I. B. Tauris & Company The Kurds of Northern Syria: Governance, Diversity and Conflicts (Kurdish Studies)

Based on unprecedented access to Kurdish-governed areas of Syria, including exclusive interviews with administration officials and civilian surveys, this book sheds light on the socio-political landscape of this minority group and the various political factions vying to speak for them.The first English-language book to capture the momentous transformations that have occurred since 2011, the authors move beyond idealized images of Rojava and the Kurdish PYD (Democratic Union Party) to provide a nuanced assessment of the Kurdish autonomous experience and the prospects for self-rule in Syria. The book draws on unparalleled field research, as well as analysis of the literature on the evolution of Kurdish politics and the Syrian war. You will understand why the PYD-led project in Syria split the Kurdish political movement and how other representative structures amongst Syria's Kurds fared. Emerging clearly are the complex range of views about pre-existing, current and future governance structures. Review A major contribution to the literature on the Kurdish struggle in Syria, based on extensive interviews with a wide range of actors. Balanced in its coverage of the various ethno-religious communities and political forces. The book will remain a valuable resource even when the facts on the ground have changed.Martin van Bruinessen, Professor Emeritus of the Comparative Study of Contemporary Muslim Societies, Utrecht University, NetherlandsCo-authored by two proven experts on the subject and based on meticulously careful field research, this analysis presents valuable detailed and broadly-based insights into the Kurdish autonomous experience in northern Syria and its uncertain future.Michael M. Gunter, Professor, Tennessee Technological University, USA.The most complete and objective book about Syrian Kurds. [the authors] conducted a very thorough field survey and took the necessary step back to analyze the Kurdish identity, its system of government and future in the last context of American troop withdrawal. An incredible adventure in a few years the weakest part of Kurdistan becomes its "revolutionary vanguard+?, in a tremendous context of fierce war against the Islamic State.Fabrice Balanche, Associate Professor and Research Director, University of Lyon 2, France About the Author Harriet Allsopp is a freelance expert on the Middle East, with a particular emphasis on Syrian and Kurdish politics.Wladimir van Wilgenburg is an analyst of Kurdish politics and a journalist living in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan.