Rating: 
Summary: A tedious rendering of an interesting life
Review: Gertrude Bell was a fascinating woman, doing things that women just didn't do in the early part of this century: meeting Arabian royalty (and bandits and terrorists as well), going places uncharted by European men or women, and becoming something of a heroine to many Arabs of high and low rank. But this book, though it starts off well, becomes rough going fairly quickly. It feels as if Wallach quotes extensively from Bell's letters simply because she had access to them, not because they were always interesting or enlightening (though some were). There is lots of repetition (we must hear about once every two or three pages that she drank "bitter coffee"; the phrase "Young Turks" is defined three times, each time slightly differently, inside of about one hundred pages) and inexact detailing (three fairly detailed maps of the Middle East still leave out a number of sites important to the events of the book). By the end, when Bell was doing her most important political work in the construction of modern-day Iraq, I was skimming over the thick accrual of tedious detail that doesn't really bring Bell to life in the way she deserves.
Rating: 
Summary: A truly awful piece of writing
Review: Gertrude Bell was, by all accounts, a woman who relished a challenge. She broke through the barriers of her era and environment, defying social norms and codes in order to achieve what even today is a remarkable list of accomplishments. It is therefore disheartening that a woman who overcame considerable barriers in life should be defeated posthumously by the obstacle of Ms Wallach's truly awful prose style.The opening pages of "Desert Queen" seem to be written as a parody of early twentieth century pulp romantic fiction. As the reader struggles bravely on through the overuse of saccharine adjectives, the sickening realisation comes that this is not a parody - this is what Ms Wallach thinks appropriate for a biography of a woman of Gertrude Bell's character. The opening lines of the chapter on Baghdad cause the reader to recoil in horror. There is an earlier phrase about conversations bouncing around silk lined drawing rooms that leaves one gasping in disbelief. The prose is quite bad enough to be going on with, but in addition there is more than a suspicion that historical accuracy has been dispensed with. The flowery descriptions of meetings and events leave the reader asking "how do we know that?" Was Gertrude Bell really meeting a local sheik with "eyes flashing like jewels" - and if from where do we get this fascinating insight? If from Gertrude Bell's own diary or letters, it would offer a fascinating glimpse into her self-perception and character. Ms Wallach does not want to burden the reader with sources or footnotes, and one is left with the distinct impression that this sort of comment is little more than an insight into Ms Wallach's own imagination. Whole areas of Gertrude Bell's character are just ignored, or acknowledged in the most desultory fashion. This pioneering woman was against female suffrage - but no genuine examination or discussion of that is thought relevant. She was the only female political officer of the Indian Army in the First World War - but no attempt has been made to examine the attitudes of Whitehall to this - and no official sources appear to have been used to detail what the reaction was at home. Any competent biographer would have spent time and effort detailing these facets of her character - the reader of "Desert Queen" will be disappointed if they are seeking this sort of analysis. Tantalisingly, and particularly towards the end of the book, we get glimpses of how fascinating Gertrude Bell's story is. When Gertrude Bell's own words are quoted at length, or at enough length to keep Ms Wallach's prose in check, the reader begins to understand that in the hands of a qualified biographer (and expert in the Middle East region) this is a life that could offer significant insights into society and politics in the twilight of the British Empire. Ms Wallach's lightweight style of writing is ill suited to anything other than "celebrity" biographies. There is no comparison with, say, the works of Robert Blake or Roy Jenkins. Both Gertrude Bell and the English language deserve far, far better than Ms Wallach is capable of.
Rating: 
Summary: Gertrude Bell was an extremely contemporary woman.
Review: Having never heard of Gertrude Bell, it was a complete surprise that the Muslim tribal leaders and British military men of the Victorian age would have allowed the interference, strength and advice that Ms. Bell brought to the table. Extraordinary person of any century. I found this book fascinating, not at all tedious, and appreciated the author not imposing her own vocabulary on the subject.It was especially relevant, in light of King Hussein's recent death, to better understand the genesis of the middle eastern states.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard to believe it is true
Review: I agree with other reviewers that the book has some serious stylistic weaknesses. A bit of editing would help the first few chapters. However, as an introduction to the conplicated and confusing history of the area, I found it to be painlessly clarifying. The maps in the front were especially helpful. I can hardly believe that Gertrude Bell is real. It was a thrill to read about a true adventurer that dared the absurd.That she had such tenacity, dedication to the scholarly, fearlessness, and pluck makes this an especially good book for young women to read.
