In his classic book, T.E. Lawrence—forever known as Lawrence of Arabia—recounts his role in the origin of the modern Arab world. At first a shy Oxford scholar and archaeologist with a facility for languages, he joined and went on to lead the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turks while the rest of the world was enmeshed in World War I. With its richly detailed evocation of the land and the people Lawrence passionately believed in, its incisive portraits of key players, from Faisal ibn Hussein, the future Hashemite king of Syria and Iraq, to General Sir Edmund Allenby and other members of the British imperial forces, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is an indispensible primary historical source. It helps us to understand today’s Middle East, while giving us thrilling accounts of military exploits (including the liberation of Aqaba and Damascus), clandestine activities, and human foibles.

To say that this book was a real slog would be an understatement. For 660 pages, there wasn’t a valley, a plateau, a village, that this man didn’t describe. And yet. And yet it ended up being some of the most intriguing reading of done of the region. Because his descriptions are so detailed, I think this is the first time I’ve really felt like I’ve been there. I could see where he was, meet the people he met. As someone who is very interested in the region and its history, this made for some heady reading.

Like, I imagine, most people, my only knowledge of Lawrence was through the movie. There are a few similarities, but the man the reader meets in the book is nothing like the tall, self-assured man who strode across the silver screen. Yet Lawrence did more than the movie gives him credit for.

It’s a fascinating book that, if you’re at all interesting in the region, I heartily recommend.





Mount TBR 2018 Book Links

Links are to more information regarding each book or author, not to the review.


1. ReDeus: Divine Tales
2. 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created
3. The Exodus Quest
4. Troy: Shield Of Thunder
5. Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph