The Invisible War in North Kurdistan

by Kristiina Koivunen



Born in June 9th 1959 in Finland, Dr. Kristiina Koivunen is one of the independent foreign scholars exploring the history of Kurdistan and depicted what they have experienced in all parts of Kurdistan particularly in the Kurdistan of Turkey.

Koivunen has written so far four books about the political conditions of the Kurdistan in the light of history: three in Finnish and one in English titled “The Invisible War in North Kurdistan” which is her PHD thesis besides several other books in the field of politics and sociology. She currently engages in writing one book more about the Kurdistan region of Iraq.
The Invisible War in North Kurdistan narrates the story of the deportation campaign in Kurdistan of Turkey against the Kurdish villagers during 1990s. As she said, nowadays the Kurdish movements are developing very quickly and the media channels can contribute to further developing those movements.

Kristiina Koivunen Blog

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The Genocide of the Iraqi Kurds

by Creighton Law



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The Kurds in Control

The Kurds in Control , National Geography



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Struggle of The Kurds

by National Geographic August_1992



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We Who Face Death

by National Geographic March_1975




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Mountain Tribes of Iran and Iraq

by National Geographic March_1946



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Iraqi Kurdistan by Ed Kashi

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Iraqi Kurdistan is an expansive look into the daily lives of the Kurdish people of northern Iraq. These images provide an alternative perspective on a changing culture, one different from the destruction and discord that dominates so much media coverage of the region.

Here are policemen seated on the floor, eating lunch and laughing, old men taking care of their fields and young girls celebrating at a suburban birthday party.

There is also hardship and tribulation, to be sure; the Iraqi Kurds endured generations of brutality under Saddam Hussein. His genocidal campaigns cost close to 200,000 lives. But as Iraqi Kurdistan documents, the region is mostly peaceful today. The people enjoy more autonomy and women's rights continue to grow stronger.

Documented by photojournalist Ed Kashi during a seven-week stay in 2005, the photographs of Iraqi Kurdistan are presented in flipbook-style animation; gradual changes between still images simulate motion. The thousands of images that comprise this project are as striking as they are bountiful.

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THE KURDS: History and Culture

by Jemal Nebez



On the occasion of the inauguration of the Kurdish community-house in Berlin, Germany in September 1997, the well-known Kurdologist Dr. Jemal Nebez held a warmly received speech under the title: The Kurds – their history and culture.This speech was not only of great importance because of its contents and coverage, but also because it was based on precise data and historic scientific evidence. In his speech Dr. Nebez covered various subjects, e.g. pre-Christian ancient history and the mythology of the Kurds, the cultural height and depth of the Kurdish people in the shadow of the numerous expeditions by alien peoplesthrough Kurdistan, the astounding variety of religions in Kurdistan, with special stress on syncretism as the most striking feature of the Kurdish religious culture,delineating syncretism as inherently different from mixed religions.




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The Kurds

by Thomas Bois


Father Thomas Bois was born in Dunkirk in 1900 and entered the Dominican Order in 1919. In 1927 he was sent to the Middle East where he has remained ever since. There he studied Arabic, Sureth and Kurdish. From the beginning he took a special interest in the Kurdish people and published articles on the language, literature, history,customs and religion of this little known people. He has contributed to several Orientalist rev i ews including «Les Cahiers de l’Est» and «Al-Machriq» of Beirut, the «Proche-Orient Chretien» of Jerusalem, the «Bibliotheca Orientalis» of Leyden, and «L’Afrique et l’Asie et Orient» of Paris. «The Kurds» is the synthesis of all these publications.




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The Kurds Ascending: The Evolving Solution to the Kurdish Problem in Iraq and Turke

by Gunter, Michael M.



"Professor Gunter has written an eminently readable, well-documented analysis that shows how the Kurdish question may be on the verge of a solution in Iraq and Turkey. Like his previous work, this book is polished and persuasive."--Tozun Bahcheli, Professor of Political Science, King's University College at the University of Western Ontario

"Professor Gunter, in his characteristic lucid style, shows how federalism in Iraq, as well as EU-mandated and AK Party reforms in Turkey are cautiously helping lead to a solution to the long-running Kurdish problem in these two important states. This provides a most welcomed insight into their future."-- M. Hakan Yavuz, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Utah

""Kurds Ascending "draws on much of Professor Gunter's most recent work to provide a very up-to-date, riveting account of the monumental changes occurring vis-a-vis the Kurdish issue today. Written in clear, accessible language yet chocked full of interesting up-to-date information, Michael Gunter's book should be of great interest to both those previously unfamiliar with the Kurds and specialists in Middle East politics as well."-- David Romano, Assistant Professor of International Studies, Rhodes College, Author of "The Kurdish Nationalist Movement"

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Historical Dictionary of the Kurds

by Gunter, Michael M.



Gunter's Historical Dictionary of the Kurds represents a convenient, userfriendly, and accessible complement to two previously published, excellent annotated bibliographies: Lokman I. Melo's Kurds and Kurdistan (1997) and Melo and Kelly L. Maglaughlin's Kurdish Culture and Society (2001). The Dictionary opens with three useful maps, showing the locations of Kurds in the Middle East. It then offers a chronology of important events in Kurdish history from the mid-seventh century C.E. to March, 2003.

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The cradle of mankind;: Life in eastern Kurdistan

by W. A Wigram


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The Kurds in Turkey : EU Accession and Human Rights

by Kerim Yildiz (Author), Noam Chomsky (Introduction)




This book presents Turkey's current situation with an emphasis on human rights. The author's Kurds in Iraq sold over 1,000 copies in less than a year. It helps to understand the history and current situation of the huge Kurdish population in Turkey and deals with the substance of pro-EU reforms being undertaken by Turkey. With an introduction by Noam Chomsky, this is the most up-to-date critical analysis of the problems faced by the Kurds in Turkey. Turkey has a long history of human rights abuses against its Kurdish population - a population that stretches into millions. This human rights record is one of the main stumbling blocks in Turkey's efforts to join the EU. The Kurds are denied many basic rights, including the right to learn or broadcast in their own language. This book, written by a leading human rights defender, provides a comprehensive account of the key issues now facing the Kurds, and the prospects for Turkey joining the EU. Kerim Yildiz outlines the background to the current situation and explores a range of issues including - civil, cultural and political rights, minority rights, internal displacement, the international community's obligations regarding Turkey.

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Iraqi Kurdistan Political development and emergent democracy

by Gareth R. V. Stansfield



'This is a realistic and lucid account of the unusual situation of the Kurds of Iraq during the past decade or so. It sets their parties and politics in a properly balanced and authoritative account of their recent history. More than that, it also contains valuable insights into possible future developments in this key strategic region of Iraq.' - Charles Tripp, Reader in the Department of Political Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London

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Kurdistan: Region Under Siege (World in Conflict)

by Kari Bodnarchuk



Grade 8 Up-This excellent series entry provides a brief background to the geography, peoples, and cultures of the region, then gives an overview of the ethnic conflict that has ensued and its major players. This introduction is followed by an in-depth, informative text covering the historical roots of the Kurds' struggle, and the situation as it is today. Bodnarchuklooks at the effect the continuing fighting has upon the nations most involved: Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. The presentation of the positions held by different governments, as well as the opposing Kurdish factions, is valuable. The final chapter discusses actions that have been and are being taken to find a solution to the conflict. The mostly full-color photos are appropriate if unexciting. Also, the statement in the introduction that "The Kurdish territory in Iraq includes an autonomous region, where Iraqi Kurds are free to celebrate their culture and practice a certain level of self-rule," seems to contradict the rest of the text.

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A Thousand Sighs, A Thousand Revolts: Journeys in Kurdistan

by Christiane Bird



Travel writer Bird (Neither East nor West: One Woman's Journey Through the Islamic Republic of Iran) provides a compelling glimpse of Kurds and the difficulties they face with this blend of travelogue and history lesson. The book's title comes from a Kurdish poem about the Kurds' determination to be masters of their own lands, an effort that brings about "a thousand sighs, a thousand tears, a thousand revolts, a thousand hopes." Bird deftly describes each of those aspects of Kurdistani culture, from the sighs and tears of women who offer Bird both flavorful dinners and wrenching stories of loss, to the hopes of Kurdish artists who believe their ethnic group's artistic traditions can survive beyond war. Where Bird focuses most, however, is the revolts that have plagued the Kurds for decades. The largest ethnic group in the world without a state of their own, the Kurds number between 25 and 30 million, and live in an arc of land that stretches through Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran and parts of the former Soviet Union. As Bird travels through Kurdistan (a country that isn't on any map), she meets an array of people, from scholars to bus drivers. Each story of conflict, poverty, homelessness and suffering is like a brushstroke in a larger portrait of the Kurdish experience. Bird's talent for blending reportage with illuminating tales from individuals makes this a notable and much needed work. B&w photos, map.

