Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East
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- Author：Scott Anderson
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Summary
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
New York Times • Christian Science Monitor • NPR • Seattle Times • St。 Louis Dispatch
National Book Critics Circle Finalist -- American Library Association Notable Book
A thrilling and revelatory narrative of one of the most epic and consequential periods in 20th century history – the Arab Revolt and the secret “great game” to control the Middle East
The Arab Revolt against the Turks in World War One was， in the words of T。E。 Lawrence， “a sideshow of a sideshow。” Amidst the slaughter in European trenches， the Western combatants paid scant attention to the Middle Eastern theater。 As a result， the conflict was shaped to a remarkable degree by a small handful of adventurers and low-level officers far removed from the corridors of power。
Curt Prüfer was an effete academic attached to the German embassy in Cairo， whose clandestine role was to foment Islamic jihad against British rule。 Aaron Aaronsohn was a renowned agronomist and committed Zionist who gained the trust of the Ottoman governor of Syria。 William Yale was the fallen scion of the American aristocracy， who traveled the Ottoman Empire on behalf of Standard Oil， dissembling to the Turks in order gain valuable oil concessions。 At the center of it all was Lawrence。 In early 1914 he was an archaeologist excavating ruins in the sands of Syria; by 1917 he was the most romantic figure of World War One， battling both the enemy and his own government to bring about the vision he had for the Arab people。
The intertwined paths of these four men – the schemes they put in place， the battles they fought， the betrayals they endured and committed – mirror the grandeur， intrigue and tragedy of the war in the desert。 Prüfer became Germany’s grand spymaster in the Middle East。 Aaronsohn constructed an elaborate Jewish spy-ring in Palestine， only to have the anti-Semitic and bureaucratically-inept British first ignore and then misuse his organization， at tragic personal cost。 Yale would become the only American intelligence agent in the entire Middle East – while still secretly on the payroll of Standard Oil。 And the enigmatic Lawrence rode into legend at the head of an Arab army， even as he waged secret war against his own nation’s imperial ambitions。
Based on years of intensive primary document research， LAWRENCE IN ARABIA definitively overturns received wisdom on how the modern Middle East was formed。 Sweeping in its action， keen in its portraiture， acid in its condemnation of the destruction wrought by European colonial plots， this is a book that brilliantly captures the way in which the folly of the past creates the anguish of the present。
New York Times • Christian Science Monitor • NPR • Seattle Times • St。 Louis Dispatch
National Book Critics Circle Finalist -- American Library Association Notable Book
A thrilling and revelatory narrative of one of the most epic and consequential periods in 20th century history – the Arab Revolt and the secret “great game” to control the Middle East
The Arab Revolt against the Turks in World War One was， in the words of T。E。 Lawrence， “a sideshow of a sideshow。” Amidst the slaughter in European trenches， the Western combatants paid scant attention to the Middle Eastern theater。 As a result， the conflict was shaped to a remarkable degree by a small handful of adventurers and low-level officers far removed from the corridors of power。
Curt Prüfer was an effete academic attached to the German embassy in Cairo， whose clandestine role was to foment Islamic jihad against British rule。 Aaron Aaronsohn was a renowned agronomist and committed Zionist who gained the trust of the Ottoman governor of Syria。 William Yale was the fallen scion of the American aristocracy， who traveled the Ottoman Empire on behalf of Standard Oil， dissembling to the Turks in order gain valuable oil concessions。 At the center of it all was Lawrence。 In early 1914 he was an archaeologist excavating ruins in the sands of Syria; by 1917 he was the most romantic figure of World War One， battling both the enemy and his own government to bring about the vision he had for the Arab people。
The intertwined paths of these four men – the schemes they put in place， the battles they fought， the betrayals they endured and committed – mirror the grandeur， intrigue and tragedy of the war in the desert。 Prüfer became Germany’s grand spymaster in the Middle East。 Aaronsohn constructed an elaborate Jewish spy-ring in Palestine， only to have the anti-Semitic and bureaucratically-inept British first ignore and then misuse his organization， at tragic personal cost。 Yale would become the only American intelligence agent in the entire Middle East – while still secretly on the payroll of Standard Oil。 And the enigmatic Lawrence rode into legend at the head of an Arab army， even as he waged secret war against his own nation’s imperial ambitions。
Based on years of intensive primary document research， LAWRENCE IN ARABIA definitively overturns received wisdom on how the modern Middle East was formed。 Sweeping in its action， keen in its portraiture， acid in its condemnation of the destruction wrought by European colonial plots， this is a book that brilliantly captures the way in which the folly of the past creates the anguish of the present。
