Iraq and Rupert Hay's Two Years in Kurdistan

(Paperback)

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Detailing two years in the life of a British political officer charged with establishing and maintaining British rule in the Kurdish district of Arbil in Iraq, this personal account provides a thorough discussion of Kurdish society from the viewpoint of Captain William Rupert Hay. Chronicling the British government's desperate attempts to establish a civil administration in Iraq just after World War I, Two Years in Kurdistan shows how, as member of the Indian Political Service, Captain Hay attempted to bring British rule to his corner of Iraq.

Reviews

Paul Rich has done all of us a favor by bringing this excellent book back into circulation. Hay, a man of considerable erudition, writes with style, wit, charm and great insight. Given the current situation in the Middle East, the words almost jump off the page. In the early years of the 20th century, Hay offered insights and lessons that the worldand especially the Bush administrationhad forgotten or ignored by the start of the 21st century. Perhaps Hays profound insights will help us craft wiser and more successful policies in the near future. -- Harrell Rodgers, University of Houston

Author Bio

Paul J. Rich is president of the Policy Studies Organization in Washington, D.C. and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University. He was the head of supervisory programs for the Ministry of Education and Culture in Qatar for twelve years. Dr. Rich is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, recipient of the Cameron Medal for social science research, and Life Governor of Harris Manchester College in the University of Oxford.