Lawrence of Arabia: Colonel T.E Lawrence CB, DSO – Places and Objects of Interest

Lawrence of Arabia spent thirteen out of his forty-six years in the region from which he drew his name, researching his university thesis, surveying Sinai for the British Army, intelligence officer in Cairo, liaison officer to the Arabs, and diplomat who galvanised and united the Arab tribes into an effective fighting force. After the First World War, he sought a life in obscurity, serving in the Royal Air Force as an aircraftsman and private in the Royal Tank Corps, becoming a competent marine motor mechanic, and author. This highly illustrated book explores his places of education, sites where he served as a British Army intelligence officer in Cairo, as liaison officer and adviser to the Arabs, and his life in the years after Arabia. It also follows his life in the years after Arabia, including his birthplace in Wales, his grave at Moreton in Dorset, RAF stations at Calshot and Bridlington, the Tank Depot at Bovington Camp, his cottage at Clouds Hill, and the homes of his famous friends.

Format: Hardback
Length: 256 pages
Publication date: 04 April 2024
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Lawrence of Arabia, also known as Thomas Edward Lawrence, spent thirteen out of his forty-six years in the region from which he drew his name. He was a scholar researching his university thesis, a spy surveying Sinai for the British Army before the First World War, an intelligence officer in Cairo, a liaison officer to the Arabs, and a diplomat who galvanized and united the Arab tribes into an effective fighting force. He became an explosives expert and a guerrilla fighter who influenced Arab leaders in defeating their Ottoman occupiers. His achievements in Arabia, derailing Turkish trains and attacking enemy strongholds, have become the stuff of legend. However, his life after the disappointment of witnessing the Arabs being denied independence at the end of the First World War is as intriguing as his more famous escapades in the desert. Uncomfortable with the fame and celebrity status that Lowell Thomas's lectures brought upon him, Lawrence sought a life in obscurity after a brief tenure as a civil servant working for Winston Churchill in an attempt to address the failure of achieving Arab independence at the Cairo Conference. In the years after the war, he served in the Royal Air Force as an aircraftsman and spent a brief period as a private in the Royal Tank Corps under the alias John Hume Ross or Thomas Edward Shaw. He became a competent marine motor mechanic and was personally involved in the development of the fast RAF 200 Seaplane tender and an armored target boat. He also became a renowned author and could claim literary giants such as Thomas Hardy, E.M. Forster, and George Bernhard Shaw as his friends. In this highly illustrated book, the story of Lawrences fascinating life is told through a series of photographs, documents, and personal accounts. It includes his early years in England, his time in the Middle East, and his later years in the United States. The book also includes a detailed account of his work as a spy and his involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of the Middle East or the life of Lawrence of Arabia.

Weight: 844g
Dimension: 180 x 253 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399071918