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Kurds, Arabs and Britons: The Memoir of Col. W.A. Lyon in Kurdistan, 1918-1945

by David K. Fieldhouse



After World War I, Britain's geographical expansion was echoed by a decline in power. In Kurdistan, where the dwindling of the British Empire was played out against a background of world politics, Wallace Lyon was Provincial Administrator and Administrative Inspector. His job was to protect the Kurds from Iraq and safeguard British imperial interests. His memoir illuminates the complex relationship between Britain and the rest of the world through the microcosm of Kurdistan.

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The Kurdish Conflict in Turkey: Obstacles and Chances for Peace and Democracy

by Ferhad Ibrahim , Gulistan Gurbey




In this collection, scientists who are employed within the regions of the Middle East, Turkey, and Kurdistan try to make different facets of the Kurdish conflict transparent and select aspects of the Kurdish conflict to analyze. The editors goal is to point out the baselines and the complexities of the conflict and to assess its modifications and chances for a peaceful resolution.


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Sweet Tea with Cardamom: A Journey Through Iraqi Kurdistan

by Teresa Thornhill



After the month-long Gulf War of 1991, Iraq's Kurdish minority began to rise against Saddam Hussein's regime, which had in previous years engaged in genocidal campaigns, including assaults with chemical weapons, that killed as many as 180,000 people. United Nations peacekeeping forces helped established a "safe haven" in Iraqi Kurdistan (a section of northern Iraq that runs along the borders of Turkey and Iran) and elections were soon held. Teresa Thornhill, an English barrister who became concerned with the plight of the Kurds through an ex-partner's personal connection to Iraq, took two trips to the region in 1993 to see for herself how the efforts at democracy were progressing. "The Iraqi Kurds claimed that they did not wish to establish an independent state," Thornhill writes. "Rather they wished to be part of a post-Saddam Iraq under a federal arrangement." But their efforts were hampered by the economic sanctions of the UN against Iraq, which affected them as well as Saddam, and Iraqi troops were poised at the edge of the border, ready to reclaim their land. In addition, rival Kurdish groups began engaging in violent conflict. Thornhill particularly concerns herself with the Kurdish women who survived Saddam's atrocities, but she encounters people from every level of Kurdish society. Her fascination with the region and its people is perceptible even in the restrained journalistic tone with which she recounts her journey.

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Primitive Rebels Or Revolutionary Modernisers?: The Kurdish Nationalist Movement in Turkey

by Paul J. White



Protests worldwide followed the capture and trial of the Kurdish nationalist leader Abdullah Ocalan in 1999. Millions of people are now aware of the long fight by his PKK guerillas in Turkey. But where does the PKK come from? What are its aims? Who supports it? What will its future be without Ocalan to guide it? And, most important of all, is there now a real prospect for a peaceful resolution of the Kurdish question in Turkey? This critical examination of the Kurdish nationalist movement traces the PKK's evolution and its move towards becoming a mainstream mass political movement.

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The Kurdish Nationalist Movement in the 1990s: Its Impact on Turkey and the Middle East

by Robert Olson



The Kurds are the world's largest ethnic group without a nation of their own. Operating under a concept of nationhood that does not acknowledge the existence of ethnic minorities, the Turkish government views the Kurds as a threat to sovereignty. Along with Iraq and other nations in the region, they have crushed any formal attempts at nation-building. In the past months, the factional fighting among the Kurds has resurfaced as Baghdad supports the Kurdistan Democratic Party against the Kurdistan Worker's Party (provoking an American military response). The Kurdish Nationalist Movement In The 1990s: Its Impact On Turkey And The Middle East is an invaluable briefing on one of the middle east's most complex, enduring, and tragic conflicts threatening regional stability and the absorption of American military and humanitarian resources. -- Midwest Book Review --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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The Kurds (Creation of the Modern Middle East)

by Heather Lehr Wagner



A discussion of the people known as Kurds, including their history as well as their contemporary status in the Middle East.

