Lawrence and Bell

The exploits of T.E. Lawrence are legendary. Thanks to the famous film Lawrence of Arabia, millions around the world know about his time spying and fighting in the Middle East during the First World War...or at least they think they do. In this episode, we use the records in our collection to debunk the mythology around Lawrence. We also share the lesser known story of Gertrude Bell, another intelligence officer working for the British in Arabia. Some people say Bell is the female Lawrence, but after listening to this episode, you'll probably agree with us when we say that, actually, Lawrence is the male Gertrude Bell.