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

by Liora Lukitz

Overview

Revered or reviled, Gertrude Bell was a commanding figure: scholar, linguist, archeologist, traveller and "orientalist". Belonging to the tradition of the great British Middle East enthusiasts of the early 20th century, she explored the Ottoman Empire during and after World War I and was hugely instrumental in the post-war reconfiguration of the Arab states in the Middle East. She was a prime mover in drawing up Iraq's boundaries and establishing a constitutional monarchy there with a parliament, civil service and legal system; she was influential in creating a state which had all the trappings of independence while remaining a virtual British colony. This book offers a contribution to the study of Bell's colourful life - exploring the personal passions, desires and relationships that drove her - as well as to an understanding of the creation of a country so central to the instability of today's Middle East.
Using various sources, including Bell's own diaries and letters, Liora Lukitz provides a portrait of this influential character and the tragedy, vulnerability and frustrations that were key to her quest for both a British-dominated Middle East, and relief from the torture of her romantic failures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781850434153
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	12/20/2005
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	6.38(w) x 9.57(h) x 1.18(d)

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.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations
Acknowledgements
Preface
Prologue
PART I: THE JOURNEY
1. 'Light of Mine Eyes and Harvest of My Heart'
2. She Had Known Ruptures, She Had Known the Whole' 'The Shadow of a Stone'
3. 'I Will Dedicate This Year to You'
PART II: ARRIVAL
4. 'On the Edge of Important Things'
5. 'Father, Think!'
6. 'To Make Kings, to Invent Kingdoms'
7. 'A Tower of Strength and Wisdom'
8. 'We Had Awakened and Become a Nation'
PART III: DEPARTURES
9. 'Dust . . .'
10. 'Flood . . .'
Epilogue
Afterword
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

'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

From the Publisher