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Bibliography
References
on the People in Iraq
Center for Applied Linguistics, 1981
The Kurds (Refugee Fact Sheet Series, No. 4). Washington, DC:
Center for Applied Linguistics.
A fact sheet on the Kurds, parallel to this one on the Iraqis.
Nydell, Margaret K., 1987
Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Westerners. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural
Press. 148 pp. Appendices on the language and the different Arab countries,
Bibliography and Index.
An excellent, very readable book describing aspects of Arab culture
and behavior, especially those aspects which differ markedly from Western
behavior. Sample topics: Arab views of the family, attitudes towards
religion, social formalities and etiquette, etc. The book was written
for Westerners living in Arab countries, but will be very useful in
giving insights into the ideas and values of the Iraqi refugees in the
United States.
Merz, Helen Chapin (Ed.), 1990
Iraq: A Country Study (Area Handbook Series). Washington, DC:
Library of Congress, Federal Research Division.
A good reference book, with bibliography, glossary and index, this
is one of the standard Area Handbooks now published by the Library of
Congress. Research on the book was completed in May, 1988, and so there
is nothing on events leading up to the Gulf War. There are chapters
on the history of the area, the society, the environment, the economy,
government and politics, and national security and the army. The chapter
on history is particularly interesting: it covers the area from ancient
Mesopotamian times to the Iran–Iraq war.
Yergin, Daniel, 1992
The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power. New York:
Simon and Schuster. (paperback)
Huge, detailed, absorbing history of oil around the world, including
the discovery of oil in Iraq and subsequent developments. A long read,
but when you finish you have an enormous amount of modern history under
your belt.
National Geographic
The picture magazine National Geographic has featured Iraq in
articles almost from its very first issue, and an afternoon in your
public library reading through them in chronological order will give
you a remarkably thorough picture of the country from its days as an
outpost of the Ottoman Empire (the first article appears in 1900) to
the aftermath of Desert Storm. Each article is effectively an eyewitness
account of history, and is of course accompanied by a number of illustrative
photographs of the consistently high National Geographic quality.
(Some of the best portraits of the people are in black and white, in
the earlier articles.) Here is a complete list:
1992, August
Struggle of the Kurds, 32-63.
Description of the Kurds in Iraq and Turkey, with a very clear map and
pictures.
February
Persian Gulf Pollution: Assessing the Damage One Year Later, 122-134.
A followup to the August 1991 article, showing cleanup efforts.
1991, August
After the Storm, 2-35.
Description of Kuwait after the war, with grim pictures.
May
Iraq: Crucible of Civilization, 103-115.
Article on Iraq's ancient history, with wonderful photographs of artifacts.
1988, May
The Persian Gulf: Living in Harm's Way, 648-671.
Overview of the Persian Gulf countries, and the impact of the Iran–Iraq
war. Includes a diagram and description of the strategic damming of
the rivers.
1985, January
The New Face of Baghdad, 80-109.
Description of the city and a discussion of the Iran–Iraq war,
including information on the Ba'ath party.
1976, April
Water Dwellers in a Desert World, 502-523.
Description and stunning photographs of the Ma'dan.
1975, March
We Who Face Death, 364-387.
An account of the Kurds' bid for autonomy/independence in the early
'70s.
1966, December
Abraham, the Friend of God, 739-789.
Description of the area from the point of view of the prophet Abraham,
with interesting maps and discussion of contrasts with modern life.
1959, January
Station Wagon Odyssey: Baghdad to Istanbul, 48-87.
Account of a difficult trip that includes information and pictures of
the oil fields around Kirkuk.
1958, October
Iraq, Where Oil and Water Mix, 443-489.
Long, detailed portrait of the country in the late '50s, just after
the revolution. Includes a picture of a "fiery furnace"an
area where oil seeps onto the surface and has been set on fireand a
dam on the Tigris.
February
Marsh Dwellers of Southern Iraq, 205-239.
Another article on the Ma'dan, more detailed than the April 1976 article,
but with equally wonderful photographs.
1953, April
Report from the Locust Wars, 545-562.