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A People Without a Country: The Kurds and Kurdistan

by Gerard Chaliand

This unique and comprehensive book covers the whole history of the Kurds over the past seventy years. The Gulf crisis, its aftermath and its impact on the Kurds are thoroughly analyzed in newly added sections.
"... meticulously researched... A great deal of current information is presented along with older history, and both blend together to make the anthology an excellent resource."

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A Fire in My Heart: Kurdish Tales

by Diane Edgecomb (Author), Mohammed M.A. Ahmed (Author), Ceto 0zel (Author)



The largest ethnic group without their own nation-state, there are an estimated 30-40 million Kurds living throughout the world today. The majority live in Kurdistan, a region stretching over parts of Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria. As a minority in these countries, the Kurds have struggled for independence throughout history and into recent times and have often been oppressed, persecuted and deported from their land. The purpose of this volume is to introduce readers to the Kurdish people, their cultural traditions and their stories. This unique collection, the first of its kind in English, features tales collected first-hand by the author during several years of travel to the Kurdish region of Turkey. A Fire In My Heart serves as a reference and program resource for educators and librarians, introducing students and the public to this ancient culture. The book is especially suited to those working with Middle Eastern children and their families in the US and abroad. From the Kurdish Cinderella story, "Fatima," and humorous animal tales to stories based on legendary figures, for example the Herculean Rusteme Zal, these thirty-three tales from the varied regions of Kurdistan and the four major dialects are a wonderful resource for storytellers, folklorists and scholars. After seven years recording Kurdish tellers and traveling to remote mountain villages the author provides a valuable collection of previously unpublished tales, traditional recipes and games. The book is augmented by stories translated and adapted from small tale collections in Kurdish, as well as rare color photos from Iraqi-Kurdistan in 1955 and recent photos of village life. Background information on the Kurdish people, their history, land and customs is provided. All levels.

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The Kurds. An historical and political study

by Hassan Arfa




Arfa was a loyal servant of the Peacock throne, but as an Azerbaijani he was sensitive to the tensions between ethnic identity and citizenship. He rejected Azerbaijani as well as Kurdish separatism but understood the sentiments behind it and wrote sympathetically on the Kurds at the time that the first modern armed Kurdish nationalist uprising was in progress in Iraq.

The Kurdish Question in Iraq (Contemporary Issues in the Middle East)

by Edmund Ghareeb




Ghareeb reports that Iraqi politicians, at least since Nuri al-Sa`id, repeatedly voiced concern that foreign powers might “exploit the Kurdish problem for their own interests,” and that it was such considerations that persuaded the Ba`th party from 1968 onwards to seek accommodation with the Kurds rather than repress the uprising. Party documents of 1969 still speak of Kurdish nationalism as a progressive force of liberation, which is part of the global struggle against all forms of oppression and a natural ally of Arab nationalism. Soon after the peace agreement, however, Barzani obtained promises of covert US support, the Mossad was training his intelligence service, and Iranian arms were flowing into northern Iraq.

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The Kurdish Nationalist Movement: Opportunity, Mobilization and Identity

by David Romano



David Romano focuses on the Kurdish case to generally try and make sense of ethnic nationalist resurgence. In a world rent by a growing number of such conflicts, the questions posed about why, how and when such challenges to the state arise are becoming increasingly urgent. Throughout the author analyzes these questions through the lens of social movement theory, considering in particular politico-social structures, resource mobilization strategies and cultural identity. His conclusions offer some thought-provoking insights into Kurdish nationalism, as well as into the strengths and weaknesses of various social movement theories.

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The Unwelcome Neighbour: Turkey's Kurdish Policy (Culture and Society in Western and Central Asia)

by Asa Lundgren



Asa Lundgren explores Turkish policy towards northern Iraq from the beginning of the 1990s to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and draws important conclusions about the relation between nation-building and foreign policy. The author argues that there is a crucial interplay between the protection of state borders, foreign policy practice and the construction of national identity. Turkey's policy towards northern Iraq during the last decade can be described as a balancing act where the integrity of the Turkish-Iraqi border was firmly defended by Ankara, while at the same time it was consistently violated through Turkish military incursions against a perceived Kurdish threat and by the permanent military presence of the Turkish army on Iraqi territory. The paradoxes of Turkey's policy can only be understood in the light of an ongoing struggle over the definition of Turkish national identity. The author's highly original proposition is that Ankara's policy opposition to all attempts to break up Iraq along ethnic lines was a mirror image of a concern with the unity of the Turkish nation state.

