gertrude bell tales from the queen of the desert

When World War I broke out she gathered intelligence for the military, along with her friend Lawrence, using archaeology as a cover.

In 1911, while in Syria, she met Thomas Edward Lawrence, who would become known as Lawrence of Arabia. Her interest for the region continued and she took part in archaeological digs, sharing her fascination through her writings, introducing many people to the Middle East and its history. In 1907 she published The Desert And The Sown a book about her travels in Syria and Palestine. Persia whetted her appetite for the Middle East so she added Arabic and Turkish to the languages she already knew. She was so entranced by Persia (Iran) she learnt the language and wrote the book Persian Pictures about her experiences. Her first visit to the Middle East was in 1892 when she accompanied her uncle Sir Frank Lascelles, a diplomat, to Tehran. Bored with the life of a socialite, she took to travelling, mostly through Europe.Īn undated illustration of Gertrude Margaret Bell. After World War I when the Ottoman Empire was being broken up, her expertise was sought by then Secretary of State for the Colonies Winston Churchill for deciding the future of the land then known as Mesopotamia.īell was a writer, administrator, traveller and archaeologist, whose amazing life is now the basis of the major motion picture Queen Of The Desert starring Nicole Kidman as Bell, opening next week.īell was born in Durham, England in 1868 into a life of wealth and privilege, the daughter of Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell, politician, metallurgist and director of the iron and akali company Losh, Wilson and Bell.Īlthough she could have lived on the family fortune Gertrude was an exceptional school student who went on to Oxford to become the first woman to earn first-class honours in history at the institution in 1887. Gertrude Bell played a key role in the foundation of the modern nation of Iraq.

IN Baghdad a neglected cemetery holds the grave of a British woman whose effect on history continues to be felt today.

Gertrude bell tales from the queen of the desert