Arbella Bet-Shlimon is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Washington.
Based on extensive primary research, City of Black Gold is essential for anyone interested in the modern history of Iraq and the roots of the standoff between the government in Baghdad and the Kurdistan regional government. Written with care and sensitivity, Arbella Bet-Shlimon's history of Kirkuk is a delight to read. -- Joost Hiltermann, Middle East and North Africa Program Director City of Black Gold is a masterful account of Kirkuk. Blending smooth storytelling and sharp analysis, Arbella Bet-Shlimon challenges readers to rethink much of what passes as conventional wisdom about Iraq, and about power, oil, and ethnicity in the twentieth century. A wonderful book, richly documented, accessible, and creative. -- Toby C. Jones This remarkable study of Kirkuk uncovers the ways in which the city became-and did not become-part of the Iraqi state. Arbella Bet-Shlimon bravely covers silenced histories, as she encourages us to look at Iraqi history through its northern urban peripheries. A fascinating urban history. -- Orit Bashkin This fine social history of the city of Kirkuk, in northern Iraq, traces a century of political upheaval. -- John Waterbury