T. E. LawrenceRezensionen

I think it was shortly after the movie "Lawrence of Arabia" was released in 1963 that I was inspired by the movie to find out more about Lawrence. So I bought and read "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" and was blown away by the erudition of the man.....his poetic descriptions of the landscapes and his knowledge of the geology and rock types, his casual literary allusions ...and of course, the sheer....."Boys Own Annual" style of adventures that he was involved in. Yet there was something wistfully sad about the guy and his life ended so young (46). Both the movie and the book hinted at his homosexuality and, I guess, that was a real problem for him at the time. But, with the current book I am equally blown away by his youthful exuberance, his energy ...and again, his erudition. He writes beautifully even as a 18-20 year year old travelling in France. His letters to his mother are quite amazing in terms of detailed analysis of castles and keeps ...though not much of a personal nature. And I found myself wondering who exactly was his mother ....would she really understand all of this stuff? Maybe...but maybe not. There is a note written by his mother for the book and it seems remarkably plain and unadorned compared with Lawrence's own writings. Then I discovered that his father had left his first wife and four daughters and had taken up with the governess of the daughters. He had five (illegitimate) sons with the governess and they lived under the name of Lawrence. Actually, his father's name was Thomas Chapman and mother's name Sarah Junner. Though there is a story that Sarah's mother became pregnant to her employer (surname Lawrence) whilst working as a domestic. So all in all a fairly complex family background. But, apparently his father inspired in young Thomas Edward a love of antiquities, photography and bicycle riding. All of which he put to great use in the production of his thesis for part of his final exam at the University of Oxford for his Bachelor of Arts in Modern History. Not surprisingly ...he was awarded first class honours.
The first part of the book is really pretty much a travelogue of his explorations in Palestine and the crusader and arab castles there. The second section is a similar account of castles in France and England and the third part....in some ways the more interesting to me ....were his letters home to his mother about his various travels by bicycle in France and on foot in Palestine. Amazing when you consider that he was only around 19-20 years old when carrying out this research.
The thrust of the thesis is that, contrary to the accepted opinions of the time, The crusaders did not arrive in Palestine and absorb the secrets of military architecture from there and then transplant it to Europe. Rather it was the other way around.....the crusaders took their knowledge of proven structures from Europe to Palestine. If I was critiquing the thesis, I would suggest that there is a lot of text and conjecture that all comes together in a rush in the last paragraph of each section. And he seems to rely over-heavily on a single feature ....the mâchicoulis on the side of castles (an overhanging section that could be used for dropping rocks on besiegers below). Apparently, according to Lawrence, the arabs didn't have these before the crusaders arrived. He is also convinced that the crusaders took the idea of a stronghold (or keep) within the castle walls to the middle east. And he is very negative about the effectiveness of a keep. He comments that once the ouster walls of a castle were breached the survival of the inhabitants of the keep was rather doubtful. And the absence of keeps in pre-crusader castles, he takes as evidence that the movement of ideas was from Europe to the middle east rather than the other way around.
Actually, I think he has a rather difficult job. He was visiting castles around 1908-1909....about 700-800 years after they were constructed. Frequently they were constructed over pre-existing strongholds ...so adapted what was already there. And then the strongholds were attacked and changed hands multiple times between crusaders and arabs and, over the last 700 years, they may have been part destroyed, or mined for their cut stone, re-developed for more modern warfare etc. In France, by the time Lawrence was riding his bike around the countryside (and his coverage is truly remarkable) many of the big castles had been restored by Viollet le Duc or others ...or were currently occupied as grand houses. Anyway, the bottom line is that it is exceedingly difficult to ascertain exactly what was the layout in the crusader times.
But, I have to admit to being quite gob-smacked by the sheer distance that Lawrence managed to cover in France on a couple of bicycle tours and in Palestine-Syria on foot. He went up and down and across both countries and inspected and documented a vast number of military installations.
I can't believe that his knowledge of castles....as exhibited in his letter to his mother from Colchester in August 1905 (when he would have been just shy of 18 years old) was normal for a boy of that age. Perhaps there was a touch of autism there with the incredibly detailed focus on the subject of antiquities. But he certainly knew a lot and simply by visiting and personally studying closely (and mapping) ...37 castles in Palestine and Syria and 52 (in France by my count) ....plus more in Wales and England....he was probably the world authority of crusader military architecture at the time. There is one interesting throw away line in one of his letters where he says: "here I am Arab in habits, and slip in talking from English to French and Arabic unnoticing". Clearly he was picking up the languages as he went. Though I did notice that at one of his stops in France he was unable to obtain accommodation and so looked up "the Chaignons..where there was a most enthusiastic welcome". So it seems to me that maybe the family had spent much more time previously in France. (I can't help feeling a little envious of the opportunity to travel in France so readily in one's school holidays). And he also seems to have had a little bit of extra help with his travels in Palestine and Syria. (Staying with the Governors and having mounted military escorts....who was paying for all this?)
Overall, I found it a fascinating read. The Folio Society have done an excellent job with this edition. The maps and drawings are great and the photos also great. Clearly Lawrence had picked up a few tips from his dad on taking photos in 1908-09.. It seems that one of his brothers (A W Lawrence) had a fairly large role in pulling all the original material together for publication. Easily worth five stars from me.

