Elizabeth O. reviewed on 9/7/2014

I really enjoyed learning about the life of Gertrude Bell and all her accomplishments but over all this book was a little too political for me. The first half of the book follows Bell's early explorations and does a great job of pulling the reader into the world of early 20th century Arabia. However, I found the second half of the book much more difficult to read.

Wallach goes on long tangents of the complex and delicate political situation of Iraq following World War I. I understand these dealings were a central part of Bell's life but these sections dragged on and on and made the book very difficult to finish.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Middle Eastern politics and for those who are not, be prepared to perhaps skip a few chapters.

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