If youre interested in the life of T.E. Lawrence, or the roots of the modern Middle East conflict, this is one of the best books on both Ive read. Its not as comprehensive a look into the personal history of T.E. Lawrence as Jeremy Wilsons Lawrence of Arabia nor does it delve into the personal psychology of the man as does John Macks A Prince of Disorder: The Life of T.E. Lawrence, but what it does do that Ive not seen in one book before is to combine the person and times of Lawrence within the context of the other players that Lawrence (as the British representative) was in competition with: William Yale for the US, Aron Aaronson for Zionism, and Curt Prufer for Germany. When you read about the times and these men within these times, it becomes even more impressive what Lawrence accomplished (even though the Pan-Arab state nor complete Arab independence came to pass). Read in conjunction with Margaret MacMillans The War that Ended Peace and Paris 1919 you get to see how events by individuals, in far flung places in the world, have integral effects in larger realms. Ive read a lot about Lawrence, visited some of the places he was at in the Middle East, and made this period the area of study for my graduate work in History, and I can say, without reservation, this is one of the best books on the subject out there...even if youre not particularly interested in Lawrence of Arabia, the political intrigue culminating in massive global events that effect us today are worth the read.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 04:52:37 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015