"Revolt in the Desert" is a memoir written by T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia. Published in 1927, the book recounts Lawrence's experiences during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East during World War I.

Lawrence's narrative takes readers on a remarkable journey through the deserts of Arabia, where he played a pivotal role in uniting various Arab tribes against the common enemy. He vividly describes the challenges faced by the Arab forces, including battles, guerilla warfare, and strategic maneuvers. Lawrence provides a detailed account of the Arab Revolt, shedding light on the political and military strategies employed, as well as the complexities of Arab tribal dynamics.

The book offers valuable insights into Lawrence's role as a military advisor to Arab leaders, his interactions with key figures such as Emir Faisal, and his efforts to gain support for the Arab cause from the British government. It delves into the cultural and social aspects of Arab society, as well as the harsh and unforgiving desert landscapes that served as the backdrop for the revolt.

"Revolt in the Desert" is not merely a historical account but also a personal reflection on Lawrence's own experiences and emotions throughout the campaign. It explores his deep admiration for Arab culture and his belief in their potential for self-governance. The book also examines the impact of colonialism, international politics, and the shifting alliances of World War I on the Arab Revolt and the broader Middle East.

Lawrence's writing style is captivating, combining vivid descriptions, insightful observations, and a touch of literary flair. His ability to convey the spirit and essence of the Arabian desert and its people makes "Revolt in the Desert" a compelling read for those interested in military history, Middle Eastern affairs, and Lawrence's remarkable role in shaping the region's destiny.

A Book which defies easy categorization. Somewhat of a guerilla war manual, or a poetic evocation of such a war, or a self-serving piece of literary expression, or, a plea for the acceptance of Arab centred nationalism in a post Ottoman war.. We readers do earn a certain amount about the major figures of the WWI war in Arabia, but little about the author. The book is best read with the illustratios the publisher commissioned, and as a sensual experience of heat. Not to be missed but I'm not very clear about the point of writing it.½

Crónica de guerra libro iniciático y cuaderno de bitácora de un profundo conocedor del desierto Los siete pilares de la sabiduría narra la historia del levantamiento árabe y muestra cómo un inglés educado en Oxford y más inclinado a las letras que a las armas puede convertirse por los azares de la guerra en héroe popular y líder guerrillero.

Basado en la película Lawrence de Arabia

I found this as a PDF online. It's a theory-heavy explanation of the tactics that TE Lawrence used while engaged in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. He's essentially describing the theory behind guerrilla warfare. It's an interesting and short read.

The title of Seven Pillars comes from the Bible, in the Book of Proverbs. This is Lawrence's personal narrative about the Arab revolt during World War I. A caveat: with all personal narratives come author perceptions that aren't necessarily aligned with reality. Lawrence's Seven Pillars is no different. He used unreliable sources in the form of diaries, journals, field notes, and most unreliable of all personal narratives, his memories. Yet, Lawrence goes to great pains to explain the process of his writing. In the spirit of artistic creation this is much appreciated.
I would be remiss if I didn't draw attention to the full page portraits and illustrations that are beyond fantastic executed in plaster, oils, charcoal, pencil, and photograph . Lawrence makes special mention of the artist, Kennington, who worked for five years on the majority of the illustrations.
As an aside, Revolt in the Desert is an abridgement of Seven Pillars.

