| Summary/Abstract |
This article offers a historical overview of the situation of the Kurds and Kurdistan from antiquity to the present day. It then describes the travels of the author, who was the British Ambassador to Iraq from 1985 to 1989, around the Kurdish region, with a wealth of social, cultural, and political observation. Of particular note are the author's observations on the period of Saddam Hussein's chemical attacks on the Kurdish region during the 1980s. There are also descriptions of encounters with the region's religious minorities, and also Kurdistan's architectural heritage. The author concludes with a discussion about the future prospects for the autonomy and independence of the region.
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