Reviews
Denise
，
Much of the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East over the course of the last century can be traced back directly to the deceitful meddling and betrayal of promises practiced by Western colonial powers， particularly Britain and France， across the region during World War I， having been exacerbated in many ways by continued imperial hubris and interference from the other side of the Atlantic since。 This deeply researched and excellently written account of how WWI and its aftermath shaped the region， Much of the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East over the course of the last century can be traced back directly to the deceitful meddling and betrayal of promises practiced by Western colonial powers， particularly Britain and France， across the region during World War I， having been exacerbated in many ways by continued imperial hubris and interference from the other side of the Atlantic since。 This deeply researched and excellently written account of how WWI and its aftermath shaped the region， focussing on the roles played by four very different men - German agent Curt Prüfer， Zionist Aaron Aaronsohn， American oil official and intelligence asset William Yale， and above all archaeologist turned British officer T。E。 Lawrence who was to go down in history as "Lawrence of Arabia" - during these momentous events was a gripping read that succeeds brilliantly in doing its incredibly complex subjects， both human and political， justice。 。。。more
Dominique
，
Stripping back the legends and myths that have arisen surrounding T。 E。 Lawrence and the Arab Revolt， Anderson takes readers on a clear-eyed look at the formation of the modern Middle East。 I just felt so sad reading it。 On top of the brutality and gore of such a violent and futile war， there are so many missed opportunities for a better future that caused a sense of deep melancholy。 What if the Allied leadership had listened to men like Lawrence who understood the nuances and intricacies of Ara Stripping back the legends and myths that have arisen surrounding T。 E。 Lawrence and the Arab Revolt， Anderson takes readers on a clear-eyed look at the formation of the modern Middle East。 I just felt so sad reading it。 On top of the brutality and gore of such a violent and futile war， there are so many missed opportunities for a better future that caused a sense of deep melancholy。 What if the Allied leadership had listened to men like Lawrence who understood the nuances and intricacies of Arab politics？ What might have been if the Middle East wasn’t at the mercy of imperialist politics and cut-throat capitalists who cared only about their profits？ We won’t ever have the answer。 But the tantalizing idea of ‘what if’ is something that is at the core of this book。 You see a mirage of something more， for something worthwhile to have come out of such a senseless war。 It’s all so。。。。 sad。 。。。more
David Verret
，
I loved this book very much， but I didn't enjoy it。 It's dry and slow。 However， it is thorough where it needs to be。 I like how it focuses on small handful of people's perspective， and the events of the book by and large all take place within the early 20th century up until the end of WW1。 I learned a great deal， but it was a slog。 I recommend if you are interested in the time period and modern middle-eastern history。 I loved this book very much， but I didn't enjoy it。 It's dry and slow。 However， it is thorough where it needs to be。 I like how it focuses on small handful of people's perspective， and the events of the book by and large all take place within the early 20th century up until the end of WW1。 I learned a great deal， but it was a slog。 I recommend if you are interested in the time period and modern middle-eastern history。 。。。more
SVEN
，
This book is a detour from my usual topics and I am glad to have strayed as it has broadened my horizons。 As a non-native english speaker I hadn't even previously realised Ottoman = Turk- Empire; I just thought ottoman was some middle eastern design-trend。I was also surpised to learn the moral background of a legendary figure。 Lawrence was an art/architect student who travelled extensively in Syria to asses to what extent islam architecture influenced christian and vice versa。 He was disillusion This book is a detour from my usual topics and I am glad to have strayed as it has broadened my horizons。 As a non-native english speaker I hadn't even previously realised Ottoman = Turk- Empire; I just thought ottoman was some middle eastern design-trend。I was also surpised to learn the moral background of a legendary figure。 Lawrence was an art/architect student who travelled extensively in Syria to asses to what extent islam architecture influenced christian and vice versa。 He was disillusioned by military strategy of his own country and the political vs loyal handling of agreements， he refused a knighthood in presence of the king。 His ambition was to have the different arab peoples self-govern their domains。 The colonial segmentation of the middle-east with all todays' problems likely stem from the fact that this did not happen。 4 european men with extensive local knowledge were in a position to personally impact the creation of arab states。 Yale （an empoverished heir of the rich family that initiated the Yale college） worked for the standard oil company and influenced the outcome by aquiring exclusive oil-rights which were deliberately unused until the end of the war。 The intentional delay in exploitation depriving the initially awarding authority the income which they needed to maintain their position。 。。。more