A few high points in the correspondence, but overall rather lackluster. some of TEL's feats on a bicycle were prodigious, and he seems to blow
them off. I'm mostly amazed at the sort of things he was thinking about in his middle to late teens. A star is born! finished 05.09.20.

Well, I am not a castle nut though I have been in a few. Lawrence did an amazing job with this volume at a very young age. The prose is a bit rough at times and the sketches are not always clear, but it’s Lawrence! Twas a thrill to just hold and read this book. Volume 2 will be coming up soon.... Finished 20.07.2020.

I was aware before starting that this was a somewhat unreliable account of the exploits of Lawrence on the Eastern Front during WWI but the Introduction introduced such a level of scepticism that it tainted my reading; I was forever wondering what was true, what was exaggerated, what entirely fabricated. The veracity of the account was challenged in a publication of 1955 that I don't have. I'd have much prefered to read a critical edition that put the book in the context of the known history so that truth and fiction could be easily separated - I don't know if such a thing exists, though.

Lawrence is at his best when describing landscape and action, at his worst when being judgemental, whether it be about history, peoples or individuals. The first half fled fairly fast but the second was a struggle for most of its length. It turns out that camel rides and raids on railways and bridges can become repetative and dull. Interest was re-ignited when the Allies turn up in force and events become novel again.

I know very little about WWI; my main impressions of it come from two books; All Quiet on the Western Front and this. The contrast between the Western and Eastern conflicts could hardly be greater, on this basis. The mud, trenches, gas attacks, whole-sale slaughter and stalemate of France and Belgium feel like a different world from the rock, sand, guerilla warfare and endless gadding about by horse, camel, plane and (Rolls Royce) car that Lawrence describes in the Middle East. Lawrence's account is rarely in the slightest bit romanticised, though, and hunger, thirst, battle and death are treated in a most matter-of-fact manner that contrasts both with the myth of Lawrence of Arabia on the one hand and the deliberately political and horrifying verse of Sassoon and his fellow War Poets.

Lawrence always fascinates.

> Par Le Monde.fr : "Les Sept Piliers de la sagesse", de T. E. Lawrence : dans les pas de Lawrence d'Arabie
16 juil. 2009 ... L'auteur des "Sept Piliers de la sagesse" avait coupé et récrit son texte avant parution. C'est la version longue, plus facile à lire, qui nous est proposée aujourd'hui ...

Classic text on war with the Arabs, originally distributed privately, then publicly available in 1935

I first struggled through this book with great determination at the age of 12, smitten with the legend after having seen the David Lean movie. As Lawrence said himself, "purple prose." Absolutely beautiful. The obsession continued through to adulthood, and I came to embrace and love the real person through The Mint, Oriental Assembly, and some of the many biographies written about him, and mostly by reading his letters. I learned more about the history of the Middle East, became interested in E.M. Forster's writing, Kennington's wonderful portraits, Ur, and explored many other subjects, connections and viewpoints thanks to Lawrence. I read and eventually acquired my copies of Seven Pillars, Oriental Assembly, and T.E. Lawrence by His Friends through a relative I remember only dimly and was not old enough to seriously converse with while she lived.

il titolo è, oggi, un po' infelice perchè richiama il genere fantasy o giù di lì. Ma se avete provato un brivido mentre Peter O'Toole, nella sua veste bianca, con la mano tesa grida "Aqaba!" e si lancia al galoppo verso il deserto, non potete rinunciare a questo libro. "El Orens" è ancora con noi.

$9.99 and a 30% off coupon, otherwise I may have passed. Here are twenty-seven little "commandments," do's and don't's, that T. E. Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia) penned one hundred years ago for his fellow British officers serving with the Arab Revolt in Arabia and Greater Syria. They are cute and interesting, but I don't know if they're worth the paper and the boards to print them in this nice hardcover format. Even as much as I like Lawrence and have about a dozen books on him. And you must pad out twenty-seven articles. So an introduction from John Hulsman that tries to give a little background on Lawrence, Arabia, and 1917. The overall thesis is: these articles serve as a way to do respectful nation-building. The underlying implication is that George W. Bush and the Iraq War and everyone around him was stupid. This all is a bit of a stretch. Lawrence's articles barely touch upon the concept of "nation-building," they are about fitting in with a revolutionary independence movement and guerrilla campaign. Then David Rhodes (only in incestuous Washington circles would someone think getting the head of CBS News to pen an afterword is a grand idea) tries to make Lawrence's scant articles into a set of Sun Tsu-type leadership principles for businessmen and leaders. Whatever. That fails even worse than Hulsman's attempt.

