Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations

Written by Georgina Howell

Narrated by Corrie James

She has been called the female Lawrence of Arabia, which, while not inaccurate, fails to give Gertrude Bell her due. She was at one time the most powerful woman in the British Empire: a nation builder, the driving force behind the creation of modern-day Iraq. Born in 1868 into a world of privilege, Bell turned her back on Victorian society, choosing to read history at Oxford and going on to become an archaeologist, spy, Arabist, linguist, author, poet, photographer, and legendary mountaineer.

She traveled the globe several times, but her passion was the desert, where she traveled with only her guns and her servants. Her vast knowledge of the region made her indispensable to the Cairo Intelligence Office of the British government during World War I. She advised the Viceroy of India; then, as an army major, she traveled to the front lines in Mesopotamia. There, she supported the creation of an autonomous Arab nation for Iraq, promoting and manipulating the election of King Faisal to the throne. Gertrude Bell, vividly told and impeccably researched by Georgina Howell, is a richly compelling portrait of a woman who transcended the restrictions of her class and times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Oct 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781515981855

Georgina Howell

Georgina Howell began working in magazine journalism at the age of seventeen. She was Fashion Editor of the Observer, Features Editor of Vogue, Deputy Editor of Tatler and a principal feature writer for the Sunday Times. She lives in London and Brittany.

Reviews for Gertrude Bell

[eye_gee-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to know more about how the middle east was carved up after WWI, and this book told part of the story. d

[nx74defiant · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't really know anything about Gertrude Bell before I read this book. She was a fascinating woman. She traveled alone across Arabia. In many ways she was a head of her time. Yet, in many ways she was a product of her time. She would not marry when her father refused to give her permission. She was an independent women yet she was against giving women the right to vote.

[reallifereading · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

And that then is my reason for connecting this review with that of Gertrude Bell’s biography. For indeed, how do you begin a biography? Especially with a woman who has lived such a life? A woman who once used to be more famous than T.E. Lawrence (who was a good friend actually), who travelled the Middle East, at a time when women rode side saddle (she had an apron sort of garment made to cover her pants), who climbed mountains (taking off her skirt to do so!), who was daring and brave and adventurous – at a time when women tended to keep to the home.

“Constrained and compartmentalised at home, in the East Gertrude became her own person.”

Howell does a great job piecing together her life, from letters, from other accounts of her, from the many works Bell wrote, essentially to figure out:

“By what evolution did a female descendent of Cumbrian sheep farmers become, in her time, the most influential figure in the Middle East?”

A gung-ho spirit, a fierce determination, wit and charm helps. As does knowing the right people! If you’re in the mood for a biography, may I suggest this one. Gertrude Bell, she astounds me.

[eglinton_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Energetic life of the remarkable Bell, avidly trekking through the lands of Arabia, ticking off high Alpine peaks as a mountaineering pioneer, midwifing the state of Iraq after the Ottoman collapse as confidante of King Faisal, assembling antiquities from the ancient civilisations of Mesopotamia. All without neglecting her own emotional life, all well conveyed in her spirited letters.

[nandadevi_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was - remarkable. Apart from being an inspiring story of a woman who eschewed the constraints of a male dominated political and social scene, this is the inside story of the creation of the nation of Irag, and the sorry tale of early western involvement in Middle Eastern politics. Bush and Blair and their cronies would have done better to have read this and learnt something from Bell's nuanced view of Arab politics and culture before setting out on their childish adventures - but that presupposes that they could read - which in Bush's case might be doubted. The ordinary reader, however, will be rewarded.

[jmoncton_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A well-written book of an amazing life. Gertrude Bell was born into a wealthy family in Victorian England. Rather than living a typical high society life, she chose to study history at Oxford and travel the world. Her travels in the Arab world made her indispensable to British Intelligence during World War I and she was a key negotiator in the partitioning of the former Ottoman Empire. Her life story was fascinating - definitely a character that I would have loved to have met.

[nmele_4 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An excellent biography with just enough context to understand her significance.

[samanthamarie_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An amazing story about a truly incredible woman. Best known as an integral player in the founding of Iraq, she was so much more than that. She was a daring and talented amateur mountain climber whose climbs are still revered today. She implemented a system to keep track of missing, dead and wounded soldiers in WWI which included enlisted men for the first time ever. She had two tragic loves in her life but never married. She walked right into a man's world and made them take notice of her for her brilliant mind and political acumen in a day and age when women were supposed to sit at home with the children.The story about this truly amazing woman reads like fiction. It also gives an interesting perspective on Iraq, the Middle East and British colonialism.

[dele2451 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In a time when many women led limited existences, Gertrude Bell broke out of the "traditional" roles that could have easily been her station in life and learned languages, conducted archaeological digs, completed desert expeditions, mapped unknown territories, climbed mountains, and many more difficult endeavors.While the author clearly portrays her subject in a positive light, the writing is a bit tedious and/or poorly organized in spots, but Ms Bell's exploits are so fascinating and far reaching it doesn't significantly detract from the entertainment value of the book. I believe this book would make a marvelous addition to reading lists for college-bound high school seniors or college freshmen (male and female).

[margase · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A little ponderous

[jmcilree_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rich English girl spends her father's money dillying in archeology in Turkey and winds up taking truly remarkable journeys in Turkey controlled Arabia, Palestine and Mesopotamia, pre WWI.Her knowledge of the area and people puts her in the pole position to help foment the Arab revolt against Turkey with the goal of opening a second front against the Germans and post the war as a lead advisor on the creation of Iraq.Besides the annoying habit of apologizing for all of Gertrude's bad behavior and too much speculation about relatively minor points (Did Gertrude board a boat and go visit her dead lover's grave near Gallipoli??!!??), what irritated me most was the lack of discussion of how the founding of Iraq may have had some impact on the current state of Iraq. But I came away with little insight.Writing was mediocre.

[karenmerguerian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was prepared to think of Gertrude Bell as an imperialist, she turned out to be a much more complex figure. An open person who was fascinated by the Middle East and sympathetic to the Arab tribes, she made an effort to live in their midst and learn their language. Her life and the lives of the people of the region were destroyed by the First World War and the interwar period. Although she was proud of her efforts to bring peace and independence to Iraq after the Second World War, she must clearly have doubted her place there once that was accomplished, and did not feel there was a place for her in England either--the end was heartbreakingly sad.