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The Kurds of Asia

by Anthony C. Lobaido (Author), Yumi Ng (Author), Paul Rozario (Author)




"simple book"

The Kurds In Iraq: The Past, Present and Future

by Kerim Yildiz (Author), Tom Blass (Author)



This book explores the issues facing the Kurdish population of Iraq in the aftermath of the war and the ongoing occupation. Written by a leading human rights campaigner and a journalist, it is the most clear and up-to-date account of what Iraqi Kurds want, and the problems that all political groups face in re-building the country, as well as exploring Kurdish links and international relations in the broader sense. It should be required reading for policy-makers and anyone interested in the current position of Kurds in Iraq.

Today there are an estimated 4.2 million Kurds in Iraq -- nearly a quarter of the country's population. The majority are Sunni Muslims. For a long time Iraqi Kurds have desired an independent Kurdistan -- a desire shared by Kurds in Turkey, Iran and Syria. However, for the moment, the most pressing issue is to maintain the autonomy afforded by Iraqi Kurdistan since the establishment of the no-fly zone. The book explores the rift in the UN and how it potentially affects the Kurds; the necessity of avoiding a humanitarian crisis; divisions between the two Iraqi Kurdish political parties; relations between Iraqi Kurds and Turkey; relations with Iran; US policy towards the Kurds; and the crucial role of the city of Kirkuk in the post-war settlement of Iraq.

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The Future of Kurdistan in Iraq

by Brendan O'Leary (Author), John McGarry (Author)



"This is the first detailed scholarly study of the kind of federation that would best serve the interests of the Kurds and the other peoples of Iraq--Arabs, Turkomans, and Chaldean Assyrians. Highly recommended."--Choice "Adds up to a strong pitch for a viable Kurdistan within an Iraq federal state--or even an independent Kurdistan if the several contending forces in Iraq will not accept federalism. Much has happened since mid-2004 when this book went to press [but] the analysis and prescription presented here remain relevant."--Foreign Affairs "This collection of essays is a core resource for anyone with a serious interest in Iraq and the U.S. military... A good representation of the major issues confronting Kurdistan, Iraq, and their neighbors as of spring 2004. I learned even where I disagreed."--Publius: The Journal of Federalism "When more than one hundred London-based diplomats, politicians, journalists, and international affairs analysts turn out for a discussion of a book, one knows that the book is timely and has something to say about pressing current international affairs and about its topic's potential for impacting regional and international geopolitical alignments. This is what happened on 31 May 2005 at Chatham House, a British think tank associated closely with the United Kingdom's Foreign Ministry. The book discussed was The Future of Kurdistan in Iraq, edited by Brendan O'Leary, John McGarry, and Khaled Salih. The Future of Kurdistan in Iraq well deserves the prestigious turnout it produced."--Mediterranean Quarterly "An outstanding collection which illustrates the virtue of academic engagement with current predicaments."--Times Higher Education Supplement

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Hell Is Over: Voices of the Kurds after Saddam

by Mike Tucker



As counterfactual as it may seem to claim that "hell is over" anywhere in Iraq, Tucker makes the case for the Kurds. Drawing on interviews with peshmergafighters, Saddam-era political prisoners and survivors, Kurdish politicians and others who celebrate the overthrow of a Ba'athist regime that was particularly murderous toward Iraqi Kurds, Tucker gives his subjects space to tell of massacres at places like Hatra and of armed resistance to—and daily hardship under—Ba'athist repression. Tucker's Kurds express deep thanks to America for ousting Saddam, but also recall betrayal—"Kissinger's betrayal" in 1975 and that of George H.W. Bush in 1991—when the U.S. found it expedient to allow Iraq a free hand to crush Kurdish resistance. "The Kurds are looking for U.S. actions... which prove that America's honor is real," he writes, and for Tucker, a former Marine, "honor" and other aspects of warrior culture trump messier geopolitical considerations; he is convinced that the key to U.S. success in Iraq lies in recognition of "Kurdish integrity, honor and culture," along with close military and political cooperation with Iraqi Kurds. As a record of oppression, this book will find a place among emerging Saddam-era testimonies, but its bald political advocacy offers little that's unfamiliar.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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The Kurdish National Movement: Its Origins And Developments

by Wadie Jwaideh




A seminal work in the field of Kurdish studies, Wadie Jwaideh’s study, published for the first time, presents a detailed analysis of the early phases of Kurdish nationalism and offers a framework in which to understand the movement's later development.