Stephen
，
This is the best history book I've read in a long time。 It felt as immersive as the Teddy Roosevelt biography trilogy。 I recommend watching Lawrence of Arabia before reading the book， even though the accounts are so different。 This is the best history book I've read in a long time。 It felt as immersive as the Teddy Roosevelt biography trilogy。 I recommend watching Lawrence of Arabia before reading the book， even though the accounts are so different。 。。。more
Melissa Acquaviva
，
DNFTough read， just didn’t hold my interest。 TE Lawrence was a cold guy。 His lack of empathy completely turned me off from learning more about him。 This just wasn’t my thing。
Marvin
，
A fantastic work！Anderson is not only delivering a scientific piece combined with the geographical and historical events; his writing style can often be compared to a thriller; while introducing some of the more important persons from each side - GB， the U。S。， the Germans， etc。 - and finally let their actions all run together; or at least shows detailed yet highly catching the effect their actions had on each other。
Howlett
，
史诗巨作，贯穿一战历史进程中的四个人跌宕起伏的事件被一一串联缠绕在一起。问题不在于书而在我身上，这本书看完真的太累了，需要巨量的知识储备作为支撑，庞大的地名、人名汹涌而来，与今时今日的碎片化阅读方式格格不入。也因此这是一本挑人的巨著，为自己能慢慢读完感到庆幸。就算脑海里留不下什么，至少像竹篮打水一样，给洗了一遍。
Heidi
，
This was a behemoth of a read。 I had to pause it often to take in some of the information。 Hopefully， further reading on the area will give context to the political parts I still don't understand。 This was a behemoth of a read。 I had to pause it often to take in some of the information。 Hopefully， further reading on the area will give context to the political parts I still don't understand。 。。。more
Xiang Li
，
面对劳伦斯，你还能说什么呢？另我喜欢这种复杂混乱多种可能结局的历史描述，而整体却被作者拿捏的异常清晰。甲骨文扫了20多部了吧，此本为最佳。
Matt
，
“By the second decade of the twentieth century， the Ottoman Empire had long been in a state of seemingly terminal decline。 The proverbial ‘sick man of Europe，’ its epitaph had begun to be written as far back as the 1850s， and in the intervening years no fewer than five of the imperial powers of Europe had taken turns snatching away great swaths of its territory。 That the Ottomans had managed to avoid complete destruction thus far was due both to their skill at playing off those competing Europea “By the second decade of the twentieth century， the Ottoman Empire had long been in a state of seemingly terminal decline。 The proverbial ‘sick man of Europe，’ its epitaph had begun to be written as far back as the 1850s， and in the intervening years no fewer than five of the imperial powers of Europe had taken turns snatching away great swaths of its territory。 That the Ottomans had managed to avoid complete destruction thus far was due both to their skill at playing off those competing European powers and to no small measure of improbable good luck。 In 1914， however， all that was about to change。 By guessing wrong – very wrong – in the calamitous war just then descending， the Ottomans would not only bring on their own doom but unleash forces of such massive disintegration that the world is still dealing with the repercussions a century later…”-tScott Anderson， Lawrence in Arabia: War， Deceit， Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East Despite the ennobling gloss later applied by President Woodrow Wilson， the First World War is best understood as a purely European conflict that slipped the borders of the continent。 Though it was fought on all corners of the globe， this was a function of the imperial nature of the main players， whose far-flung colonies had helped precipitate the conflict in the first place。 Far from an attempt to “make the world safe for democracy，” the First World War more resembled the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s， waged to establish the hierarchy of Europe。 The main differences in the two struggles， separated by a century， were the technologies involved， and the array of allies chosen by each side。 The Euro-power-motivated nature of the First World War can best be seen in its conclusion， when instead of following the Wilsonian ideals of self-determination， the victorious allies divvied up the remains of three fallen empires。 This was especially true in the Middle East where， after having supported an Arab uprising against the Ottoman Empire， Great Britain and France divided up the region into areas of direct， indirect， and joint control。 Those decisions – to separate some people， while joining others， for the benefit of the colonizing powers – still reverberate today。 Years of instability， war， and heartbreak are the bitter fruits of their victory in World War I。 This is a complex story， with many interlocking parts。 If you are looking for a broad overview， Scott Anderson’s Lawrence in Arabia is probably not where you want to start。 But if you already know the overarching framework， and want a ground-level presentation of how it played out， told in novelistic fashion through the eyes of the participants， you can’t do better than this。 Anderson structures Lawrence in Arabia in such a way that it is told through the experiences of four central characters。 There is Curt Prüfer， a German academic who tried to incite an Islamic jihad against the British; Aaron Aaronsohn， a Zionist in the employ of the Ottoman Empire， who forged a spy ring in Palestine; and William Yale， a Standard Oil man sent to wring concessions from the Turks， who ended up drawn into the vortex of war。 Towering above them all is Thomas Edward Lawrence， the famous and controversial “Lawrence of Arabia。” A young officer with no true military background （he was an archaeologist before the war）， Lawrence found himself in “a sideshow of a sideshow，” able to do a remarkable amount of geopolitical freelancing in the deserts。 With the attention of Great Britain focused intently on the Western Front， he set about bending events to his will。 Together with Faisal ibn Hussein， Lawrence helped formulate an overall strategy for the Arab Revolt， while also capturing key cities， shooting up trains， and blowing up bridges。 Despite their success， Faisal’s vision of a pan-Arab nation never came to pass。 Lawrence is a fascinating figure， and no matter what you ultimately think about him， he definitely commands the stage。 Though honored in his time， Lawrence’s reputation has fallen dramatically since reaching its zenith in David Lean’s famous film。 Part of this is the reality that in a post-colonial world， the employee of a colonizer is treated with suspicion， even though Lawrence worked against Great Britain’s interests in favor of the Arabs。 Part of this also comes from the fact that Lawrence probably received too much credit for the overall result in the Middle East。 He was， after all， only one man， and it was the Arabs that did most of the actual fighting。 Lawrence did not help matters by sprinkling his memoir – Seven Pillars of Wisdom – with various lies and falsehoods。 One of Anderson’s chief achievements here is to put Lawrence in his proper context。 Just because he received too much credit， does not mean he does not deserve any。 By carefully sifting the evidence – including an examination of the fictions of Seven Pillars of Wisdom – Anderson is able to present a balanced portrait。 Anderson is a journalist and war correspondent， not a historian。 The distinction is important， but not necessarily in the way you might think。 Anderson’s profession does not mean that Lawrence in Arabia is some rewarmed compendium of secondary sources， or a hurriedly written sketch of events。 No， this is history， and deeply researched。 Lawrence in Arabia is over five-hundred pages of text， and its endnotes demonstrates careful review of primary documentation。 It might not be written by an academic， but it is academically strong。 Rather， Anderson’s journalistic background comes through in the way that Lawrence in Arabia is told。 This is written like a historical thriller， shifting among the perspectives of its featured stars。 The upshot is an immediacy to the narrative， the marvelous sense that you are living the events alongside them。 You are led into a world of intrigue， betrayal， treachery， and vicious warfare， where prisoners were seldom taken by either side。 The downside is that it can be hard to follow the labyrinthian plots， especially when you are only shown small parts of it at a time。 There were a couple moments when I set Lawrence in Arabia down to consult a more general reference。 The only other criticism I have of Lawrence in Arabia is its choice of cast。 Anderson clearly shows the importance of both Lawrence and Aaronsohn。 The necessity of following Yale and Prüfer is not nearly so obvious。 I would have preferred more time with Faisal ibn Hussein， Hussein bin Ali， or Djemal Pasha instead。 Any writer who ventures into the realm of the Middle East is embarking upon a fraught project。 There is no single， agreed-upon truth， and it is hard to say anything without deeply offending someone。 In my opinion， Anderson does a good job on this tightrope。 He is savage in his condemnation of Great Britain and France’s territorial acquisitiveness， which encompasses the ugly traits of arrogance， greed， and superiority。 At the same time， he does not ignore atrocities on the part of the Ottoman Empire， including the Armenian Genocide， which killed upward of a million people， yet is strangely forgotten among the crimes of this world。 While harsh in his judgments of empires， Anderson is more forgiving of the men and women involved。 He makes a real attempt to look through eyes as disparate as Sarah Aaronsohn， Djemal Pasha， T。 E。 Lawrence， and even Mark Sykes， for whom the division of the Arabian Peninsula was a mere intellectual exercise。 Acknowledging the humanity of all involved does not excuse mistakes， but deepens the tragedy， giving this book an impact you don’t always find in nonfiction。 。。。more
Richard
，
Was it T。E。 Lawrence， or was it Peter O'Toole; or was it Peter O'Toole as T。E。 Lawrence， or T。E。 Lawrence as portrayed by Peter O'Toole？ Was it the life of T。E Lawrence， or David Lean's epic Lawrence of Arabia？ It was an awful lot for an impressionable， and romantic sixteen year old boy in Erie， PA， to figure out。 Truth be told， it was all those things， and camels， and Bedouins， and gorgeous 70 mm photography。 I fell for it， hook， line， and sinker， went on to read Lowell Thomas's With Lawrence i Was it T。E。 Lawrence， or was it Peter O'Toole; or was it Peter O'Toole as T。E。 Lawrence， or T。E。 Lawrence as portrayed by Peter O'Toole？ Was it the life of T。E Lawrence， or David Lean's epic Lawrence of Arabia？ It was an awful lot for an impressionable， and romantic sixteen year old boy in Erie， PA， to figure out。 Truth be told， it was all those things， and camels， and Bedouins， and gorgeous 70 mm photography。 I fell for it， hook， line， and sinker， went on to read Lowell Thomas's With Lawrence in Arabia （flat compared to the movie，） and carried Lawrence's 7 Pillars of Wisdom around for years， but it was as impenetrable， and vast as the Sahara， and I never got very far。Pretty much everything I've ever known and believed about Lawrence， and the war in the desert， a。k。a。， the Eastern Front， came from the movie。 Sixty years later I've returned to the subject with Scott Anderson's incredible history。Lawrence is the central character of this book， but the subtitle tells us what the 500 pages are going to be about。 The Eastern Front was a mess， as was WW I， and if fewer lives were lost than on the Western Front it's only because the idiots in charge never got the chance to throw as many men away。 Oh， there was Turkish Gallipoli， and that was a blood bath， but there seemed to be a Gallipoli level slaughter in Europe once a year。 Besides Lawrence， we get to meet a cast of characters representing all the factions: the Arabs， the Turks， the English， the French， the Americans， Standard Oil， and European Zionists。 Have I missed anyone？ Scott Anderson gives all the factions their players and their pieces， and while we watch men die， we also watch them lie， prevaricate， double-cross one another， reach at heroism， and sometimes attain it in a hugely fascinating mix of adventures and more frequent misadventures。 The bulk of this book isn't warfare， but politics and espionage， and though it can get pretty deep， you can always skip a few pages of detail and arrive at the outcomes。 The main pieces of diplomacy revolve around the Sykes-Picot Agreement that carved the Middle East up between the British and French （or did it，） and the Balfour Declaration in which Britain gave Palestine to the Zionists （or did they。） Double talk and vagaries ruled the day， and the guys who did the carving and the giving did it from their European conference rooms， and never spent much time on the ground - or talking to the people who actually lived there。 This book is a study in the arrogance of the colonialist West。 A fascinating side note is there was no cartographic definition of Palestine， and some Zionists thought the boundaries should extend all the way to Damascus。 But， that's only one piece of foolishness in what in many ways was a fool's game。As to the war， none of the major powers knew how to fight in the desert （they didn't know how to fight in Europe either， but that's another story。） The drill was to attack - head on， and the drill always ended in a slaughter for the attackers。 Lawrence's genius was to understand， and appreciate Arabian history， culture， and thinking， and to lead the Arabs in a revolt against the Ottoman Empire that adapted hit-and-run tactics， and what's now called asymmetric warfare， from the Arab tribes and use it against the more rank and file tactics of the Turks。 Lawrence even got the Brits， and the French （less so） into the mix。 Lawrence's biggest problem was never knowing if the Arabs were going to show up for the fight， or if they did show up， if they'd stick around and finish it。I'm thrilled to have had my education rounded out， which is not to say I won't go back to the myth as told by David Lean， because， well， Peter O'Toole， Omar Sharif， Anthony Quinn， Jack Hawkins， Claude Rains， Bedouins， desert， and of course camels all in 70 mm color。 PS: Screenplay by the brilliant Robert Bolt。Anyway， read the book。 （See the movie。） 。。。more
Carolyn Brown
，
This book tells the story of Lawrence and several contemporaries involved in the middle eastern intrigues of WWI。 I particularly liked it because the writing kept me engrossed throughout， and I almost felt like I was reading a novel。 I am reading other history textbooks about the Middle east ， so I see that this particular book makes TEL seem more important than he probably was in the GRAND scheme of things， but still a great addition to understanding the rise of the divided ME of today。
Jim French
，
The impact of the book is weakened by following three people with only incidental connections to Lawrence， and not nearly as interesting。 And the author felt the need to cram into the book his extensive notes on the comings and goings of all four people。 The reader wearies。 Someone said， "I didn't have time to write a short book so I wrote a long one。" The impact of the book is weakened by following three people with only incidental connections to Lawrence， and not nearly as interesting。 And the author felt the need to cram into the book his extensive notes on the comings and goings of all four people。 The reader wearies。 Someone said， "I didn't have time to write a short book so I wrote a long one。" 。。。more
Daragh O'Reilly
，
