Mills said he is one of the people who remembers the Queen’s coronation but is coming round more to the idea that “she’s becoming increasingly irrelevant”. I really enjoyed this book, even if it was a challenging read. Challenging because there was so much information which was new to me. Be it Valentine’s Day, or any other day where you want to treat yourself (or your honey) to a little…well, sugar - this chocolate cake, with its gooey centre and picture-perfect presentation, is a no-brainer. All my baking quandaries go out the window when I roll up my sleeves to make this one. Serve with ice cream, fresh berries, or just perfectly on its own." The Queen wrote to President Eisenhower in 1960 with her recipe for drop scones [which he apparently particularly enjoyed, according to a Guardian report],” said the 38-year-old from Foxton in Cambridgeshire. I learned about the transformation of Mesopotamia into the new nation of Iraq. I learned about the transformation of the Middle East as a result of the First World War. I learned about Gertrude Bell. I needed the depth of this book to really understand. I am glad I read this book rather than what I originally sought: Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia, but which I could not get. The life of Gertrude Bell was for me even more interesting than that of the renowned T. E. Lawrence. She deserves much more recognition than she has been given. Although I enjoyed Dreamers of the Day, this book, Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia, gives much, much more. There is no comparison between the two even if I have given both four stars. Keep in mind that one is fiction and the other non-fiction!

I don't really feel i 'know' Bell after readings this, I know of her existence and facts but ultimately not what drove her.There are a lot of confusing things about Gertrude. While she rejected the common ideal of what the Victorian woman was supposed to be, at the same time she embraced her femininity and used it to her advantage throughout her political career. She also rallied against the suffrage movement, although later in life she had more complaints about the restrictions on her gender. She seemed to have a level head, but then at times would be vulnerable to her fits of romance and fancy. Although she was too naive and trusting at times, her womanly intuition was mostly spot on. She adopted the typical role of the Victorian woman, and her power was held mostly behind the scenes, out of limelight. Her politics were built on the relationships she had, which is a good message in any career choice. Build genuine friendships with as many people as possible because you never know. It is apparent that there is a daunting amount of correspondence and other biographical material with which biographers such as Janet Wallach must make themselves familiar, including official correspondence, published travel writing, intimate family correspondence, and torrid love letters; and since Gertrude's life is so well documented, a well done biography will of necessity be a richly detailed and intimate account. This is here the case. Desert Queen is not a light read. Nor, alas, is it a cheerful one, for the last years of Gertrude's life, despite all her great achievements, were lonely and unfulfilled. I cannot remember the last time a book has depressed my spirits so much as this, but perhaps that reflects the susceptibilities of an aging man conscious that in a few short years the scope of his life must diminish more and more rapidly.

a b c "Robert Pattinson Joining Naomi Watts in 'Queen of the Desert' ". The Hollywood Reporter. August 14, 2012 . Retrieved December 2, 2013. What makes this book remarkable is that it teaches both history, WW1 and the Middle East, and is a biographical exposé on a remarkable woman: Gertrude Bell. Other books of course discuss people in a historical setting, but here we get great depth into the personality of the woman as well as the mark she left on history. I am often drawn to biographical books, but less frequently is the historical aspect as fascinating as the biographical. Here is what is important: many historical details are given, but how one historical event leads to another is easy to follow. History is made simple. And then there is Gertrude Bell. Not only is what she accomplished in her lifetime fascinating, but also her personality is exceptional. She was scathingly blunt. She was exceptionally intelligent. She had such moral integrity. She never gave up until ….well I cannot tell you that! Other people may not like her. I did. When things went wrong she gritted her teeth and went on. She was both feminine and soft and strong as steel. And yet with her father she was always a child, even at fifty! She wanted a husband and children and yet never married. She was a woman of her time, the Victorian age, but repeatedly defied social restrictions; her closest friends were all men. She was British through and through, but her real home was in the East (Iraq). She was certainly a queen of the desert. She was a woman of contradictions. After reading this book I know who she was, not just what she accomplished. To make the Swiss rolls, preheat the oven to 180C/ 160C Fan/ Gas 4. Grease and line the 2 Swiss roll tins with baking paper. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together with an electric hand whisk for approximately 5 minutes or until light and pale. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the flour. Divide between the two tins and bake for 10–12 minutes or until the sponges are lightly golden and cooked through The Queen, 96, is on course to become the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, which marks 70 years on the throne, next month. There were nearly 5,000 entries to the competition, coming in from Land’s End to Duncansby Head. A shortlist of 50 was judged “blind” – purely by recipe alone – until five bakers were announced as finalists. Melvin faced off strong competition from her fellow finalists, Kathryn, Sam, Shabnam and Susan.

To make the chunky mandarin coulis, strain two tins of mandarins. Discard the juice and put the fruit into a saucepan with the sugar and heat gently until broken down. Remove from the heat. In a small bowl, stir the arrowroot with 2 tablespoons cold water to make a paste, then add to the warm mandarins. Add the lemon juice and mix well before pouring it into a large bowl. Strain the remaining two tins of mandarins and add the fruit to the bowl then leave to cool completely