Road Through Kurdistan: Travels in Northern Iraq

In 1928, A.M. Hamilton travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan, having been commissioned to build a road that would stretch from Northern Iraq, through the mountains and gorges of Kurdistan and on to the Iranian border. Now called the Hamilton Road, this was, even by today’s standards, a remarkable feat of engineering and remains one of the most strategically important roads in the region. In this colourful and engaging account, Hamilton describes the four years he spent overcoming immense obstacles – disease, ferocious brigands, warring tribes and bureaucratic officials – to carve a path through some of the most beautiful but inhospitable landscape in the world. Road Through Kurdistan is an enthralling story, packed with adventure, of one man’s determination in the face of adversity: a classic of travel writing. It is also an invaluable portrayal of the Iraqi Kurds themselves, and of the Kurdish regions of Northern Iraq. '...a book which conquers the reader by its freshness, warm sympathy to men and a keen gift for observation.' ---Vladimir Minorsky