While retaining its central narrative focus on Lawrence， this highly readable book does an excellent job at describing the broader geo-political movements that shaped the Middle East during World War I and， indeed， continued to reverberate for the remainder of the 2oth Century and beyond。 The decline of the European and Ottoman imperial powers， the first tentative steps of a previously largely isolationist USA onto the global political stage， and the birth of the reshaped Middle East and its var While retaining its central narrative focus on Lawrence， this highly readable book does an excellent job at describing the broader geo-political movements that shaped the Middle East during World War I and， indeed， continued to reverberate for the remainder of the 2oth Century and beyond。 The decline of the European and Ottoman imperial powers， the first tentative steps of a previously largely isolationist USA onto the global political stage， and the birth of the reshaped Middle East and its varied key players are all captured in the telling of this story。 I found the book to be a fabulous primer on the modern history of the region and how the fallout of World War I informs much of the issues that persist there to this day。The book does drag in places， with considerable parts of the story dedicated to diplomatic machinations and reports filed by the likes of Lawrence， Prufer and Yale for their respective governments， but the author generally manages to create a compelling narrative flow throughout the 500+ pages - something which other deeply researched historical biographies often fail to do。Also serves as an impetus to finally watch the 1962 movie and see how the Lawrence "myth" matches up to this impressive work of non-fiction。 。。。more
Ed Simnett
，
Multi-threaded （sometimes to a fault） history of the war in Arabia in World War 1， focusing on four key individuals。Could perhaps have done with a little more "summary" at times and perhaps a more realistic view of the relative importance of the war vis-a-vis the main theaters， but chock full of insight and useful information， well told。 Multi-threaded （sometimes to a fault） history of the war in Arabia in World War 1， focusing on four key individuals。Could perhaps have done with a little more "summary" at times and perhaps a more realistic view of the relative importance of the war vis-a-vis the main theaters， but chock full of insight and useful information， well told。 。。。more
Susana
，
Fascinante investigación sobre las grandes figuras que， durante la Primera Guerra Mundial， determinaron los entre telones de las decisiones en Oriente Medio: pequeños personajes， cada uno poniendo su grano de arena， para determinar el futuro de toda una región， en medio de lo que parece el más grande desinterés e ignorancia de los países occidentales en guerra。 Impresiona como pequeñas manipulaciones desembocan en los grandes conflictos que aún nos acompañan。Un relato fascinante， y muy entreteni Fascinante investigación sobre las grandes figuras que， durante la Primera Guerra Mundial， determinaron los entre telones de las decisiones en Oriente Medio: pequeños personajes， cada uno poniendo su grano de arena， para determinar el futuro de toda una región， en medio de lo que parece el más grande desinterés e ignorancia de los países occidentales en guerra。 Impresiona como pequeñas manipulaciones desembocan en los grandes conflictos que aún nos acompañan。Un relato fascinante， y muy entretenido， que bien vale la pena leer。 。。。more
Gary
，
This is a sprawling account of WWI and the creation of the modern Middle East。 It includes a portrait of British bumbling， creation of the state of Israel， an irreverent take on the famous Sykes-Picot Agreement that created the lines in the sand of the Middle East that continue to plague the world， the Arab Revolt and its utter betrayal after the war was over， and of course the exploits of T。E。 Lawrence of the title whose eccentricities seemed to characterize the almost surreal quality of this p This is a sprawling account of WWI and the creation of the modern Middle East。 It includes a portrait of British bumbling， creation of the state of Israel， an irreverent take on the famous Sykes-Picot Agreement that created the lines in the sand of the Middle East that continue to plague the world， the Arab Revolt and its utter betrayal after the war was over， and of course the exploits of T。E。 Lawrence of the title whose eccentricities seemed to characterize the almost surreal quality of this period of history。 The book is well written and accessible to a non-specialist audience， but filled with details and insights that illuminate developments and do not conform to the stereotypes that probably clutter the brains of all but the most accomplished scholars of the period。 He adopts four principal characters and uses their histories to tell the story。 In that way it is similar to his later book， The Quiet Americans， about US post-WWII policy， which I reviewed earlier。 Lawrence makes good copy， which is why his name continues to reverberate， and Anderson handles his mythology well: admiring his genuinely amazing deeds but questioning the romantic aura that has risen up around him -- due in large part to Lawrence himself。 The First World War was a turning point from the politics of the 19th century to the twentieth， and this book captures accurately both the thought processes of the time and the well deserved critique by those who survived it。 。。。more
