Most of this short book is made up of actul dispatches sent by Gertrude Bell to the British Govt. They're mainly dry lists of names - who was fighting who etc - and are rather dull, though there are a few lively vignettes interspersed. The last quarter is excerpts from 2 other books about the region, not by Bell. It's a quick read, but only mildly engaging, and only if one is interested in that period of British-Arab relations. ( )