Gertrude Bell and Freya Stark: Extraordinary Adventures in the Middle East

Roland Kuchel

Thursdays, 9:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
September 29 - November 3, 2005
Kendal at Hanover

In the male-dominated world of the British Empire, Gertrude Bell and Freya Stark stand out for their fierce independence, courage, and impact on the making of modern Mid-Eastern geography. A contemporary of Lawrence of Arabia, Bell was a major figure in the creation of modern-day Iraq. Stark, another complex eccentric and an Arabist, roamed the Arab world in the thirties and forties. This course will center on their two excellent biographies and focus on the legacy of British imperialism in the Middle East. Participants will be encouraged to examine the role of women in history as well as develop insight into contemporary Middle Eastern politics and conflict.

Class is limited to 20 members.

Roland Kuchel, a graduate of Princeton University, had a 35-year career in the Foreign Service