What do you think?
Rate this book
The Kurds
A discussion of the people known as Kurds, including their history as well as their contemporary status in the Middle East.
- GenresNonfiction
140 pages, Library Binding
First published January 1, 2002
3 people are currently reading
67 people want to read
About the author
Heather Lehr Wagner
89 books1 followerDr. Heather Lehr Wagner is an editor and writer of numerous books exploring social and political issues. She earned a B.A. in political science from Duke University and an M.A. in government from the College of William and Mary.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 30, 2019
THE KURDS is an insightful and detailed examination of 25 million Kurds without a homeland. Their numbers are spread over the lands of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. For 100 years, these people have been looking for a political solution; this book discusses the reasons they still don't have a land of their own.
Generally, the Kurds are considered to be unwelcome guests, not members of a country. The Turkish government has decreed that their language cannot be used; essentially, marginalizing the Kurdish peoples.
Unfortunately, the Kurds do not speak with one voice. They are their own worst enemies; infighting has kept them weak. There is no one person who is accepted by all the Kurds to speak for them. Instead, over the years Iraqis, Turks, and Iranian soldiers have oppressed and exterminated them with mustard gas and other awful weapons.
Another problem the Kurds have is their unwillingness to accept a small piece of land as Kurdistan and then negotiate for more area. They want it all now. I guess, who can blame them, they have waited so long. There have been treaties to answer the needs of the Kurds, but the treaties have been ignored.
This book has many old photos of Kurds from around the turn of the 20th century. Because of their poverty and plight, I doubt their condition has improved much in the last 100 years.
This is a sad book because it seems that people understand that this ethnic group has legitimate needs. Because the Middle East is so fraught with more serious problems, however, they are ignored.
Generally, the Kurds are considered to be unwelcome guests, not members of a country. The Turkish government has decreed that their language cannot be used; essentially, marginalizing the Kurdish peoples.
Unfortunately, the Kurds do not speak with one voice. They are their own worst enemies; infighting has kept them weak. There is no one person who is accepted by all the Kurds to speak for them. Instead, over the years Iraqis, Turks, and Iranian soldiers have oppressed and exterminated them with mustard gas and other awful weapons.
Another problem the Kurds have is their unwillingness to accept a small piece of land as Kurdistan and then negotiate for more area. They want it all now. I guess, who can blame them, they have waited so long. There have been treaties to answer the needs of the Kurds, but the treaties have been ignored.
This book has many old photos of Kurds from around the turn of the 20th century. Because of their poverty and plight, I doubt their condition has improved much in the last 100 years.
This is a sad book because it seems that people understand that this ethnic group has legitimate needs. Because the Middle East is so fraught with more serious problems, however, they are ignored.
September 21, 2015
The Treaty of Sèvres was supposed to give the Kurds a homeland but we have no Kurdistan on our maps. Once for a very brief moment there was a very a country on our maps called Kurdistan, but now we have no Kurdistan learn about the history of these people and how they wander from place to place unwanted.
January 3, 2014
This short book provides a nice, basic introduction to the Kurdish people and their place in the Middle East. Geared towards high school students; no deep analysis of difficult issues-- just an overview.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews