This work is the twelfth volume in the Mazda Publishers Kurdish Studies Series, which began in 1998 with The Kurdish Question and Turkish–Iranian Relations by Robert Olson, to whom this volume is dedicated. Twelve chapters introduce the notion of a Kurdish Spring to an audience previously acquainted with a highly publicized Arab Spring.

Ahmed and Gunter state that “the Arab Spring has opened the door to a Kurdish Spring,” which “seeks the recognition of the Kurdish identity, respect for their civil and human rights, and a large degree of autonomy cum self-government” (xxiii). This work endeavors to implant the notion of Kurdayetî (defined variously as Kurdish nationalism, Kurdishness, or Pan-Kurdishism) into a geopolitical framework—namely a greater Kurdistan. To that end, the editors employ the terms Western, Eastern, Southern, and Northern Kurdistan within the introduction in an effort to mainstream Kurdishness. The introduction confidently refers to an “overall Kurdish unity” (xxv). However, the claims of an existing monolithic identity appear to be an oversimplification of the ethnoreligious and tribal breakdown of the Kurdish community.

Michael Gunter more properly uses the term Kurdish Uprisings rather than Kurdish Spring. He sees Kurdish nationalism as “second only to the perennial Arab–Israeli dispute . . . as a leading factor of instability” in the region (35). Ofra Bengio proclaims that movements in the Arab Spring “target the state system while in the Kurdish case these are movements of a non-state nation targeting the framework of the states” (37). She sees major differences in the respective “Springs”: divisions arose in the Arab countries, whereas in the Kurdish case, there was a homogenization process that appears to be viewed in a progressive light (39). David Romano's chapter questions this terminology, as two of the countries with large Kurdish populations, namely Iran and Turkey, are not Arab countries. He argues the only place a Kurdish Spring could occur would be the KRG region of Iraq. Romano also briefly explores some of the protests, namely in Suleimani in 2011, aimed at criticizing KDP and PUK corruption. The final overview chapter, by Michael Bishku, links the functioning of Kurdish nationalist organizations directly to those of Israel, equating their relations to ever-shifting political maneuvers. Bishku questions whether or not the Kurds are a special case, geopolitically speaking, and discusses similar cases of Jews, Armenians, and Palestinians—although Kurds have maintained a continued presence in the Middle East, whereas Jews and Armenians reside in greater numbers in exile. This issue needs further examination in the future.

The book's five sections focus on Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Iran, and the Kurdish diaspora. The reformative Goran party is discussed in detail, including the protests in Iraqi Kurdistan, which are most similar to an Arab Spring condition among the Kurds. The book fails to account for the grievances of smaller ethnic and religious minorities residing in Kurdish controlled territories (particularly the KRG), such as the Assyrians and Yazidis, who alongside ethnic Kurds, have criticized KRG governmental policies. A discussion of such non-Kurdish communities under Kurdish governance would have been useful. The debate about the PKK in Turkey is of primary importance, and the inclusion of the pillar of the movement, Leyla Zana, is vital. This section gives her work the attention it deserves. Likewise, the two chapters on Syria highlight the autonomy movement in the Jezirah region, in contrast with the civil war that has plagued the country. Reforms and Kurdish enlistment in the Green Movement, as well as shifting politics and intra-Kurdish political divisions in Iran, are clarified. Apart from the material on Austria and the Kurdish diaspora networks, further examples from the Kurdish diaspora are needed, especially in reference to Germany. In addition, more information on the United States as a key ally of the Kurds in recent years would be welcome.

Although the book engages in a thought-provoking discussion of the geopolitical position of the Kurds in the Middle East, it has limitations, as discussed above, as well as some formatting and editing problems. The ethnic and religious terminology used, such as Arabs and Christians, is confusing, as these identities are not monolithic (198–199). Furthermore, bibliographies and works cited pages for the individual chapters would have been beneficial.