A Quest in the Middle East: Gertrude Bell and the Making of Modern Iraq - Softcover

Lukitz, Liora

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1780766815 ISBN 13: 9781780766812

Publisher: I. B. Tauris, 2014

Synopsis

Gertrude Bell was a commanding figure: scholar, linguist, archaeologist, traveler and 'orientalist'. A remarkable woman in male-dominated Edwardian society, she shunned convention by eschewing marriage and family for an academic career and extensive traveling. But her private life was marred by the tragedy, vulnerability and frustration that were key to her quest both for a British dominated Middle East and relief from the torture of her romantic failures. Through her vivid writings, she brought the Arab world alive for countless Britons. Alongside T.E. Lawrence, she was hugely instrumental in the post-war reconfiguration of the Arab states in the Middle East. In Iraq she became friend and confidante of the new King Faisal, and a prime mover in drawing up the country's boundaries and establishing a constitutional monarchy there, with its parliament, civil service and legal system. She was influential in creating the state which had all the trappings of independence while remaining a virtual British colony. The legacy of her work is still being played out in the conflicts of today. Yet behind her public success was a backdrop of personal passions, desires and the relationships that drove this extraordinary woman. Embroiled in an unsuccessful love affair with Charles Doughty-Wylie, a married man, she found peace in the solitude of the desert. But the seemingly intractable problems of the newly independent Iraq led her to write of the 'weariness of it all'. Shortly afterwards she took her own life with a lethal dose of sleeping pills. Using previously unseen sources, including Gertude Bell's own diaries and letters, Lukitz provides a deeper political and personal biography of this influential character.

About this title

About the Author:

Liora Lukitz obtained her PhD from the London School of Economics and has been for several years a research fellow at the Center for Middle East Studies at Harvard University, USA.

Review:

'serious and reliable...deep in historical understanding and deeper in its research into the vast archival materials available.' – The New Republic

'In a fascinating account of Gertrude Bell's life and her involvement in Iraq, Liora Lukitz provides a first-rate scholarly study of the creation of the Iraqi state...a solid and most readable contribution to the current literature on the establishment of modern Iraq, its problems and possible solutions to them.' – Rami Ginat, Haaretz (Israel)

""A very satisfying read. One is drawn into the fascinating, swift-moving events of Gertrude's life in Iraq and at the same time given many insights into her personal life and the varied personalities around her. A biographically informative book that is also an artful piece of story-telling"" – Professor William Graham, Harvard University

About this edition

• Publisher: I. B. Tauris
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1780766815
• ISBN 13: 9781780766812
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 328