The book of memoirs “Tell me how you live” was written during the war. It was written in fits and starts from the diaries that Mrs. Christie diligently kept throughout all her Middle Eastern expeditions, in which she was with her archaeologist husband. As she would later write in her Autobiography, she was forced to take up the pen by longing for the happy 30s spent traveling, longing for her husband from whom the war separated her, and a passionate desire to resurrect past happy days. Sidney Smith, an employee of the British Museum, having read the manuscript, did not advise publishing it, since Max, he said, would probably find the book amateurish. The chronicle itself is absolutely remarkable: it conveys the entire panorama of the life of archaeological expeditions in Iraq and Syria in the 30s and is thoroughly imbued with good humor and humanity. No special knowledge of the Middle East or archeology in general is needed to be captivated by this account of the adventures of each member of their remarkable archaeological company. The frame of Mallowan's expedition, apparently, was indeed made up of attractive, interesting and cheerful people, and Mrs. Christie's story about the workers - Arabs and Turks - and the sheikhs of the desert tribes is distinguished by the liveliness and brightness of the image. The book was first published in England in 1946.