T. E. Lawrence

A most extraordinary man! An intelligence agent, a scholar, a soldier, an author, a political strategist, and a motorcycle enthusiast. Winston Churchill wept at Lawrence's funeral and said, "He was one of the greatest beings of our time. Whatever our need, we shall never see his like again."

I will speak first about Lawrence's book, The Seven Pillars Of Wisdom, his own narrative of the Arab Revolt. Because Lawrence was a principal architect of the political structure of the Middle East, I stress the pertinence of this book. The movie, Lawrence of Arabia, is a very good attempt to portray the events that occurred. The actors were perfect. However, I would suggest to you that the movie is merely a supplement to the book. Medjul dates, a few fresh almonds and some powdered cardamom in your coffee will help to put you in the right ambient for reading his book. It is superb in every respect and can be read as a history, a war story, an adventure, a diary or a philosophical text.

Lawrence's quality education and sharp intellect gave him a masterful command of the English language. His clarity and precision in wielding words is evident throughout his book. As you read his story, Lawrence refers to archaeology and geography with each step. He possessed a great wit and a broad sense of humour. There were two anecdotes that caused me to drop the text and explode with laughter. Fits of laughter recurred for several days afterward. The dedication he wrote in the book is a wonderful, cryptic poem. Scholars today argue whether or not it was meant for his Arab friend, Dahoum.

I loved you, so I drew these tides of men into my hands

and wrote my will across the sky in stars

To gain you freedom, the seven-pillared worthy house,

that your eyes might be shining for me when I came

Death was my servant on the road,

till we were near and saw you waiting:

When you smiled, and in sorrowful envy

he outran me and took you apart:

Into his quietness

So our love's earnings was your cast off body

to be held one moment

Before earth's soft hands

would explore your face

and the blind worms transmute

Your failing substance.

Men prayed me to set my work,

the inviolate house, in memory of you.

But for fit monument, I shatter it, unfinished:

and now the little things creep out

to patch themselves hovels

in the marred shadow of your gift.

-T. E. Lawrence

Lawrence's ability to absorb an alien culture and to gain the sympathy of the Arabs in particular, was extraordinary. He was a tactical and strategical genius. He could quickly grasp exactly what needed to be done in any situation and was able to organize and inspire masses of people to do it. He would not stay behind in his tent, he was outside with a rifle in his hand. Lawrence used "very bad language" in 1919, when speaking to the King. He had been offered a medal and refused to accept it on the grounds that the Arabs had been betrayed by the British. When he was a student at Oxford, Lawrence walked for a thousand miles, through Syria, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. He was researching his thesis on the military architecture of the Crusades. That published thesis is titled, Crusader Castles.

I must mention another book. It was not written by Lawrence, but it was written about him. There are over thirty books written about T. E. Lawrence, so I strongly advise you to begin with The Secret Lives of Lawrence of Arabia, by Phillip Knightly and Colin Simpson. It is an exceptional book. The authors had access to previously unpublished papers from the Bodleian Library. These top-secret political documents were only due for public perusal in 2000. Fortunately, the laws changed and they became available years earlier. Some of Lawrence's friends and confidants were also interviewed by the authors.

If you read the adventures of extraordinary people, it is very good to read about their childhoods, their circumstances and their ancestors. This extra effort puts them in a truer perspective. This biographical book does that. You will learn that his father was married to a religious fanatic. And thus, sought solace at the bosom of his house maid. He later changed his surname to Lawrence and had four sons. You will learn that the adult Lawrence periodically hired a young man to beat him with a cane. The young man thus employed was told that this action was required to fulfill a demand made by a rich relative, in return for paying some of Lawrence's outstanding debts. When you can see all sides of Lawrence, you will stand in awe of a very gifted and troubled man.

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