Record Number: 30924

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Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'I've just read Lord Esher's book about Lord Kitchener which is a very interesting human document, isn't it. What a very big figure he just failed to be. Yet he did play a great part and if ever I meet his shade I should make it a curtsey. He was a greater man than I knew — it's a pity he didn't have a better biographer than Sir George Arthur.'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

Between 1 Jan 1922 and 5 Jan 1922

Country:

Iraq (Mesopotamia) or Egypt

Time

n/a

Place:

city: Baghdad
specific address: personal residence

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

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Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Gertrude Bell

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Female

Date of Birth:

16 Jul 1868

Socio-Economic Group:

Gentry

Occupation:

Linguist, traveller, archaeologist, intelligence officer for British government, army officer and Middle East political advisor

Religion:

originally Christian (Anglican) by now declared atheist

Country of Origin:

England

Country of Experience:

Iraq (Mesopotamia) or Egypt

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

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Text Being Read:

Author:

Reginald (Viscount) Esher

Title:

The Tragedy of Lord Kitchener

Genre:

History, military history rather than biography

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

London: Murray, 1921.

Provenance

unknown

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Source Information:

Record ID:

30924

Source - Manuscript:

Other

Information:

Gertude Bell Archive, Newcastle University http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/

Additional Information:

Letter from Gertrude Bell to either Florence or Hugh Bell, 5 January 1922 http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/letter_details.php?letter_id=533

Citation:

Gertude Bell Archive, Newcastle University http://www.gerty.ncl.ac.uk/, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=30924, accessed: 26 April 2024

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Additional Comments:

The biography referred to is that by Sir George Arthur "Life of Kitchener" (Macmillan, 1920), which Gertrude Bell may also have read.