Rating: 
Summary: An inspirational woman
Review: I am fascinated by the lives of extraordinary women who lived in the last century. Women who ignored the conventions of the times and followed their own adgenda. Gertrude Bell was such a woman. She did not conform to the times nor the society into which she was born. Instead she broke the mold and used her brilliant mind to educated herself, master numerous languages, travel and explore extensively throughout the mid east. She thought and acted like a man, prefering the company of men, shunning the company of uneducated women and engrossing herself in the international politics of the times. Her many connections and independent wealth opened doors so that eventually she became a member of the British govenment and also confidant of many Arab leaders. I am glad the author took the pains to write in great detail of her life. The reader learns much of the history of the mideast putting in perspective the chaos of today.
Rating:
Summary: gertrude bell - queen of denial
Review: I don't have a problem with the way the book was written. I believe it was Gertrude Bell's shallow spin on the world that makes it seem a dull book to some. While she had independence and money, she was mainly bent on self-promotion, schmoozing, and pleasing daddy. She makes no mention of the million and a half Armenian citizens of Turkey slaughtered under her nose at the time. The book is worth reading for a look at the obtuse charecter of a privileged, disturbed individual with connections.
Rating:
Summary: A Fascinating Life
Review: I first became interested in Gertrude Bell while on a tour of Jordan, visiting a museum which included a number of her wonderful photographs. I was extremely amazed that a woman had such access to Arabian men at that time, and admired her adventures and curiousity. Even in this day, her exploits are unheard of, for a female. I was thrilled to come across this book, quite by accident, a few months after I heard of her. After reading the book, I am even more amazed by her life, and although it bogs down a bit at times, I still believe Grace Bell is one of the most intriguing females of this century.
Rating:
Summary: We know Whose side you're on!
Review: I liked this book, having never before read about this remarkable woman, until page 200. That's when the author begins to infuse her pro-Zionist views into the "history". I found it very disappointing that she had to insert boring trite statements like "Indeed, Israel became the only democratic state in the Middle East." (p. 203). She talks a lot about early Zionists but makes no reference at all to Palestinians or the Palestinian people, inferring to the beginner student of Middle East Studies, that they did not exist. The book was intended to be about Gertrude and her home in Iraq/Mesopotamia. It disgresses greatly to achieve the author's agenda. I appreciated Wallach's attempts to bring Bell to life but mistrusted, in the end, all of her historical data because of her lack of objectivity.
Rating:
Summary: Bell of the ball
Review: I read with some interest the accounts of Bell's "diplomatic" work. I kept looking for less information about her "good breeding" and for SOME mention about the one and a half million Armenian citizens who were systematically killed by the "young Turk government" which the author mentions several times. This genocide occurred in her "back yard" over the exact time frame she was hob-nobbing. The Armenian genocide was a big issue (to Pres. Wilson in particular) during WWI peace negotiations. The fact that it is not mentioned makes one question Ms. Wallach's slant.
Rating:
Summary: Disappointing Drek
Review: I SO looked forward to reading my first book on Gertrude Bell that I cleared all other books from their reading agenda. I had been utterly inspired by the brief snippets I'd discovered about her, and wanted to know more. What a sad disappointment. Wallach's writing seems more of a personal excersise or practice, listing and listing item after descriptive item, of...fluff and nothing. This book seems a trite and inefficient tribute to an apparently unique and atypical woman. I have yet to reach the half way point of the book and frankly, I can't read any more in the hope it might eventually redeem it's awfulness. Tomorrow, "Desert Queen" takes it's place on the 'free, up for grabs' table at work, along with the throw-away romance novels and old People magazines.
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