Lawrence, about the tribes of the Arabian Desert.
On her travels she learned more than anyone has ever learned, except perhaps T. But it was her constant awareness of tribal etiquette and her impressive knowledge of local politics that truly earned their respect. As if this wasn’t enough, she then undertook a number of desert voyages considered at the time too dangerous for a group of men, let alone a woman travelling alone.Įven in the depths of the desert, Gertrude remained sophisticated and dressed in the finest attire London and Paris had to offer, catching the attention of a number of influential – and sometimes menacing – Arab sheikhs.
Yet Gertrude undertook these fearlessly, mastering eight languages along the way and becoming familiar with the intricacies of a largely misunderstood part of the world.Ī keen mountaineer, Gertrude conquered extreme peaks including Mont Blanc and La Meije and was the first to complete a number of undiscovered mountain paths and perilous ascents. While this allowed her to travel the world, the adventures she embarked upon were long, arduous and at times perilous, especially for a woman. Nicole Kidman in Warner Herzog’s film, Queen of the Desert (image: Vogue)īorn in northern England in 1868 into a wealthy family of ironmasters, Bell’s upbringing was privileged. Some have described her as the ‘female Lawrence of Arabia’, but Gertrude Bell deserves far more credit than this for her achievements. Sophisticated, intelligent, and wildly overachieving, Gertrude Bell is the greatest explorer and political mover and shaker you’ve never heard of.Īs the first woman to gain a first class degree from Oxford in 1892, she went on to become one of the most renowned archaeologists, mappers and explorers of all time.
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