Show notes
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.INDEX00:00-01:25 Intro01:26-03:59 Gertrude's Childhood through University04:00-09:45 Gertrude's Mountaineering Adventures09:46-14:38 Gertrude's First Global Trips14:39-17:52 World War I17:53-20:25 British Intelligence: Cairo20:26-21:41 History of Iraq Leading Up to the British Occupation21:42-24:41 Gertrude in Baghdad24:42-30:04 Working Towards Iraqi Independence30:05-33:45 After the Work Shaping Iraq is Done33:46-39:48 Gertrude's Death and Legacy: 192639:49-40:46 Outro and Next EpisodeVisit www.modernathenas.com for links to all episodes.Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or YouTube.Follow us on Twitter/Facebook @modernathenasFollow us on Instagram @themodernathenaspodcastSend us feedback or leave a review! Thanks for listening.


