Much has been said about the book's contents in previous reviews. What I would like to add is that the author did a masterful job with bringing history so alive. The historical facts were well researched before the book was written. Instead of presenting them in a rather factual manner Georgina Howell converted them in a gripping story which makes it hard to put the book aside. She stays humble in the back and let the protangonists speak for themselves. When reading books of popular history one often gets the impression that writers project their personalities into the stories. This is absolutely not the case with this book, except perhaps with respect to the author's interest for clothing matters which is not distracting however. The relations between Gertrude Bell and her environments are so well described that one gets literally the feeling to become part of them. This only happens with extraordinary books to which this one certainly belongs.

I got interested in this book through a similar well written book by Ronald Florence on the relation between Aaron Aarohnsohn and T.E. Lawrence. Reading both books gives a good impression of the Arabist and Zionist views after the fall of the Ottoman empire. Both also demystify the role of T.E. Lawrence in shapening the Middle-East whose epic book "Seven pillars of wisdom" I find a rather boring read.

One measure of a fine book is if it captures and holds the reader's attention even if the subject is outside the reader's background and interests. This is such a book. Gertrude Bell (1868-1926)led an extraordinary life, whose many facets are captured in this superior biography. Born to a wealthy Yorkshire family, she was the first woman to receive a First Class degree in modern history from Oxford. She next took up challenging mountain climbing (my only criticism of the book is too much space is devoted to this topic). But the book's core is the period when she becomes interested in the Middle East, which the British designated as Mesopotamia and TransJordan, but which we know today as Iraq and Saudi Arabia.

She mastered the pertinent languages (Turkish and of course Arabic among others), traveled all over the region between 1900 and 1914 conducting archeology research and photographing sites (many of which photos are available on the web in the Gertrude Bell Photographic Archive of Newcastle University), authored a number of books, and became well acquainted with the Bedouin tribes that roamed the area. Later she joined the British colonial administration in Baghdad, and helped (along with her friend T.E. Lawrence) foment the Arab uprising against the Turks during WWI that is the central element of the "Lawrence of Arabia" film. She argued for self-determination for this area at the Versailles Peace Conference, and even confronted Churchill on the issue when he had responsibility for colonial administration. She helped map the boundaries of what we now know as Iraq, was instrumental in selecting Faisal as its first King, and played a prominent role in the governance of the new nation. As if this was not enough, toward the end of her life (she committed suicide in 1926, probably due to advanced lung cancer) she founded the National Museum of Iraq, the same museum that the American military allowed to be ransacked during the Iraq War. She is buried in Baghdad.

The book is over 400 pages in this paperback edition, but it moves along quickly as it is quite a fascinating tale. The author has included extensive notes, some excellent Bell photographs, a chronology, and a fine bibliography. A major side benefit to reading the book is that the reader learns quite a lot about the background of Iraq and Saudi Arabia, obviously topics greatly on our minds at the present. To have led such a life is amazing; to have contributed in so many ways during that life is even more so. The book Ms. Bell deserved.

The author gives absolutely no insight into Gertrude Bell and just recites the itinerary of one trip after another. Bell is made out to be an obsessive cartoon character running around the map like Bugs Bunny. After climbing the Matterhorn, she mysteriously decides to expensively explore the desert -- alone. I'd really like to know more about her. Someone suggested Desert Queen" by Janet Wallach.