Gertrude Bell, CBE (1868 – 1926) is a woman that many people have never heard of. Many people, however, have heard of her colleague T.E Lawrence, a.k.a 'Lawrence of Arabia'. However, Gertrude's life and work deserve recognition. Gertrude was a writer, explorer and archaeologist; she spent a significant proportion of her life establishing and cultivating links and with the populations of the Arabic-speaking world. To this end, she was invited by Winston Churchill to the 1921 Cairo Conference to advise on the boundaries of the British Mandate of Iraq. Indeed, her work and travels in the Middle East meant that she became "one of the few representatives of His Majesty's Government remembered by the Arabs with anything resembling affection".

In this episode, Elliott (@thelibrarian6) discusses the life and work of Gertrude Bell. For terms of use, please visit www.versushistory.com

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