Ddoddmccue
，
Scott Anderson earns my praise for his extensive， pain staking account of the often overlooked history of WW1 Middle East， which laid the foundation for its conflicts and instability a century later。The narrative alternates between Lawrence- the historic not film version！- and an array of international players involved in the complex web of shifting alliances， deceptions， and schemes。 There are no clear heroes - but definite victims - of the political and military operations。 At conclusion this Scott Anderson earns my praise for his extensive， pain staking account of the often overlooked history of WW1 Middle East， which laid the foundation for its conflicts and instability a century later。The narrative alternates between Lawrence- the historic not film version！- and an array of international players involved in the complex web of shifting alliances， deceptions， and schemes。 There are no clear heroes - but definite victims - of the political and military operations。 At conclusion this reader was left with the haunting question of what might have been。 。。。more
Kendra
，
Listened to the audio version of this one， and really struggled with the detail and huge cast of characters to keep track of。 Though it follows a generally chronological trajectory， there is a lot of skipping forwards and back to add context， which I found a bit dizzying。 Finally decided that I was lost enough to quit。 I’d like to come back to this。。。 but maybe I will start with a more elementary version of the history！
Fred Bouwman
，
Highly entertaining and informative on the formation of the Middle East。 The West really created a mess and so much could have been avoided。
Christine
，
"As with many of Lawrence’s other predictions， his warning about ibn-Saud and the Wahhabists was ultimately to prove true。 In 1923， ibn- Saud would conquer much of the Arabian Peninsula and， to honor his clan， give it the name Saudi Arabia。 For the next ninety years， the vast and profligate Saudi royal family would survive by essentially buying off the doctrinaire Wahhabists who had brought them to power， financially subsidizing their activities so long as their disciples directed their jihadist "As with many of Lawrence’s other predictions， his warning about ibn-Saud and the Wahhabists was ultimately to prove true。 In 1923， ibn- Saud would conquer much of the Arabian Peninsula and， to honor his clan， give it the name Saudi Arabia。 For the next ninety years， the vast and profligate Saudi royal family would survive by essentially buying off the doctrinaire Wahhabists who had brought them to power， financially subsidizing their activities so long as their disciples directed their jihadist efforts abroad。 The most famous product of this arrangement was to be a man named Osama bin Laden。" Lawrence in Arabia is much less a biography of one man， than a broad-reaching historical exploration of WWI in the Middle East and how that has impacted the Middle East today， told through the lens of four figures: T。E。 Lawrence for the British， William Yale for the Americans， Aaron Aaronsohn for the Jews in the Middle East， and Curt Prüfer for the Germans。 Anderson is absolutely scathing about the British， in particular， leadership in WWI。 For the many failures in the Middle East， Anderson sums it up in his preamble to the Battle of Gallipoli: "Throughout history， there have been occasions when a vastly superior military force has managed， against all odds， to snatch defeat from all but certain victory。" But he doesn't save it all for the British， snarking， "in looking at the conduct of the war and the almost preternatural idiocy displayed by all the competing powers， perhaps its most remarkable feature is that anyone finally won at all。" And the details he gives definitely bears out the author's disdain。On the other hand， Anderson does dig in to Lawrence， his childhood， what likely happened to Lawrence both physically and emotionally， and poses that Lawrence was a pro at creating his own story， writing his own history， claiming that "earlier than most， Lawrence seemed to embrace the modern concept that history was malleable， that truth was what people were willing to believe。" If you are interested in knowing more about Lawrence of Arabia， this is a great place to start。Perhaps the most interesting aspects of the work though， is how Anderson shows Lawrence and various others can see what the future will hold， yet they were repeatedly ignored leading us to the morass that is the Middle East today。About the text itself: I highly recommend the ebook， if like me， you like to be able to click on a place name and pull up the map of that area。 I found it invaluable。 What I didn't like about the format， however， was that the endnotes had not been linked into the body of the text and all the images are at the very end of the endnotes and are also not linked to the text in any way。 It was still the best way for me to see the battles and travels and I'd still recommend it。 。。。more
Michael Hick