I got it for about $7. If your really want it, try to get it for $3.

Difficult book to read through entirely; largely covers the history of the Arab participation and the outcomes of World War 1. My 1935 copy, a gift in 1936 to my father, was an abridged history (Lawrence lost the original manuscript and had destroyed his original notes by then). The insights from a different era are interesting, especially in light of the later formation of Israel and the modernization of the original Palestine.½

Finally, finally got around to reading this book. I wanted to ever since I first saw the film almost 20 years ago. It is a remarkable story told in much detail - and in very beautiful language. I'm not much interested in the strategic details, but I found Lawrence's descriptions of his own thought processes and his personal journal enlightening and somewhat inspiring.

Tonight I finished [Seven Pillars of Wisdom], a book I've started reading half a dozen times before without making it to the end. It's very long, and can be tedious at times, but then there will be a thrilling scene of setting explosives while the enemy is near or a painfully beautiful description of the desert.

Lawrence's account of the revolt in the desert should not be taken as the definitive--or even reliable--history of the conflict, but he never intended it to be. As he writes in the introductory chapter: "In these pages the history is not of the Arab movement, but of me in it. It is a narrative of daily life, mean happenings, little people. Here are no lessons for the world, no disclosures to shock peoples. It is filled with trivial things, partly that no one mistake for history the bones from which some day a man may make history, and partly for the pleasure it gave me to recall the fellowship of the revolt." It is the romanticized, deeply personal truth of one man.

Throughout the book, Lawrence comes off as a very complicated person: self-aggrandizing and self-deprecating; highly intelligent, but inexperienced; romantic, but often clear-sighted and cynical. By the end, I found myself even more fascinated by this quixotic figure who found himself torn between conflicting loyalties.

I shall leave off with one of my favorite passages:

Later I was sitting alone in my room, working and thinking out as firm
a way as the turbulent memories of the day allowed, when the Muedhdhins
began to send their call of last prayer through the moist night over
the illuminations of the feasting city. One, with a ringing voice of
special sweetness, cried into my window from a near mosque. I found
myself involuntarily distinguishing his words: "God alone is great: I
testify there are no gods, but God: and Mohammed his Prophet. Come to
prayer: come to security. God alone is great: there is no god--but God.'

At the close he dropped his voice two tones, almost to speaking level,
and softly added: 'And He is very good to us this day, O people of
Damascus.' The clamour hushed, as everyone seemed to obey the call to
prayer on this their first night of perfect freedom. While my fancy, in
the overwhelming pause, showed me my loneliness and lack of reason in
their movement: since only for me, of all the hearers, was the event
sorrowful and the phrase meaningless. (Chapter CXX)

The book that created the movie Lawrence of Arabia" that wonderful adventure story."

Seven Pillars of Wisdom is T.E. Lawrence's classic memoir of his time in the Arabian desert helping the many tribes try to coalesce into an effective fighting force in order to run the Turkish Empire out of the area, where they had been for centuries. Of course, Lawrence's real agenda was to help destroy the Turkish Army forces in the area and thereby help England and her allies win World War One. As Lawrence continues to gain ever greater trust and prestige among the Arab tribes and their leaders, his sense of fraudulence grows, as well. For the Arabs' cooperation is based in large part on English promises to ensure Arab independence after the war has been won, and Lawrence is fairly certain that the rulers of the Empire are dead set on colonization rather than independence for these people. Still, Lawrence's first loyalty is to king and country, so he carries on.

