The Arab War Confidential Information for General Headquarters from Gertrude Bell being despatches reprinted from the Secret "Arab Bulletin”.

Introduction by Sir Kinahan Cornwallis, Director of the Arab Bureau 1916-1920.

A Limited Edition; 1 of 500 copies, this being copy number 102. 4to. (253*188 mm), original quarter aquamarine morocco over cream cloth by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, top edge gilt and others untrimmed, raised bands, gilt tooling. [2], 3-50 pp, [1], [1] limitation. Printed by Christopher Sandford and Owen Rutter at the Golden Cockerel Press, Rolls Passage, London, E.C.4. in Perpetua type on Arnold's mould-made paper, and finished on the 30th day of April, 1940.

The spine gently sunned, some light markings to the boards; a very good copy.

Gertrude Lowthian Bell (1868-1926), "traveller, archaeologist, and diplomatist, was born at Washington Hall, co. Durham, on 14 July 1868, the elder child and only daughter of (Thomas) Hugh Bell (1844–1931), an ironmaster, who succeeded his father as second baronet in 1904, and his first wife, Mary (or Maria; 1844–1871), daughter of John Shield of Newcastle." (ODNB.) Bell developed an interest in the Middle East from a young age, learning the Arabic and Farsi languages "as though they were French or German" (Robinson, p. 5). A good friend of T.E. Lawrence (1888-1935), Bell famously held several important positions after moving to Baghdad in 1917, including as Chief Political Officer to the British Resident and as President of the Baghdad library.

This work covers the following subject areas:

I. The basis of government in Turkish Arabia.

II. Note on the tribal authority of the Sheikhs of Muhammerah and Kuweit in the occupied territories.

III. The rebellion against the Sultan of Muscat.

IV. Ibn Saud.

V. Tribal fights in the Shamiyah.

VI. Ismail Bey.

VII. The situation in Hail.

Loosely enclosed is a catalogue description from Asprey which partially reads, "It will be of great interest to the many friends and admirers of the late Gertrude Bell to read something from her pen which has not before been published; and those of us who were in the Middle East during the last war will find delight in reading once again these vivid pictures of happenings in the Arab would and in contrasting them with the conditions of today."

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