only drinking on very hot days, never more than one glass.”