With an estimated population of over 30 million, the Kurds are the largest stateless nation in the world. They are becoming increasingly important within regional and international geopolitics, particularly since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the Arab Spring and the war in Syria.

This multidisciplinary Handbook provides a definitive overview of a range of themes within Kurdish studies. Topics covered include:

• 
  
  

• Kurdish studies in the United States and Europe
• 
  
  
• Early Kurdish history
• 
  
  
• Kurdish culture, literature and cinema
• 
  
  
• Economic dimensions
• 
  
  
• Religion
• 
  
  
• Geography and travel
• 
  
  
• Kurdish women
• 
  
  
• The Kurdish situation in Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran
• 
  
  
• The Kurdish diaspora.
• 
  
  

With a wide range of contributions from many leading academic experts, this Handbook will be a vital resource for students and scholars of Kurdish studies and Middle Eastern studies.

About the Author

Michael M. Gunter is a Professor of Political Science at Tennessee Technological University and the Secretary-General of the EU Turkey Civic Commission (EUTCC), headquartered in Brussels. He is the author or editor of 15 scholarly books on the Kurdish and Armenian issues as well as over 100 peer-reviewed scholarly articles.

Reviews

"...edited by Michael M. Gunter, who is himself probably the most prolific of today's scholars of Kurdish politics... Gunter has made an effort to juxtapose different viewpoints in each section, some chapters being sympathetic with the Kurdish movements described and others more critical[...] The history of the Kurdish movement, from the early twentieth century until the defeat of ISIS, is well covered and there are interesting though partial observations on changes in the political economy and social organisation of Kurdistan. [...] Kurdish scholars will find a few chapters that provide significant new information or analysis... Non-specialists who consult it as a work of reference may find it helpful for contextualising news reports." - Martin van Bruinessen, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, book review appeared in Kurdish Studies, May 2020

"Edited by Michael M. Gunter, who is himself probably the most prolific of today's scholars of Kurdish politics and who persuaded over thirty colleagues to contribute chapters." - Martin van Bruinessen, Utrecht University, The Netherlands, review in Kurdish Studies

Book Information
ISBN 9780367580582
Author Michael Gunter
Format Paperback
Page Count 484
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd
Weight(grams) 453g