A remarkable woman and an unremarkable book- very detailed-perhaps too much. Book ends with her death without too much commentary on a suicide or an accidental overdose. This was one of those books that I was going to finish if it killed me. And so I did. It's too bad there isn't a modern day GB to help Iraq.

What an absolutely astounding story the life of Gertrude Bell is. Her accomplishments would be amazing in any era, but that she achieved this magnitude of explorations, adventures and political progress in the middle eastern deserts as a woman in the early 20th century, it is mind-blowing. Howell did an incredibly thorough and detailed job of recounting Belks adventures and accomplishments. If I were to have any criticisms of the book it would be that I felt it was more thorough at points than perhaps it needed to be- the minutiae and in parts the sentimentality were more than I thought were necessary. I also wondered about the anglocentrism of its retelling and whether the story was perhaps as circumspect as it could have been about Britain’s “generosity” in establishing the borders and governance of Iraq But Bell’s story is quite incredible, and it is clear that this woman was a force of nature and well ahead of her time in her independence, sense of adventure, and, impressively, her moral compass and dedication to incredibly difficult and complicated work.

It doesn't normally take me nearly a YEAR to finish a book, but I put this one down for a really LONG time. Even rating this book was a bit challenging. I give it 4 stars because while there were parts I disliked in the book (from the numerous descriptions of Gertrude's search for the correct fashions of the day to her semi-requited love affair with Dick Doughty-Wylie), the sections I found spectacular were much larger and more important to the book. The last 1/3 of the book (Gertrude in the Middle East) made reading those other sections totally worthwhile! My favorite part of Gertrude's life (and section of the book) were the years Gertrude spent as a serious mountaineer. WOW! What she was able to accomplish, often in just her bloomers, was some of the best adventure reading I have ever done. And knowing that this wasn't at all what made the woman famous called me back to read about the part of her life that did. What a remarkable woman she was!

fascinating woman, engaging read!!

This is one of those books that really makes me frustrated that Goodreads doesn't allow half stars. If I could, I would actually give this one 3.5, not the four shown above. The depth and breadth of the material, and the completeness with which the author describes the life of her subject, is definitely impressive. This is clearly a solid piece of work, and very admirable in that respect. Despite that, however, or maybe at least partially due to the overwhelming density of detail here, the book is a bit dry, and the 418 pages feels very long. So it only gets three stars for enjoyability. (Might not have made it through if not for the fact that it's our book group book this month.) That said, though, I am glad I read it, and I am very glad I know now about Gertrude Bell, whose life was definitely worth this level of attention.

A very average biography. The author focused on lots of insignificant, tedious details that really caused the book to drag.

I think I have a new heroine...

It boggles my mind that with our current involvement in Iraq, Gertrude Bell's name isn't bandied about on a daily basis. It's also a shame that we can't clone this amazing woman a hundred times over, as she seemed to be one of few to actually take the time to learn about the multitude of desert tribes and interact with them in a respectful, dignified manner.

In an era where women still struggled for basic rights, she used her vast knowledge or Arabia and power of negotiation to assist in the self-determination of part of the Middle East we call Iraq. A Kingmaker to say the least, as she was responsible for the ascension of Faisal I.

She ventured on daring caravans that most seasoned adventurers would balk at, was a close colleague of Lawrence of Arabia, and was inspired to great deeds by her enduring forbidden love for a married man.

Will someone please write a screenplay?

The life of this woman was amazing. The book was a little difficult to get through in certain parts. I wish the author was a bit more elegant and a better storyteller, but in general it was a great read. Unlike others I was never tempted to put the book down.

Gertrude Bell is a fascinating woman, but Howell wrote her story to death. Way too much information, by the end of the book I just wanted her to die so the biography would end.