The end of the Cold War has exposed, or re-exposed, to general view many ongoing regional ethnic, territorial and religious conflicts that had been obscured, suppressed or subordinated to the great international power struggle. One of the most ancient of these conflicts is the struggle of the Kurdish people for national autonomy or independence.

Surveying the history of this conflict (with particular emphasis on the twentieth century), examining the cultures of the Kurds and of their antagonists, analyzing the byzantine political infighting and maneuvering of Kurdish leaders as well as the generally self-serving interventions by outside powers, James Ciment lucidly assesses the state of Kurdish affairs in each of the three states in which most Kurds live, and the possible course of future events.

Organized for ease of access, yet lively and readable, The Kurds: State and Minority in Turkey, Iraq and Iran is a splendid and compelling work for students and other readers who need a clear and understandable introduction to a very complex subject.