Talk:Gertrude Bell
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The claim about her being more instrumental in the Arab Revolt than T.E. Lawrence is surprising; I am not a Bell expert but have read approximately everything by/about Lawrence, and do not believe this contention to be supported by evidence I've seen. It is certainly counter to conventional wisdom, and as such needs some evidence. Absent this, I think the claims should be written out of the entry. Tim Bray 08:08, 21 Nov 2004 (UTC)
Digging around on Google, I cannot find any site that makes the claims in this article, though they all mention that she played a very important role, and that Lawrence could not have achieved what he did without her. She criticizes him in the letters she wrote in 1920, but not before or after that year. Iaen 14:47, 2004 Nov 22 (UTC)
On reading the article with no prior knowledge of Bell, or indeed of Iraq, the impression I receive is that the writers are attempting to 'sell' the historical importance of this lady whilst also distancing themselves from the thing for which she is important, i.e her imperialistic, disastrous, nation-building. -Ashley Pomeroy 11:48, 24 Dec 2004 (UTC)
It seems remarkable that every spy, king, or agent of the British Crown of any note who encountered her owed his entire knowledge of espionage, statecraft, or the Near East to that encounter. Sadly, her philosophy of life and of gender roles seems to have precluded the possibility of her enjoying any legacy other than single-handedly drawing the borders of Iraq, which is hardly a claim to fame, even if it were true. The woman was commended by the Crown for her service to the Empire, and for that I honor her memory. I will die accomplishing far less than she did--at least as a scholar, I am fairly sure. However, it seems that modern agendas may be at work in the phraseology of the Article, and it should be read with that in mind. Readers should note however that her government acknowledged her exploits by awarding her the Order of the British Empire (see Wikipedia entry): "King George V founded the Order to fill gaps in the British honours system: The Most Honourable Order of the Bath honoured only senior military officers and civil servants; The Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George honoured diplomats... In particular, King George V wished to honour the many thousands of people who served in numerous non-combatant capacities during the First World War... This Order of Knighthood [i.e., the Order of the British Empire] has a more democratic character than the exclusive orders of the Bath or Saint Michael and Saint George, and in its early days was not held in high esteem..." (emphasis added). Lawrence, on the other hand, was admitted to the Order of the Bath in appreciation for his service. --R.M., Esq. August 2, 2006.
[edit] Inheriting Baronetsy Title
Oops ... I appreciate correction regarding GLB not inheriting her father's title, and went too far in interpreting her receipt of a diamond tiara in a package from her step mother in February 1922. Perhaps she had some sort of entitlement just being the eldest offspring of her father and grandfather. I'd like to hear views of anyone who can shed added light on the topic. According to Wallach book, she wore it, along with her "orders," at her last official function in Baghdad on 25 June, 1926 ... probably just to get in some final fun as "intimidator." Must add a curious note here; it may be of interest to contributors to this page. The Mar/Apr, 2007, AARP mag has an article on Helen Mirren (page 49) which reads as follows: "The mesmerizing thing about Helen is that beneath the totally convincing facade of a perfectly bred English lady of a certain age, there still lurks a coiled animal waiting to spring," says British film director Jon Amiel (Sommersby), who has been courting her for a World War I-era future film project. Hmmmm! Melizbaker 22:13, 14 March 2007 (UTC)