The tale is long in the telling, checking in at 660 pages. Lawrence was a very good writer, and his diaries were very detailed. The hardships and splendors of his many long trips on camelback through extremely arduous terrain and weather, the details of Beduin desert life, the personalities of the people he comes in contact with, influences and commands and their daily lives and mores, and the frustrations, follies and terrors of individual battles and war in general are all effectively and compellingly related. Sometimes the physical aspects journeys that turn out to be of relatively minimal import are described in such detail that they leave a reader wondering what the point of that particular description was. But in the end, the breadth and length of these details helped me get a real sense of the vast distances being traversed in a way that a more rushed exposition would not. Again, both the physical world of the desert in all its glory and appalling hardship, and the chaos of battle, are very, very well described. The inner-workings of the British high command on the Middle Eastern front, and the personalities involved there as well, are also revealed. So, although this book needs a commitment in time and psychic energy, I feel it is well worth both for anyone interested in the topics described here. The only areas in which I felt Lawrence went astray were in his often agonized reflections about human nature and the relationship between physical and moral desires. There is in particular a pages-long segment of such contemplations towards the end that was pretty much incomprehensible to me. All in all, though, these passages make up a very, very small percentage of the tale.

As I understand the wikipedia entry on Lawrence, it was early on assumed that he had embellished his tale freely, but that as biographers have researched the story they have come to think of Lawrence as a relatively trustworthy narrator after all. I could have that wrong, though.

There was an edited-down version of this memoir, published as Revolt in the Desert, made available during Lawrence's lifetime and still available today. This may be more to the liking of many readers, and, really, I couldn't blame anyone for sticking to the shorter version. Personally, though, I'm glad I made space for the long version.

wikipedia also mentions that fact that Lawrence refused to profit from the sales of either version of his memoirs, choosing instead to donate proceeds to charitable organizations.

ZEVEN ZUILEN VAN WIJSHEID OF DE TRIOMF VAN EEN BLONDE ARABIER

Een paar jaar terug verscheen Zeven zuilen van wijsheid (voor het eerst gepubliceerd in 1922 als Seven Pillars of Wisdom: a Triumph), de eerste Nederlandse vertaling van het monumentale boek van T.E. Lawrence, beter bekend als "Lawrence of Arabia", de held van de gelijknamige film van David Lean met een magistrale Peter O'Toole in de hoofdrol. Lawrence' passionele relaas van zijn belevenissen tijdens de Arabische Opstand van 1916 tot 1918, is in de Angelsaksische wereld tot op heden het meest verkochte boek over de Eerste Wereldoorlog. Zo was het een persoonlijke favoriet van grootheden als Winston Churchill, E.M. Forster en John F. Kennedy. Tegelijkertijd is Zeven zuilen van wijsheid brandend actueel. Wie deze cultklassieker vandaag leest, zal de problematiek in het Midden-Oosten vanuit een andere invalshoek bekijken. De oorlog in Irak en het streven naar onafhankelijkheid van de Palestijnen vinden namelijk hun oorsprong in de periode die Lawrence zo uitvoerig beschrijft. De inkijk die Lawrence zijn lezers geeft in de diplomatieke gebruiken en politieke opvattingen van de toenmalige Arabische volkeren is vaak zeer verhelderend en transponeerbaar op de huidige problematiek.

