Lawrence Of Arabia (Da Capo Paperback) [Paperback]

B. H. Liddell Hart (Author)

Book Description

Series: Da Capo Paperback | Publication Date: March 22, 1989

T. E. Shaw, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, was one of the most romantic, heroic, and enigmatic figures of his day. The subject of myth and hagiography, he was equally accomplished in several fields—as archaeologist, diplomat, writer, and soldier—and he worked throughout World War I and after in the Middle East in efforts to promote independent Arab states. His autobiography Seven Pillars of Wisdom is one of the greatest works of its kind. The esteemed military historian B. H. Liddell Hart wrote this study of Lawrence in order to pierce the clouds of legend. He discussed Lawrence’s Oxford days, his experiences as an intelligence officer in Egypt, and in particular the tactics of guerrilla warfare he practiced so effectively against the large Turkish armies during World War I. Liddell Hart was one of the few to give Lawrence his full justice as both a man and a brilliant soldier. Long out-of-print, this book unravels the many puzzling features of Lawrence’s story and restores him to his proper place as one of the twentieth century’s heroic, but very human, figures.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Captain Basil Henry Liddell Hart (1895–1970) was one of the foremost military theorists of our time. His many books include Scipio Africanus, Lawrence of Arabia, The Rommel Papers, and Sherman (all available from Da Capo Press/ Perseus Books Group).

Product Details

• Paperback: 458 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; Reprint edition (March 22, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306803542
• ISBN-13: 978-0306803543
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #783,705 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Insight into Modern War, July 23, 2005

By 

John Robb "Global Guerrilla" (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lawrence Of Arabia (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

I strongly recommend this book. Unlike most of the bio related books you can read on Lawrence, this one is dedicated to how he waged war (and written by an expert in warfare). Lawrence's methods were so advanced that they resonate to this day. For example, he developed methods of system disruption that incapactitated a "modern" army and threw an empire into disorder. You can see these methods in play today in modern Iraq. Well worth the time you spend.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Firsthand account, August 9, 2005

By 

Bibliomaniac (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lawrence Of Arabia (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

While not the best biography on the subject (that honor would go to John Mack's A Prince of Our Disorder), this account, while laudatory in the extreme, has the advantage of having been written by someone who actually knew Lawrence, and who had his subject's input. If it sound at times like a Boy's Own Adventure volume, it also has the immediacy which many other accounts lack, and one gets the feeling that Liddell Hart harbored a deep admiration for his subject.

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A well-written, hero-worshipping work on TEL., March 20, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lawrence Of Arabia (Da Capo Paperback) (Paperback)

Liddell's book is enjoyable and well-written. However, it was written prior before a lot of relavent material on T.E. Lawrence was made public. Mack's biography of Lawrence (PRINCE OF OUR DISORDER) is much more comprehensive. All in all, however, it is a book well-worth reading for anyone interested in tracing the entire evolution of T.E. Lawrence's legend/story.