Gertrude was a true Modern Athena in the way she took on risk, stereotypes, and challenging situations. Her work brought new archaeological finds, destroyed stereotypes of what women could be, brought closure to families during World War I, and ended up shaping the modern Middle East.

Georgina Howell's book, Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations, is not just a historically accurate portrayal of Gertrude’s life, but it includes exquisite detail into each of her journeys, the people she met along the way, and the politics of each of the worlds she passed through. It also provides incredible detail on the history of the Middle East and why it looks the way it does today. We urge any of our listeners who have any interest in learning about why the modern Middle East has so much conflict to pick up this book.

INDEX
00:00-01:25 Intro
01:26-03:59 Gertrude's Childhood through University
04:00-09:45 Gertrude's Mountaineering Adventures
09:46-14:38 Gertrude's First Global Trips
14:39-17:52 World War I
17:53-20:25 British Intelligence: Cairo
20:26-21:41 History of Iraq Leading Up to the British Occupation
21:42-24:41 Gertrude in Baghdad
24:42-30:04 Working Towards Iraqi Independence
30:05-33:45 After the Work Shaping Iraq is Done
33:46-39:48 Gertrude's Death and Legacy: 1926
39:49-40:46 Outro and Next Episode

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