De Brit Thomas Edward Lawrence (1888-1935) had nauwelijks militaire ervaring toen hij in 1916 als verbindingsofficier naar de Hedjaz, een onafhankelijk koninkrijk van 1916 tot 1924 in het westen van het huidige Saoedie-Arabië, werd gezonden. Lawrence, die Arabisch sprak en zijn hart verloren had aan de volkeren van het Midden-Oosten, was op vele vlakken de ideale link tussen de Britse regering en de vertegenwoordigers van de Arabische Opstand tegen het Ottomaanse rijk. Zijn taak om een leider onder de Arabische opstandelingen te zoeken en een alliantie aan te gaan met de Britten, omschrijft hij zelf als volgt: "Ik stelde me ten doel een nieuwe natie te vormen, een verdwenen invloed te herstellen, om twintig miljoen semieten de grondslagen te geven waarop ze uit hun nationaal gedachtegoed een geïnspireerd droompaleis konden optrekken" (p.29).
Hoe was de politieke situatie op het moment van Lawrence' indiensttreding ? Tijdens de Eerste Wereldoorlog was het door de eeuwen heen verzwakte Ottomaanse Rijk nog steeds uitgestrekt en schaarde zich aan Duitse zijde. Het bevond zich tussen de Russen in het Noorden en Britten in het Oosten en Westen in. Na de beruchte nederlaag van de Dardanellen ― de Britse poging om de oostelijke grenzen van het rijk te doorbreken ― was alle hoop gevestigd op het Zuiden, te weten Arabië en omstreken, met zijn tientallen nomadische volksstammen. In die tijd ontstond er een nationalisme dat als belangrijkste doel had de Turken terug te drijven en een verenigd Arabisch koninkrijk op te richten. De Arabische Opstand was een guerilla-oorlog onder leiding van Abdullah en Feisal, de zonen van sharif Hussein, een gerespecteerde vorst die als directe afstammeling gold van de profeet Mohammed en de opzichter was van de twee heilige plaatsen Mekka en Medina. Hussein ging in 1915 een alliantie aan met de Britten, om de Turken uit de Hedjaz te verdrijven, noordwaarts op te rukken en zo Egypte en Palestina van het Ottomaanse juk te bevrijden. De Britten zouden Hussein belonen door van dit hele bevrijde gebied één groot verenigd Arabisch koninkrijk te maken, met Hussein op de troon en Damascus als hoofdstad. Maar die beloftes werden nooit ingelost. Dit is meteen het grote dilemma dat doorheen Lawrence' boek waart: "Het kabinet bracht de Arabieren op de been om voor ons te vechten met de ondubbelzinnige belofte van naoorlogs zelfbestuur (…) Het was van meet af aan duidelijk dat als wij de oorlog wonnen deze belofte een dode letter zou zijn, en als ik een eerlijk adviseur van de Arabieren was geweest, zou ik ze hebben aangeraden naar huis te gaan en niet in de strijd voor zoiets hun leven te wagen (…) wel is duidelijk dat mij geen schijn van recht toekwam om de Arabieren buiten hun medeweten in zo’n gok te betrekken (…) en dat we beter konden zegevieren en ons woord breken dan verliezen." (p.30-31). Lawrence speelde dus een dubbelrol: van aan de start van zijn grote avontuur hield hij zijn Arabische kameraden moedwillig een leugen voor, maar toch probeerde hij tot het einde toe de Britse en Arabische belangen te verzoenen, gedreven door zijn onvoorwaardelijke liefde voor de Arabische cultuur. Die verscheurende gewetenskwestie is de rode draad doorheen Zeven zuilen van wijsheid en maakt er een onverbloemd spijtschrift van. Het heeft soms wat weg van schrijven als therapie, en na de zoveelste evocatie van schuldbesef en puriteins zelfonderzoek, moet je als lezer vaker dan gewenst even doorbijten. Deze vertwijfeling maakt van Lawrence' pleidooi voor de Arabische onafhankelijkheid een halfslachtige bedoening, want wat moet je als lezer die weet wat hij weet nog geloven van de vele, vaak prachtig beschreven loftuitingen op de Arabische wereld en zijn gewoontes ?

