Georgina Howell Volgorde van de boeken (chronologisch)

The writings of one of the great woman adventurers of the twentieth century - the 'female Lawrence of Arabia' - and the subject of a new film starring Nicole Kidman. In the last century, few people lived more astounding - or influential - lives than Gertrude Bell. During World War I, she worked her way up from spy to army major to become one of the most powerful woman in the British Empire. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire, she was instrumental in drawing the borders that define the region today, including creating an independent Iraq. This is the epic story of Bell's life, told through her letters, military dispatches, diary entries, and other writings. It offers a unique and intimate look behind the public mask of a woman who shaped nations. Georgina Howell is the author of the acclaimed biography Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations .

Archaeologist, spy, Arabist, linguist, author, poet, photographer, mountaineer, and nation builder, Gertrude Bell was born in 1868 into privilege. The daughter of a wealthy industrialist, she rejected the conventional life of house parties and debutante balls to study history at Oxford, where she achieved a first in just two years. Frustrated by societal expectations, she embraced mountaineering, ultimately conquering the Matterhorn. However, her true passion lay in the desert, where she initially traveled as an archaeologist. Her fluency in Arabic and tribal connections made her invaluable to the British Cairo Intelligence Office during World War I. A contemporary of T.E. Lawrence, she was more famous at the time and later advised the Viceroy of India. She journeyed from Delhi to the front lines in Mesopotamia as an army major, advocating for an autonomous Arab nation in Iraq. Bell played a crucial role in the election of King Faisal and in defining the borders of the new state, which thrived under his dynasty for thirty-two years. This narrative draws from her own writings, both published and unpublished, portraying a woman who defied the limitations of her era and established a lasting legacy.

Excellent Book