Guide Note

As a lieutenant-colonel in the British army, T.E. Lawrence served as a liaison during the Arab revolt. His public image comes largely from the writings of American journalist Lowell Thomas, his autobiographical book Seven Pillars of Wisdom and the David Lean film Lawrence of Arabia.

Fast Facts

Full name: Thomas Edward Lawrence
AKA: T.E. Shaw, J.H. Ross, Lawrence of Arabia
Born: August 16, 1888
Died: May 19, 1935
Awards: Legion d'honneur, Order of the Bath
Winston Churchill attended his funeral
Corresponded with George Bernard Shaw, E.M Forster, Robert Graves

Arab Revolt

Lawrence fought with Arab irregular troops against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. His primary Arab contact and friend was Emir Feisal, the son of the Grand Sharif of Mecca. Lawrence convinced the Arabs to coordinate their revolt so that it helped British interests in the region. It was reported that he "went native" during the revolt, adopting many Arab customs.¹

Controversy

There has been debate among scholars about the validity and reliability of Lawrence's writings. For example, it has been alleged that Lawrence made up the supposed rape at Deraa.² There have also been questions about the nature of his relationship with a young Arab, Selim Ahmed, who may have been the "SA" Lawrence referred to in his writings.³

Unexpected Legacy

One of Lawrence's doctors, Sir Hugh Cairns, became interested in the use of motorcycle helmets due to Lawrence's death. After attending to Lawrence, he began to research the issue and became a strong advocate for helmets. His research was responsible for the use of helmets by both military and civilian riders. As a result, Lawrence's death ultimately affected millions.

Quotes

"I've been and am absurdly over-estimated. There are no supermen and I'm quite ordinary, and will say so whatever the artistic results. In that point I'm one of the few people who tell the truth about myself."— T.E. Lawrence⁴

Categories

History | World War I | Middle Eastern History

View Note History

T.E. Lawrence

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: T.E. Lawrence
T.E. Lawrence Studies: Biography | Sense and Nonsense... (1989)
Books and Writers: T.E. Lawrence Biography
PBS: Lawrence of Arabia
BBC: Lawrence of Arabia
Amazon.com: T.E. Lawrence Merchandise
YouTube: Lawrence of Arabia- His Final Years in Dorset (Time 05:24)

T.E. Lawrence Background and Profiles

General Biographies

John E. Mack Institute: Interview with the author of A Prince of Our Disorder (August 03, 2007)
Al-Bushra: T. E. Lawrence: True and False (an Arab view) (February 16, 1999)
T.E. Lawrence Studies: Lawrence of Arabia, The Authorized Biography (1989)

Arab Revolt and Paris Peace Conference

NVCC: T.E. Lawrence and the Arab Cause... Paris Peace Conference (2005)
BBC: War records of Sassoon, Lawrence released (February 2, 1998)
The Globe: Interview with Colonel Lawrence... Desert Warfare (December 12, 1918)
World War I Document Archive: The 27 Articles of T.E. Lawrence (August 20, 1917)

Post War Years

Journal of the T.E. Lawrence Society: Lawrence as Archaeologist (Spring 2001)
Wired.com: Hogarth, T.E. Lawrence's Archaeology Mentor, Dies (Nov. 6, 1927)
World War I Document Archive: A Report on Mesopotamia (August 22, 1920)
T.E. Lawrence Studies: Snapshots of Drigh Road

T.E. Lawrence Images and Media

T.E. Lawrence Books and Research

T.E. Lawrence Society: T.E. Lawrence Writings
Victoria University Library: T.E. Lawrence and Seven Pillars of Wisdom
T.E. Lawrence Studies: The State of T. E. Lawrence Research and Scholarship
Dennis McDonnell Bookseller: A Durable Lawrence (June 1990)
World War I Document Archive: Personal Notes... on the Sherifial Family (November 26, 1916)

T.E. Lawrence Blogs and Listserv

Kotare: Seven Pillars of Wisdom - Classic or Codswallop? (April 17, 2008)
The Literary Life: The Literary Life of T.E.Lawrence - Part 1: Who Are You? (January 30, 2008)
Life in the United States: Who Was T E Lawrence? (November 9, 2007)
T.E. Lawrence Society: T E Lawrence Studies listserv

T.E. Lawrence Timeline

1888: Born on August 16 in Tremadog, North Wales
1909: Goes on a three month walking tour of the castles of Syria
1915: Is an intelligence office in Cairo
1916: Awarded the French Légion d'Honneur on March 16
1916: Returns on November 25 to the Hejaz as temporary liaison officer with Faisal's troops
1917: The Arab Revolt begins
1918: In September Lawrence and Faisal's troops reach Damascus
1918: General Allenby arrives on October 4
1919: Attends Paris Peace Conference; first draft of Seven Pillars of Wisdom stolen
1920: Begins rewriting Seven Pillars of Wisdom
1922: Finishes Seven Pillars of Wisdom; joins RAF as 'J. H. Ross'.
1935: Retires from RAF on February 25
1935: Has a serious motorcycle accident on May 13.
1935: Dies on May 19.

T.E. Lawrence in Popular Culture

Mahalo's Guide to Lawrence of Arabia
IMDb: Lawrence of Arabia | A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia
YouTube: Lawrence of Arabia Trailer (Time: 01:00)

Related Searches

Middle East | World War I | Arab Revolt | Paris Peace Conference | Gertrude Bell | Faisal I of Iraq | Damascus | Winston Churchill

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