De grote troef van dit boek is ongetwijfeld de grote spanwijdte, het literaire bereik. Zeven zuilen van wijsheid is meer dan een avonturenroman en meer dan een zoveelste boek in de traditie van de negentiende-eeuwse Angelsaksische woestijnliteratuur, met als belangrijkste vertegenwoordigers Charles Doughty, Richard Burton, Wilfrid Blunt en Benjamin Disraeli. Lawrence getuigt breedvoerig – soms zelfs té - van zijn zeer uitgebreide kennis van de fauna en de flora, de geografie, de stammen en de gewoonten van de woestijn, maar wat vanaf de eerste bladzijden meteen opvalt is dat Lawrence een geboren verteller én een groot stilist is, die de aandacht van zijn lezers weet te grijpen en vast te houden. Het is een boek dat je niet makkelijk naast je neerlegt. Zijn beschrijvingen van de woestijnlandschappen zijn bijzonder meeslepend en getuigen stuk voor stuk van zijn passievolle liefde voor de woestijn en zijn bewoners. De literaire kracht waarmee hij de verschillende aanslagen uiteenzet, de zeer tot de verbeelding sprekende en plastische schetsen van de diverse stamhoofden die hij interpelleert, of de kennis die hij tentoonspreidt over de gebruiken van de verschillende volkeren, maken de lectuur van dit boek tot een uitzonderlijke ervaring.
Lawrence wilde oorspronkelijk schrijven over de zeven grote steden in het Midden-Oosten (Cairo, Smyrna, Constantinopel, Beiroet, Aleppo, Damascus en Mekka), maar besloot uiteindelijk een autobiografisch verslag te maken van zijn oorlogsherinneringen. Dat Lawrence aanvankelijk een fictiewerk wilde schrijven, verklaart indirect misschien ook waarom hij zo vaak een loopje met de waarheid neemt. Maar de voornaamste reden voor de vele historische onjuistheden is ongetwijfeld dat hij het oorspronkelijke manuscript, inclusief zijn aantekeningen, kwijt speelde en een tweede en zelfs derde versie uit het hoofd probeerde te reconstrueren. Sinds het ter beschikking komen van de relevante archieven is het bewezen dat Lawrence niet altijd de waarheid heeft geschreven of juist heeft verzwegen, en dat we zijn bijdrage aan de hele opstand, en bij uitbreiding zijn hele kroniek met een grote emmer zout moeten nemen. Lawrence is trouwens de eerste om de historische twijfelachtigheid van zijn verslag op de korrel te nemen: "Ik streed mijn eigen strijd, op mijn eigen stort. Zie het (i.e. Zeven zuilen van wijsheid, nvdr.) als een persoonlijke, uit het hoofd in elkaar gedraaide geschiedenis" (p.7). Het is meteen een van de grote verwijten die het boek te verduren heeft gekregen: het megalomane ophemelen van zijn bijdrage, het aandikken van de eigen leiderschapsrol, etc... We mogen echter niet uit het oog verliezen dat Lawrence al bij leven een legende was. Een legende die Lawrence zelf in de hand werkte, naar eigen zeggen om de Arabische zaak vooruit te helpen. Lawrence had zich bewust laten hypen door de Amerikaanse oorlogscorrespondent Lowell Thomas, voor wiens camera hij uitgebreid poseerde. De filmvoorstellingen die Thomas achteraf in Londen organiseerde waren bijzonder populaire spektakels, compleet met buikdanseressen en wierook. De mythe van de blonde, blauwogige Arabier was geboren.
Wie het boek leest als een historisch verslag komt dus bedrogen uit; wie het leest als een literaire interpretatie van een zeer bewogen periode zal op vele vlakken beloond worden. Vertaler Commandeur verdient dan ook alle lof voor de manier waarop hij Lawrence' nu eens bombastische en verheven, dan weer zakelijk en ingetogen taalgebruik, heeft weten over te zetten naar een Nederlands dat het midden houdt tussen de toon van een historisch verslag en een grootse avonturenroman. Jammer dat het volledig overbodige en veel te dweperige nawoord van Guus Kuijer een smet werpt op een voor de rest onberispelijke uitgave van een wereldberoemde klassieker, die eindelijk ook zijn intrede maakt in het Nederlandse taalgebied. De ietwat onbescheiden ondertitel van Lawrence' boek is 'een triomf' en hoe je het ook draait of keert, dat is het boek zeer zeker, in meer dan één opzicht.

- Laurent De Maertelaer

Zeven zuilen van wijsheid - T.E. Lawrence - vertaald en toegelicht door Sjaak Commandeur, met een nawoord door Guus Kuijer; ISBN: 9789025366940; Uitgever: Athenaeum-Polak & Van Gennep; Gebonden, 821 pagina's; Prijs: €44,95

La rivolta degli arabi contro il potere ottomano tra il 1916 e il 1918 è uno degli episodi più emozionanti della Prima guerra mondiale. Thomas Lawrence riuscì a unificare varie etnie e tribù sparse in un territorio immenso, facendone un solo esercito agli ordini di Feisal I, il profeta guerriero, e facilitando la vittoria inglese sui turchi. La narrazione fonde fatti di cronaca ed elementi d'ispirazione poetico-letteraria rendendo questo libro un viaggio nel passato storico e culturale di luoghi che sono oggi al centro della politica internazionale.

INDICE
Una grande avventura (ARRIGO CAJUMI)
Avvertenza dell'Autore

Storrs va a Gedda
Cavalcando verso Feisal
Feisal e le sue truppe
Sconfitte intorno a Jenbo
Feisal si dirige al nord
Tattica e politica
Partenza per la Siria
Il vero deserto
Banchetti nelle tribli
Nomadi e vita nomade
Combattendo verso il mare
Akaba, Suez, Allenby
Riassestamento di posizioni
Punzecchiando il nemico
Mine nella ferrovia
Vittoria e saccheggio
Nuove prospettive e meditazioni
Di nuovo attraverso la ferrovia
Banchetti e sermoni
Galoppando verso il ponte
Cerchiamo di acchiappare un treno
Ritorno al mondo
Combattiamo per Tafileh
L'inverno ci blocca
L'assedio di Maan
Dawnay attacca "Shahm"

Seven Pillars of Wisdom is T.E. Lawrence's account of his actions in leading the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks in WWI. One reviewer called it a "novel traveling under the cover of biography," and I think that's accurate. After a new account of Lawrence's war was popularized this year, I became intrigued and decided to watch the epic Lawrence of Arabia, which I'd never seen before. We watched it a couple weeks ago.

