Lawrence and the Arabs

By Robert Graves

Book Overview

"Lawrence and the Arabs," by Robert Graves, delves into the life and legend of T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia. This biography explores Lawrence's pivotal role in the Arab Revolt during World War I, offering a fascinating look at his experiences in the Middle East.

Graves meticulously recounts Lawrence's involvement with Arab forces, examining his strategic contributions and complex relationship with the people and culture of the region. The book paints a portrait of a controversial figure, celebrated for his military prowess and diplomatic skills, yet also shrouded in mystery.

This historical account provides valuable insights into the events that shaped the modern Middle East and offers a compelling narrative of one man's extraordinary journey amidst war and political upheaval. A timeless exploration of a legendary figure.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1023574055
• ISBN13: 9781023574051
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Anson Street Press
• Length: 314 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Quick Bio of an enigmatic individual

T.E. Lawrence, of Arabia, was by turns a very interesting and a very unusual man. He often was what used to be called queer, before it took on the meaning of homosexuality (though Lawrence *may* have been that, too), and expressed himself in the most strange ways. He was trained as an archaeologist before the First World War, and spent some time in what was then part of the Ottoman Empire (in what was to become Syria) and learned the language and customs of the locals. When the war started he joined the British army and spent two years working in the intelligence branch in Cairo; in 1916 he was sent to Arabia to evaluate the chances the British had of instigating a revolt among the locals, who would fight against the Turks (who were themselves fighting the British at the time). This evaluation mission evolved to the point that Lawrence was the British liaison to the local Arab prince who led the rebels, one of the Sharif of Mecca's sons, known as Feisal. Gradually Lawrence supplanted Feisal in terms of military leadership, and eventually the Arab revolt was pretty much all Lawrence, at least militarily...though Lawrence would never have acknowledged this, and probably would have argued with the statement had it been made in his presence. The current book, by Robert Graves, has an interesting pedigree of its own. Graves is one of the premiere British literary figures of the 20th Century, writing everything from novels (I, Claudius) to compilations of mythology (The Greek Myths) to a war memoir (Goodbye to all That) with all of these books regarded as classics in their respective fields. Lawrence and the Arabs doesn't have the same reputation for excellence: Graves wrote it hastily in a few months in 1927, at the request of Lawrence's publisher. Lawrence had become famous as "Lawrence of Arabia" at the end of World War I via Lowell Thomas's book and a lecture tour Thomas did, where he spoke and showed silent films and slides from the desert. Much of what Thomas recounted of Lawrence's experiences was inaccurate: Lawrence decided to redress these untruths for his friends with a book he would write for them. The result was a very long book called Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Upon completion, Lawrence published the book privately, selling about a hundred copies and giving away half that. The cost of printing the book was much more than the sale price he was charging, so the book was a commercial disaster. Having no money to pay the publisher to compensate him for the loss, Lawrence agreed to edit the text and sell a shorter version of the book, which was titled Revolt in the Desert. However, Lawrence insisted on there being, in the contract between him and the publisher, a proviso that once the debt from Seven Pillars had been paid off, he would be able to demand that the publisher cease printing Revolt, even if there was a further demand for it. Sure enough, when the debt was paid off, he so demanded, and the publisher reluctantly shut down their press

Divide and Rule

Very Interesting book for those avid readers interested in the few years before and after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. The book shows how England decieved the Arabs by making false promises of independence once the Arabs completed thier revolt against the Ottomans. Arabs ended up with British and French mandates instead. Lawrence was himself betrayed by his own government. The book gives a lot of detail on the daily life of bedouins, so some might find it interesting. The author should have dealt more with Lawrence's view of Zionism and the Balfour declaration and British policies in the region.