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Lawrence in Arabia

War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East
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Nov 05, 2023svernobergbit rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
T. E. Lawrence (1888 – 1935) "[I]f a Jewish state is to be created in Palestine, it will have to be done by force of arms and maintained by force of arms amid an overwhelmingly hostile population." Scott Anderson, Lawrence In Arabia.…
Feb 09, 2021PimaLib_ChristineR rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
"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…
May 21, 2019snydes81 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I read this book as I traveled to visit a friend in Amman, Jordan, and from there through the Wadi Rum desert to Aqaba. Fortunately for me, the history on these pages came alive as I read and traveled through much of the region where…
Feb 04, 2018dnk rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
T. E. Lawrence is seen as a reflection of what many commoners might have felt in the midst of the morass that became World War I: determined to get through the byzantine (no pun intended) negotiations and considerations that were foisted…
May 09, 2016belalin rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Very well written and an enjoyable read but very detailed. Consequently I could only read about an hour of it per sitting. This is a must read not only for understanding the mess in the Middle East today but the stupidity and horror of WWI.
Jan 23, 2016salamanderA rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Scott Anderson's sweeping history and biography of several major players in the WWI era is a compelling, masterful read, including for anyone who is trying to understand the roots of what is happening in the Middle East today. With its…
Jan 02, 2015Chris22Dunbar rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Excellent read. Thoroughly researched and a great bibliography! I now have a must-read list of 12 books from this bibliography alone. Very well written which is a treat now a days! It covers more than just Lawrence's life but all the other…
Nov 08, 2014louarnold rated this title 0.5 out of 5 stars
This book is fine for the amateur historian who loves excruciating detail. I got lost in it and put it down about half way through. If you want a summary, see the movie. From the table of contents, I don't see a useful statement about why…
Jun 10, 2014
A must read for any student of Middle Eastern history. The story of T.E. Lawrence is a fascinating look at a pivotal place and time in history in which events were set in motion that continue to have impact today. Finalist for the…
Jan 06, 2014fjvalentin rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
A very well written book. Many of us know WWI history from the European western front standpoint, but don't have a grasp of what transpired in the Middle East during WWI. I found it well written and thoroughly researched. I was…
Oct 15, 2013
"British Army officer T. E. Lawrence (1888-1935) was the dazzling focus of the 1962 movie Lawrence of Arabia starring Peter O'Toole. In Lawrence in Arabia biographer Scott Anderson provides a more sober, though still engaging, portrait of…
Sep 29, 2013Rock_Shadow rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
Dense with information (a slow, but great read), well researched, and well written. It is not just fascinating story of Lawrence, but also the story of the WWI folly, the role of allies in the Middle East; and, ultimately, tragic redrawing…
Sep 08, 2013StarGladiator rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
Naaaah. . Michael Korda's "Hero" is still the best book ever on Lawrence!