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

Lukitz, Liora

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1850434158 ISBN 13: 9781850434153

Publisher: I.B.Tauris, 2006

Synopsis

Revered or reviled, Gertrude Bell was a commanding figure: scholar, linguist, archaeologist, traveler and ""Orientalist"". Belonging to the tradition of the great British Middle East enthusiasts of the early twentieth century, she explored the Ottoman Empire during and after World War I and was (alongside T.E. Lawrence) hugely instrumental in the post-war reconfiguration of the Arab states in the Middle East. Using previously unseen sources, including Gertrude Bell's own diaries and letters, Liora Lukitz provides a deeper political and personal biography of this influential character and the tragedy, vulnerability and frustration that were key to her quest both for a British-dominated Middle East and relief from her troubled romantic life.

About this title

About the Author:

Liora Lukitz has for several years been a research fellow at the Center for Middle East Studies at Harvard University.

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 fascinating book, well worth reading for new insights into a personality who deserves to be better known and understood."" -Asian Affairs ""A first-rate scholarly study of the Iraqi stat."" --Haaretz

About this edition

• Publisher: I.B.Tauris
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1850434158
• ISBN 13: 9781850434153
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288