Lawrence of Arabia- the book

I recently finished reading the book on which the movie "Lawrence of Arabia" was based. I highly recommend it. Here are my thoughts on it:

Seven Pillars of Wisdom
By T. E. Lawrence

Quite a large book for someone without much time for reading. But after learning something about the man, and watching the movie many times, I had to dive in. His prose is often almost poetic, and flows effortlessly, and his description of the seemingly mundane is rich and interesting. His description of the desert turns what one might think of as featureless and endless into a vast array of differing landscapes, vivid terrains, coupled with the human interaction with the different landscapes. All through the book, he provides a wonderful commentary on the uniqueness of every one of the journeys that he took through the Levant and Syria.

Being written at the height of the British Empire, during a time when the British presence was felt throughout the world, and when notable Englishmen were well known, Lawrence tends to assume the reader’s general knowledge of recent (at the time) events, and prominent British figures involved in them. This can be frustrating to the modern-day reader.
He also went to great lengths to describe in considerable detail, individuals who participated in the events- the individuals’ physical appearance, their dress, mannerisms, even his opinion of their mental make-up and capacity, in some cases. Often the reader longs for more information on these people, but in most cases, this information is either lost to the ages, or was never noted by anyone other than Lawrence.

Lawrence is tormented by the conflict between his loyalty as an Englishman in the service of his country on one hand, and his loyalty  the Arabs, on the other. As an Englishman- and no matter what his appearance- he is an Englishman to the core- he is aware of the need to do anything required to promote victory for his homeland. But as a leader of revolution, he feels an affinity to the Arab people, and is torn by his promise of a free and independent country for the Arabs for service aiding the English against the Turks; a promise he knows he cannot keep. This is a key conflict that influences his mood and actions throughout the book.

His religious nature is not made very clear in the book. He does mention that he prayed, but only in passing, never discussing the content of his personal prayers at all. He also mentions God in a respectful way in many passages in the book, but doesn’t offer up much in terms of his own beliefs. However, the title he chose for his book must carry some weight in the matter.

His sexuality has always been under question, and the book does little to clarify things. One passage about an encounter with Gypsies in the desert seems to hint at heterosexuality, while his observations of young Arab fighters seems to hint otherwise. Further, his description of his experience under torture in Deraa seems to point to some masochistic tendency. The book really settles nothing in this area, not that it is of any great importance...

Lawrence’s contempt for the Turks is apparent throughout the book, but his contempt seems most acutely directed at the leadership and ruling classes. He seems to regret the loss of life and poor treatment of the enlisted man’s existence in the Turkish Army (to a point), but seems to have no respect for the intellect or general capability of the Turkish Army’s officers. It may have something to do with what happened to him personally in Deraa, but it seems unbalanced when compared to his more generally admiring opinion of the Arab leadership, as well as the German Army leadership in this theatre of the war. One might tend though, to believe that there is merit in his views on these matters, for he seems quite honest and forthcoming in his views of the British Army leadership both in the middle-east and in Europe; that is, he admired some, but did not so, many others.

Any historical document of this magnitude must be accompanied by appropriate maps. My version, a Vintage publishing from 2008, has decent maps, better than many.

Winston Churchill calls this book one of the finest ever written in the English language. I don’t know about that, but it was definitely compelling, colourful and engaging throughout, despite its 700 pages. Oh, and it is unforgettable, too.