Behind the Lawrence Legend

'Lawrence of Arabia' became world-famous during the Arab Revolt of 1916-18. However, his achievements would have been impossible without the efforts of an unsung band of fellow officers and spies. Their compelling and forgotten stories provide a few perspective on Lawrence and the renowned WWI campaign.

T. E. Lawrence became world-famous as 'Lawrence of Arabia', after helping Sherif Hussein of Mecca gain independence from Turkey during the Arab Revolt of 1916-18. His achievements, however, would have been impossible without the unsung efforts of a forgotten band of fellow officers and spies. This groundbreaking account by Philip Walker interweaves the compelling stories of Colonel Cyril Wilson and a colourful supporting cast with the narrative of Lawrence and thedesert campaign. These men's lost tales provide a remarkable and fresh perspective on Lawrence and the Arab Revolt.While Lawrence and others blew up trains in the desert, Wilson and his men carried out their shadowy intelligence and diplomatic work. His deputies rooted out anti-British jihadists who were trying to sabotage the revolt. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Lionel Gray, a cipher officer, provided a gateway into unknown aspects of the revolt through his previously unpublished photographs and eyewitness writings. Wilson's crucial influence underpinned all these missions and steadied the revolt on a number ofoccasions when it could have collapsed. Without Wilson and his circle there would have been no 'Lawrence of Arabia'.Yet Wilson's band mostly fell through the cracks of history into obscurity. "Behind the Lawrence Legend" reveals their vital impact and puts Lawrence's efforts into context, thus helping to set the record straight for one of the most beguiling and iconic characters of the twentieth century.

After another round of books on T. E. Lawrence 'of Arabia' published on the war's centennial, it seems scarcely credible that anything new can be said on the subject. But Philip Walker has discovered an astonishing wealth of new material in private collections. The 'Forgotten Few' peers beneath the Lawrence legend to reveal the seamy underbelly of the Arab Revolt.

Auteur

Philip Walker is a retired archaeologist and historian who spent many years as an Inspector of Ancient Monuments with English Heritage. He has travelled in Libya, Palestine (West Bank), Morocco, Xinjiang (the Muslim far west of China) and other parts of Central Asia. He has a particular interest in the relationship between British intelligence and the Arab Revolt, 1916-18.

Texte du rabat

'Lawrence of Arabia' became world-famous during the Arab Revolt of 1916-18. However, his achievements would have been impossible without the efforts of an unsung band of fellow officers and spies. Their compelling and forgotten stories provide a few perspective on Lawrence and the renowned WWI campaign.

Contenu

List of Maps; A Note on the Text; Preface; 1 'Anything Could Happen in Such a Place'; 2 'A Town that Hung Heavy on the Soul'; 3 'A Vast Pan-Islamic Conspiracy'; 4 Sharing a Cabin With Lawrence; 5 Just Go On Sticking It; 6 Camels and Secrets; 7 Combat and Confusion; 8 Sabotage, Golf, and Betrayal; 9 Aqaba, the Arab Legion, and Jam Roly-Poly; 10 Hopes and Fears; 11 Great Escapes; 12 'Someone You Once Knew and a King'; 13 Blood Brother of the Bedouin; 14 Alarms and Excursions; 15 Aqaba Calling; 16 Fairy Godmothers to the Arab Revolt; 17 'Use Great Caution': The Curious Case of Agent Maurice; 18 Endgame; 19 Aftermath; Epilogue; Acknowledgements; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index