Following Wadie Jwaideh’s dissertation defense, his doctoral chairman took aside Jwaideh’s wife, Alice, and asked her to submit the work for publication without Wadie’s permission, believing that Wadie’s penchant for perfection would postpone its publication indefinitely. The thesis was never published during Jwaideh’s lifetime, but its fame spread by word of mouth, and many scholars have recognized its importance not only as a study of the earlier phases of Kurdish nationalism but also as a framework for understanding later developments. Now forty years later, the work continues to stand as a classic, referenced by some of the most renowned scholars in the field. Its publication will permit it to reach a greater audience and to contribute more fully to the understanding and appreciation of this geopolitical and cultural movement.

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WHEN THE BORDERS BLEED: The Struggle of the Kurds

by Ed Kashi




"The Kurds have no friends-no friends but the mountains." This powerful photo essay masterfully illustrates this Kurdish saying as it chronicles the Kurds' seemingly endless struggle for survival. Hitchens, columnist for the Nation and Vanity Fair, describes the history of the Kurds in a 30-page introductory essay, documenting their legacy as victims of geopolitics. The 100 photographs by photojournalist Kashi, who traveled to Kurdistan, Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Iran, and even Germany, powerfully reveal the plight of contemporary Kurds. This book is unquestionably an apologia for the Kurds meant to keep alive awareness of their struggle. Nevertheless, there is criticism of the Kurds' internal divisiveness; their situation is not entirely a result of actions beyond their control. When the Borders Bleed succeeds as a cohesive work. The prose is clear and succinct, the photographs persuasive and directly related to the prose. Highly recommended for public libraries, where there is likely to be little material available on the Kurds.
Ruth K. Baacke, Whatcom Cty. Lib. Sys., Bellingham, Wash.

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The Kurdish Predicament in Iraq: A Political Analysis

by Michael M. Gunter



The Kurds are a people who are scattered, have no international recognition and are still without a state. Most live in the geographical region called Kurdistan (which has no viable political entity) spread across the Middle Eastern states (Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria) and along the northern edge of the Central Asian republics of Armenia and Azerbaidzhan. However, the larger portion of the population live in eastern Turkey, north-eastern Iraq, and western Iran.

Love in a Torn Land: Joanna of Kurdistan : The True Story of a Freedom Fighter's Escape from Iraqi Vengeance

by Jean Sasson




In this incredible true love story, bestselling author Jean Sasson shares Joanna al-Askari's personal journey of fear and fortitude through a Baghdad childhood and life as a Kurdish freedom fighter during the Iran-Iraq War. Inspiring and unforgettable, Love in a Torn Land shares Joanna's passionate and unflagging determination to survive and fight—for love, life, and the freedom of her beloved Kurdistan.

My Father’s Paradise

by ARIEL SABAR




An ancient land. A lost language. And a wayward son who never knew what he and his father shared. Until they embarked on an epic journey into their family's extraordinary past. Ariel Sabar's father, Yona, was born in a mud hut in the remote Kurdish region of Northern Iraq. Protected by towering mountains, the Jews of Zakho lived peacefully among Muslims and Christians for hundreds of years. Rugged lumberjacks and humble peddlers, self-made mystics and gifted storytellers, the members of this Lost Tribe of Israel were so isolated that they still spoke Aramaic, the language of Jesus. But in the late 1940s, the outside world came crashing in, and Yona Sabar would be the last boy bar mitzvahed in Zakho.

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Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence

by Aliza Marcus




Blood and Belief combines reportage and scholarship to give the first in-depth account of the PKK. Marcus provides an in-depth account of this influential radical group.

