Invisible Nation

"Quil Lawrence, who has spent much of this decade reporting from Iraq for the BBC/PRI radio program The World, confesses to the power Kurdistan holds on him. The Kurds have clearly worked on his heart, and it shows in the way he tells the story of a people who have made themselves central not just to American plans in Iraq but also in the wider Middle East."—The New York Times Book Review

"A story well worth telling . . . Sympathetic but not uncritical."—The New York Times

"The first thorough, book-length chronicle of the Kurds' recent history . . . [A] brisk and engaging narrative."—The Washington Post

"A fine journalistic account of the personalities that animate the northern third of the country . . . This is the enigma of the Kurdish leadership in miniature: they are hardier than mountain goats and slicker than lobbyists. Lawrence's book captures both registers, as well as many in between."—The Atlantic

"Extensively researched and footnoted, yet readable and often engaging, Invisible Nation guides the reader through the 'luckless history' of the Kurds."—San Francisco Chronicle

“Quil Lawrence has written an engaging, revelatory book about America's accidental success in Iraq—the development of a stable, secure and reasonably democratic Kurdish region in the country's north. Drawing on his intimate, on-the-ground knowledge of Kurdistan, Lawrence exposes us to the little-known history of the Kurdish people, their epic struggle for survival and self-governance, and their crucial role in the new Iraq. A fascinating and compelling tale, it's a valuable addition to the bookshelf for anyone who cares about what's happening in Iraq.”—Rajiv Chandrasekaran, author of Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone

“The quest for Kurdish statehood is, in part, a story of unintended consequences, a sweeping narrative that Quil Lawrence masterfully charts with insight, authority and, perhaps most important, compassion. His book is a story not only of Kurdistan, but of Iraq, of the Middle East and of the future. To understand any of those, this book is essential. Invisible Nation stands as one of the most important works to emerge from a war that, five years in, remains as unpredictable as when it first started, a point that Lawrence makes abundantly clear.”—Anthony Shadid, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Night Draws Near: Iraq’s People in the Shadow of America’s War

“Quil Lawrence has untwined one of the most tangled histories of the Middle East and made it comprehensible. Invisible Nation is a riveting account of Iraq's Kurds and their essential role in the reshaping of modern Iraq.  For anyone wishing to understand how the Kurds' quest for nationhood plays into the ongoing U.S. war in Iraq, this book is a must-read.”—Jon Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life and The Fall of Baghdad

“Stimulating history of the single Iraqi ethnic group that doesn’t want American troops to leave Iraq . . . A disturbing account that prompts new admiration for a people whose age-old toil for a homeland will continue after the United States withdraws from the region.”—Kirkus Reviews 

“Interviewing people from all walks of life, from hitchhikers to Kurds now leading the Iraqi government, such as President Jalal Talabani, Lawrence touches on their concerns, very long and bitter memories, and hopes for the future.”—Booklist

“In lively and jargon-free language, with insights gained through experience, [Lawrence] explains the constellation of forces among the 25 million Kurds, the Kurds' relations to the other groups in contemporary Iraq, and their quest for independence. This is a timely and informative book that should be read by all interested in gaining a better understanding of today's Kurdish political developments.”—Library Journal

“Lucid, eye-opening account . . . Readers will close this engrossing but disturbing history with respect for a people that has struggled for millennia and whose difficulties continue to generate headlines.”—Publishers Weekly