Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East

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In our two years' partnership under fire they grew accustomed to believing me and to think my government, like myself, sincere.

A fine book, written about events that took place over one hundred years ago which directly impact on current happenings in this troubled area today. Cuts through legend and speculation to offer perhaps the clearest account of Lawrence's often puzzling actions and personality. He was unhappy there and repeatedly petitioned to rejoin the RAF, which finally readmitted him in August 1925. It became clear that it was advantageous to leave it there rather than try to capture it, while attacking the Hejaz railway south from Damascus without permanently destroying it. There were suggestions that Lawrence had been intimate with his companion Selim Ahmed, "Dahoum", who worked with him at a pre-war archaeological dig in Carchemish, [215] and fellow serviceman R.

Medina was an attractive target for the revolt as Islam's second-holiest site, and because its Ottoman garrison was weakened by disease and isolation. Its climactic passages of abasement and lost honour show that in Lawrence's estimation even the Arabs' victorious entry into Damascus, in September 1917, was spoiled by the impending British betrayal. Travels, antiquities, and archaeology [ edit ] Leonard Woolley ( left) and Lawrence in their excavation house at Carchemish, c. Three single volume accounts have been published within the last two years by Kitchen, Eugene Rogan and Ryan Gingeras.

However, if you are looking for something that really delves into Lawrence's complex personality, I'd guess there are straight-up biographies that would go into more detail. He wrote to Charlotte Shaw, "I've seen lots of man-and-man loves: very lovely and fortunate some of them were.The intertwined paths of these four young men - the schemes they put in place, the battles they fought, the betrayals they endured and committed - mirror the grandeur, intrigue and tragedy of the war in the desert. Lawrence worked with Thomas on the creation of the presentation, answering many questions and posing for many photographs. Anderson's supporting characters are colourful, even if none approaches Lawrence in stature and pathos. Registered office: WSM Services Limited, Connect House, 133-137 Alexandra Road, Wimbledon, LONDON SW19 7JY.

Richard Meinertzhagen’s diary account of his ruse to trick Turkish officers of British plans through a dropped fake staff officer’s handbook – known as the Haversack affair – is discussed. At the RAF recruiting centre in Covent Garden, London, he was interviewed by recruiting officer Flying Officer W.One of the doctors attending him was neurosurgeon Hugh Cairns, who consequently began a long study of the loss of life by motorcycle dispatch riders through head injuries. There is no independent testimony, but the multiple consistent reports and the absence of evidence for outright invention in Lawrence's works make the account believable to some of his biographers. This is, however, an important distinction to be aware of if you are considering purchasing Lawrence in Arabia: despite its title, this is not a biography of the man himself, but rather a telling of his story in its wider context. During this time, he published his best-known work Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1926), an autobiographical account of his participation in the Arab Revolt.