Product Description:

A biography of the woman who, indirectly, was the catalyst for many of the troubles in the Middle East, including the Gulf War. In 1918, Gertrude Bell drew the region's proposed boundaries on a piece of tracing paper. Her qualifications for doing so were her extensive travel, her fluency in both Persian and Arabic, and her relationships with sheiks and tribal and religious leaders. She also possessed an ability to understand the subtle and indirect politeness of the culture, something many of her colonialist comrades were oblivious to. As a self-made statesman her sex was an asset, enabling her to bypass the ladder of protocol and dive into the business of building an Empire.

Customer Reviews

Average Rating: 3.38 out of 5 stars

Rating:

- fascinating
While the author's writing style could use some work, Gertrude Bell's life is fascinating. The idea of a British woman in that time period (or even today) leading caravans into the Arabian desert, having the respect of Bedouin tribal leaders, etc. is incredible. The book also provides an interesting look at the way the Middle East was politically shaped early on. On a side note: if you are a reader of Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody mysteries, you will see some parallels--the female British fortitude, the same hotel in Egypt mentioned, the comedic tangled-in-the-bed-net description. One wonders if Peters took some of her inspiration from Bell's writing.

Rating:

- Desert Queen : The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell : Adv
The life of Gertrude Bell is both inspiring and sad. Janet Wallach conveys the accomplishments of this woman in a way that makes one want to read on just to see what she will do next. Conversely, Ms. Bell's personal life lacks the luster of her accomplishments. From the story, I wonder if her lonliness is because she is a woman far ahead of her time or just a bore. Nonetheless, the dichotomy presented in this book makes it good reading for those who look to biographys as a little window into someone's soul.

This book is a good introduction to Gertrude Bell and discusses a few, limited issues surrounding the centuries of unrest in the middle east. It truly focuses on the life of Gertrude Bell and should not be used as a primer on mid-east issues.

Rating:

- Gertrude Bell as Victorian Victim
The most interesting life and times of Gertrude Bell are lost in this steamy, bodice ripper masquerading as biography. For entertainment, not a bad choice. For anyone interested in Ms. Bell or the history of Iraq during the Mandate Period, look elsewhere.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Book-Store-1.com - The Online Book Store
In Association With Amazon.com