A fascinating account of the multinational, multiethnic effort to combat
the swarms of locusts in the desert before they reached the agricultural
regions in Iraq.
1951, December
Around the World in Eighty Days, 705-750.
Travel article that includes descriptions of Baghdad, Basra, and the
Tigris.
January
Ancient Mesopotamia: A Light That Did Not Fail, 41-105.
Description of ancient Iraq that includes beautiful paintings by H.
M. Herget.
1947, March
Beside the Persian Gulf, 341-356.
Description of a port near Basra, in an article about the Gulf countries.
1942, September
Forty Years Among the Arabs, 385-420.
Sprightly, sophisticated, opinionated essay describing the author's
life in Iraq as a resident foreigner between 1902 and 1942. Includes
delightful anecdotes and a photo essay on camels.
1941, August
Bombs over Bible Lands, 141-180.
Description of the Middle East in World War II, with pictures of the
oil fields in Iraq.
1938, December
Change Comes to Bible Lands, 695-750.
An article contrasting ancient and modern life in the area of the Bible.
Includes a brief description and photos of the Assyrians.
1930, January
New Light on Ancient Ur: Excavations at the Site of the City of Abraham
Reveal Geographical Evidence of the Biblical Story of the Flood, 95-130.
An account of a joint British/American archaeological project.
1928, August
Archeology, the Mirror of the Ages: Our Debt to the Humble Delvers
in the Ruins at Carchemish and at Ur, 207-226.
A thoughtful essay on the local people (Kurd, Ma'dan, Iraqi) who do
the actual digging at an archaelogical excavation.
1923, May
A Visit to Three Arab Kingdoms: Transjordania, Iraq, and the Hedjaz
Present Many Problems to European Powers, 535-568.
A discussion of the people in the Middle East after World War I, and
France's and Britain's problems in establishing new governments there.
1922, April
Modern Life in the Cradle of Civilization, 390-407.
Discussion of the contrast between ancient and modern life in the Tigris-Euphrates
area.
1918, July
Under the Heel of the Turk: A Land with a Glorious Past, a Present
of Abused Opportunities, and a Future of Golden Possibilities, 51-69.
Delightful although opinionated article about the Ottoman Empire, with
references throughout to the Kurds and Iraqis.
1916, February
The Cradle of Civilization: The Historic Lands Along the Euphrates
and Tigris Rivers Where Briton Is Fighting Turk, 127-162.
Pushing Back History's Horizon: How the Pick and Shovel Are Revealing
Civilizations That Were Ancient When Israel Was Young, 162-216.
Two long articles on the ancient history of Mesopotamia, accompanied
by fascinating photographs of artifacts, including cuneiform tablets,
and of Iraqi life during World War One.
1914, December
Where Adam and Eve Lived, 546-588.
Account of a journey (by boat, camel, donkey, etc.!) to Baghdad, with
descriptions of life in the city and in the southern Ma'dan area.
Mystic Nedjef, the Shia Mecca, 589-598.
Account of a journey to the Shi'a shrine.
1909, February
The Mountaineers of the Euphrates, 142-156.
1904, April
Travels in Arabia and Along the Persian Gulf, 139-151.
These two articles are listed in the National Geographic's index,
but our public library's collection didn't go back before 1910. Maybe
your library will have these early issues.
Books
on Iraqi Arabic
Clarity, B.E., Stowasser, Karl, & Wolfe, Ronald G. (Eds.)
1964 A Dictionary of Iraqi Arabic: EnglishArabic. Georgetown
Arabic Series #6. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
Dictionary focusing on the spoken language, with the Iraqi Arabic listed
in roman letters rather than Arabic script.
Erwin, Wallace M.
1963 A Short Reference Grammar of Iraqi Arabic. Washington,
DC: Georgetown University Press.
This is the standard description of Iraqi Arabic, for specialists interested
in details.
Woodhead, Daniel R., & Beene, Wayne (Eds.)
1967 A Dictionary of Iraqi Arabic: Arabic-English. Georgetown
Arabic Series #10. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.
The companion volume to the dictionary listed above.
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REFUGEE FACT SHEET NO.11