The title is derived from the fact that, despite constituting approximately ten percent of Iraq’s population, the "forgotten" Turkmen are often grouped with other factions when foreign analysts and commentators refer to the ethnic makeup of Iraq. In discussions concerning post-war political representation, it is common to hear specific reference made to Shiite Arabs, Sunni Arabs, and Kurds, while the remaining ethnic groups — the Turkmen, Yazidi, Sabia, Marsh Arabs, etc. — are often collectively referred to as the "others".

In fact, many people are surprised to learn about the presence of the indigenous Turkmen population — despite the fact that Turkmen settlements were established over fifteen hundred years ago in Iraq. Furthermore, during the past century the Turkmen have been deliberately repressed by successive Iraqi regimes. Under Saddam Hussein’s drastic Arabification policy, little official mention was ever made of the distinct Turkmen society of northern Iraq. In addition, Kurdish warlords, who have long coveted control of the oil-rich region of Kirkuk, view any promotion of the Turkmen majority that resides there as a direct threat to their claims.

In addition to presenting a history of the Turkmen people in Iraq, the book also includes several of Scott Taylor’s first-hand observations and encounters with Iraqi Turkmen. The book presents a personal account of a people that have suffered through decades of political oppression and ethnic violence.

The book also includes a detailed account of the author’s harrowing ordeal as a hostage of the Ansar al-Islam, an extremist group working with the resistance in northern Iraq.