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Kurdish Culture and Identity

by Philip Kreyenbroek (Editor), Christine Allison (Editor)



The more than 20 million Kurds in the Middle East are the largest nation in the world without their own independent state. Their struggles for international recognition may ultimately depend on their ability to convince the world that they have their own valid and mature identity. This survey of Kurdish culture describes the differences that exist in a community that is spread across four countries in the region - Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria - and recognizes that Kurdish culture is changing. Successive chapters deal with Kurdistan's written literature and oral tradition, the development of book publishing and other modern media, the range of Islamic and other religious beliefs that have shaped Kurdish identity, and Kurdish material culture including costumes, carpets and the everyday objects of village life.

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The Kurds: Nationalism and Politics

by Faleh A. Jabar (Author), Hosham Dawood (Contributor)




The Kurdish people have begun to establish themselves as a political force. Their situation illuminates the burning question of the Middle East: How do ethnicity and self-determination interact? Examples are drawn from the modern histories of Iraq, Turkey, and Iran.

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A Modern History of the Kurds

by David McDowall




A scholarly, comprehensive history of the Kurdish people, who spill over the borders of modern Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. In this third edition, McDowell considers the economic, political, religious and tribal struggles among this ancient people -- excellent background to understanding the "Kurdish Question."

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Invisible Nation: How the Kurds' Quest for Statehood Is Shaping Iraq and the Middle East

by Quil Lawrence





Quil Lawrence tells the story of the Kurds, the only Iraqi ethnic group that want the Americans to stay. Divided among Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria and numbering 25 million, the Kurds are the largest ethnic group without their own nation.

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Road Through Kurdistan

by A. M. Hamilton David McDowall

Brief Description

In 1928, A.M. Hamilton travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan, having been commissioned to build a road that would stretch from Northern Iraq, through the mountains and gorges of Kurdistan and on to the Iranian border. In this engaging account, Hamilton describes the four years he spent overcoming immense obstacles to carve the path.

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Fire, Snow and Honey

by Gina Lennox

Brief Description

Kurdish men and women, aged between 23 to 103 - including freedom fighters and soldiers, mothers and musicians, doctors, teachers, and scholars, villagers and city people - describe their ancient and modern history, culture and life experiences: their religions, literature, legends, music, village and family life, genocide, and armed struggles.

The Kurds and Kurdistan

by Lokman I. Meho

Full Description

As the Kurdish question becomes more prominent in Middle Eastern politics, it is attracting attention from the media, the academic community, and governmental and non-governmental organizations. Swamped with questions from the press and academic departments, students of Kurdish topics have needed a comprehensive bibliography on the Kurds. This book meets that need. An introductory essay provides users with general background information on the Kurds and Kurdistan. With over 800 entries, the annotated bibliography provides information on the most important works about the Kurds and Kurdistan published from World War II through 1996. Emphasizing recent titles, the book focuses on English-language scholarly works. Arranged in topical chapters, the book opens with a section on general works, then covers travel works, history and archaeology, politics, minorities and religion in Kurdistan, society, economy, language and education, literature and folklore, and culture and arts.

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My Father's Rifle

by Hiner Saleem Catherine Temerson

Brief Description

A coming-of-age tale of a young boy growing up in war-torn Iraqi Kurdistan.

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Kurdistan

by Christopher Houston

Brief Description

Under the Ottoman Empire, Kurdistan was the name given to the province in which the Kurds, a nomadic non-Arab ethnic group, formed the largest population. This work features the history of Kurdistan, its people, history and culture. It considers the plight of the oppressed Kurdish minority in the modern nations of Iraq, Iran and Turkey.

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The Kurds: A People in Search of Their Homeland

by Kevin McKiernan



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Kurdistan: After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness?

by Jonathan Randal

Brief Description

A firsthand report on Kurdistan. The account deals with the diplomacy and politics of the Middle East as the Kurds attempt to achieve autonomy. Randal, with information from Kurdish leaders and diplomats, provides the historical and political background to the internecine wars, the mass migrations and the lifestyle of the nomadic Kurds.

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Kurdistan: In the Shadow of History

by Susan Meiselas

Brief Description

Kurdistan was erased from world maps after World War I, when the victorious powers carved up the Middle East, leaving the Kurds without a homeland. This title presents images and accounts by colonial administrators, anthropologists, missionaries, soldiers, journalists, and others who have traveled to Kurdistan over the last century.

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