I don't care to be in London much. I like Baghdad, and I like Iraq. It's the real East, and it is stirring; things are happening here, and the romance of it all touches and absorbs me. So wrote Gertrude Bell, as she reflected on the path she had chosen in life. Adventurer, archaeologist and arabist, Bell cut a unique figure in the turbulent politics of the Middle East during World War I and its aftermath. she built up an unrivalled knowledge of the Arab world, its language, history, archaeology and people, and when World War I broke out, she became a vital source of intelligence to the British government. In the post-war years, Bell was instrumental in determining the borders of the new nation of Iraq and in choosing its first ruler, Prince Faisal. For years she was his closest personal and political adviser, a position that earned her the title of Uncrowned Queen of Iraq. Director of Antiquities in Iraq, she established the now world-famous antiquities museum in Baghdad. political reality. The reissue of this book should appeal to those keen to gain a real understanding of the history behind the headlines in Iraq, and an insight into the life and times of one of the 20th century's most extraordinary women.