May 21 2008
A Current Events Geek’s Delight
We recently got in a new history of the establishment of an autonomous Kurdistan (for the fussily precise, the Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq), Invisible Nation by Quil Lawrence, which I would recommend to anyone who has an interest in the region’s rapidly changing political terrain. Darkly humorous at times and at others emotionally touching, Lawrence writes clearly and with a deep affection for & interest in the Kurds. Besides telling a fast paced and entertaining story, Lawrence does an excellent job of explaining the tragic and bloody history of the Kurds’ interactions with their neighbors and how it shapes the ongoing affairs of the northern Middle East. An otherwise bewildering mass of party acronyms, similiar names (a legacy of the political dominance of certain Kurdish clans dating back generations), and internecine political score-settling and bloodletting, is explained well, with periodic synopsis passages sprinkled throughout the book to make sure that you don’t fall behind. Lawrence makes the case that perhaps the one good thing to come out of the American invasion and occupation of Iraq is the liberation of a people who are the largest ethnic group in the world without a homeland.
Will is a politics junkie, the only native born Bostonian on the staff (do not ask him for directions if you are driving, his guess is as good as yours), a rabid Boston sports fan who hearts Kevin Garnett in a totally non-creepy way, a terrible surfer, a bon vivant, and a burrito connoisseur. He dreams of the beach at Punta Uva and is often hit by Lisa for ill-advised remarks about her hair.
