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ClassicsOnline Home » LAWRENCE, T.E.: Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Abridged)
Although Lawrence of Arabia died in 1935, the story of his life has captured the imagination of succeeding generations. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is a monumental work in which he chronicles his role in leading the Arab Revolt against the Turks during the First World War. A reluctant leader, and wracked by guilt at the duplicity of the British, Lawrence nevertheless threw himself into his role, suffering the blistering desert conditions and masterminding military campaigns which culminated in the triumphant march of the Arabs into Damascus.
T. E. Lawrence
Seven Pillars of Wisdom
At the funeral of T.E. Lawrence, Churchill wept and called
him ‘one of the greatest beings of our time. Whatever our need we shall never
see his like again’. For the generation who experienced the mud and horror of
the trenches in Flanders, Lawrence offered a view of the war in Arabia, which
was at once more romantic and exotic. But the reality of Lawrence was more
complex than the courageous, blue-eyed British hero, risking his all for the
love of his country and his commitment to the Arab cause against their Turkish
Thomas Edward Lawrence was born on August 16, 1888. His
father, Thomas Chapman, was heir to an Irish baronetcy, but he had left his
wife and four daughters to live with their governess, Sarah Maden. He and Sarah
changed their name to Lawrence and Thomas Edward was the second of their five
In 1907, Lawrence won a scholarship to Jesus College,
Cambridge, to study History. He later undertook a 1,000-mile walking tour of
Syria and became fascinated by the country.
In 1914, he was recruited by military intelligence and, when
Turkey joined Germany in the war against the Allies, he was posted to Cairo.
His subsequent role in the war in the Middle East is described in Seven Pillars
It is clear throughout the book that Lawrence was well aware
that his promises of freedom to the Arabs were hollow; that his job was to get
them to fight the Turks at all costs. It is possible that this sense of
betrayal and guilt dogged him for the rest of his life.
After the war, he withdrew from public life and became an
aircraftman with the Royal Air Force under the assumed name
of Shaw. Here he devoted himself to the development of high-speed launches and
a primitive forerunner of the hovercraft.
In 1935, he left the RAF and retired to his cottage in
Clouds Hill in Dorset. On May 13, 1935, only ten weeks after his retirement,
Lawrence was injured in a motorcycle accident and died six days later. He has
become one of the legendary figures of the 20th century; his bust stands in St.
Paul’s Cathedral, along with those of Nelson and Wellington. Although he was a
reluctant leader, and never felt that he fully belonged either in Arabia or as
part of the British establishment, he has become, nevertheless, the epitome of
the swashbuckling British adventurer.
Notes by Heather Godwin
Jim Norton, one of Ireland’s leading actors, has worked
regularly on Joycean topics, and particularly Ulysses, during his long career
in film, TV, radio and theater. Born and brought up in Dublin, he spent his
early acting years in Irish radio. He now divides his time between London and
Hollywood — where, among his many parts, has been the role of Einstein on the
popular TV serial Star Trek. Norton's film credits include Hidden Agenda, Into
the West, and Straw Dogs.
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LAWRENCE, T.E.: Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Abridged)