Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations by Georgina Howell

An amazing account of a very extraordinary person. She was a brilliant gifted woman in an age of men. She spent much of her life in Mesopotamia, which was even more male-dominant, yet she by sheer competence enjoyed great influence despite no real elevated post or position.

Daughter of an extremely wealthy industrialist, she was equally at home with Churchill and his wife and with a desert sheik in his tents in remote Iraq.

Her ability in Arabic and her understanding of Arab culture was legendary. She had no fear. She in her younger days made horrifyingly dangerous Alpine ascents setting records amazing for the time.

It could be said that she was a founder of the nation of Iraq.

A very good book.