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Scott Anderson spent 4 years researching this book's material。 He had help for sure， but it's a complex story with a myriad of hard-to-find facts and confirmations， which he weaves with skill into a appetizing story。 Emerging from this soup of deceit， incompetence and outright folly is the one character who demonstrates any type of heroism， the unlikely T。E。 Lawrence， Lawrence of Arabia fame。 But what about others who were just as active participants in this messy business， spymaster St John Phi Scott Anderson spent 4 years researching this book's material。 He had help for sure， but it's a complex story with a myriad of hard-to-find facts and confirmations， which he weaves with skill into a appetizing story。 Emerging from this soup of deceit， incompetence and outright folly is the one character who demonstrates any type of heroism， the unlikely T。E。 Lawrence， Lawrence of Arabia fame。 But what about others who were just as active participants in this messy business， spymaster St John Philby， father of British traitor Kim Philby， who almost single-handedly assisted Ibn Saud to take over the holy cities of The Hejaz and oust King Hussein， inspirer of the Arab Revolt。 And also why is Gertrude Bell totally ignored， the original British Arabist who essentially taught Lawrence how to stay alive in the desert， live with The Bedouin and politicize the revolt。 A fascinating book; I now await its sequel 。。。more
Tari Trowbridge
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Biography of RE LawrenceFor readers unfamiliar of the happenings in the Middle East during WWI， it explains a lot about how the world got to where it is today。 It also describes the early formation of Palestine。 Super interesting。 Time to go watch the movie now。
Rebecca
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Anderson does a superb job of laying the groundwork into the campaigns for the lands in the Middle East during WWI and then navigating the reader through the motivations and strategy of the key players。 I'm not a war history fan， but I found this one to be fascinating。（Man， we really mucked it up。） Anderson does a superb job of laying the groundwork into the campaigns for the lands in the Middle East during WWI and then navigating the reader through the motivations and strategy of the key players。 I'm not a war history fan， but I found this one to be fascinating。（Man， we really mucked it up。） 。。。more
Frank
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Very fact filled。 Found it hard to keep everything in place。 Would probably warrant a second read。 Learned quite a bit about the middle East
Tinika
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Lawrence in Arabia: War， Deceit， Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East is fascinating in both topic and telling。 T。E。Lawrence was a loner who became a leader of men; a dreamer who became disillusioned but persevered out of a sense of duty; a hero who tried to distance himself from his past。 Author Scott Anderson did copious research for the book but kept his notes at the back allowing the narration to feel like an adventure story， especially in the first few chapters。 （Later on Lawrence in Arabia: War， Deceit， Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East is fascinating in both topic and telling。 T。E。Lawrence was a loner who became a leader of men; a dreamer who became disillusioned but persevered out of a sense of duty; a hero who tried to distance himself from his past。 Author Scott Anderson did copious research for the book but kept his notes at the back allowing the narration to feel like an adventure story， especially in the first few chapters。 （Later on， it could become a little dry at times but the reader is probably already hooked by then。）To personalize the complexity of the situation in the Middle East at the beginning of the 20th century， particularly the years of the first world war， the author follows a number of individuals。 While Lawrence always remains the main focus， viewpoints other than that of the British and the Arabs are explored: Curt Prüfer （Germany;） Aaron Aaronsohn （Zionism;） and William Yale （America /big oil。） These men are all brilliant， untrained spies with a high opinion of themselves。 They played against a background of shameless， reckless， self-serving idiocy by the Imperial powers which hurt everybody's cause。 Collectively they have left a mark on the Middle East still evident today。The book puts the lie to the film version of the main character while presenting a multi-faceted approach to the war years。 。。。more
Reed
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An excellent telling of how a few men in WWI set in motion the next 100 years of political conflict across the Arab world。 Focuses on TH Lawrence， but also on the Standard Oil man who brought the United States in。 Also covers the Zionist movement， and the origin of securing a modern Israel。 Helps puts the whole era in a context that feels simultaneoulsy outdated and also very present。
Thomas
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I enjoyed this book for giving me a broader and less colonialist view of the events involving and surrounding TE Lawrence， but this book still has a strong western POV that exoticises the Middle East and removes the agency of those peoples。 Also， I really can’t decide whether some of the discussions around Jewish settlements in Palestine/what would become Israel was anti-Semitic or not。It dabbled in some tropes that made me feel uncomfortable。
David Carroll
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