I thought it would be helpful in understanding some of the formation of Syria and the current tribal fighting from there across the Middle East.

The movie is essentially a recreation of Lawrence's account. Peter O'Toole not only looks like Lawrence but also does an incredible job portraying Lawrence's obvious discomfort in his own skin, something that often front-and-center in the book. Lawrence admits his own inferiority complex, how much he dislikes himself, and his conflicted emotions leading the Arabs in the pretense of independence knowing full well the Allied powers will never allow it.

Without more detailed knowledge of the map and the Arab divisions, it is somewhat difficult to follow all of the book; having seen the movie beforehand helped (even with the liberties taken with the timeline). Uncomfortable parts include Lawrence having to kill his own comrades either out of mercy or to prevent a blood feud, and Lawrence being sexually assaulted by a Turkish Major when he was captured (from reading other books on Turkey in WWI, I know sexual abuse of prisoners by the Turks was widespread).

Lawrence's previous history in Arabia and how he obtained his knowledge of Arabic is left out, Lawrence only mentions it in passing. Unlike the movie, there was much more participation and coordination of the British and Australians with the Arab fighters, Lawrence was not a Lone Ranger out there.

The book ends with Lawrence being granted leave, and he expresses regret. But regret for what? Taking leave? Regret for his participation in the war? Regret for not staying? It's up to the reader, I suppose. History tells us that Lawrence was mentally and psychologically shaken by his war experience, something very real in the book.

In all, I give it 3.5 stars out of 5. I look forward to reading a historical documentation of Lawrence's role in WWI.

“I loved you, so I drew these tides of
Men into my hands
And wrote my will across the
Sky and stars
To earn you freedom, the seven
Pillared worthy house,
That your eyes might be
Shining for me
When we came

Death seemed my servant on the
Road, 'til we were near
And saw you waiting:
When you smiled and in sorrowful
Envy he outran me
And took you apart:
Into his quietness

Love, the way-weary, groped to your body,
Our brief wage
Ours for the moment
Before Earth's soft hand explored your shape
And the blind
Worms grew fat upon
Your substance

Men prayed me that I set our work,
The inviolate house,
As a memory of you
But for fit monument I shattered it,
Unfinished: and now
The little things creep out to patch
Themselves hovels
In the marred shadow
Of your gift.”


This book is the Odyssey of the desert war in world war one. Lawrence of Arabia tells the story of his adventures in his own style and view. Having recently read Lawrence in Arabia (by Scott Anderson) I found some of this dull feeling I had just read this same info.

However, one of the things Anderson did not capture well in his analysis of Lawrence is his education. Lawrence was not merely an Oxford grad, but a scholar. His word choice and usage shows a high degree of learning and some of phrase turns are excellent. For instance: "The staff knew so much more of war than I did that they refused to learn from me of the strange conditions in which the Arab irregulars had to act; and I could not be bothered to set up a kindergarten of the imagination for their benefit."

Some self-reflection: "I quickly outgrew ideas. So I distrusted experts, who were often intelligences confined within high walls, knowing indeed every paving-stone of their prison courts: while I might know from what quarry the stones were hewn and what wages the mason earned. I gainsayed them out of carelessness, for I had found materials always apt to serve a purpose, and Will a sure guide to some one of the many roads leading from purpose to achievement."

While these passages jumped out at me they by no means form the way the whole book reads as he relates his history with the Arabs and the battles of minds, cultures, and war that he helped guide. I wished that he had written about his efforts after the war to divide the Middle East differently but he ends his tale near the end of the desert war and doesn't talk much of his life before the war either. A good read but not one to read to soon after another book about Lawrence's life.

P.S. The Folio Society printing of this book is very beautiful and includes the parts later redacted or added by Lawrence.