Lawrence and the Arabs: An Intimate Biography, Paperback

The story of the Middle East in the early 20th century--through the eyes of two of that period's greatest Englishmen--Robert Graves and Lawrence of Arabia.

"Brilliant and provocative."--The New York Times

Beginning his life-long affair with the Middle East, T.E. Lawrence--Lawrence of Arabia--made his first journey to the region, a four-month walking tour of Syria studying the Crusaders' castles, while still a student at Oxford. He later returned to the area as an archeologist and at the outbreak of World War I was attached to British army intelligence in Egypt. In 1916 he set out on his greatest adventure. With no backing, Lawrence joined Arab forces facing almost insurmountable odds in a rebellion against Turkish domination. His brilliance as a desert war strategist made him a hero among the Arabs, a legendary figure throughout the world, and earned him the moniker Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence, though, had a near-pathological dislike of publicity and, at the writing of this book, had begun a life of self-imposed obscurity as T.E. Shaw, an anonymous soldier in the RAF.
First published in 1927, Robert Graves's biography remains a unique study of T.E. Lawrence. As a close friend (Lawrence had earlier saved the aspiring poet from bankruptcy), Graves was the only biographer to write with Lawrence's permission and cooperation and did so with understanding and insight that enabled him to separate the man from the myth.

About the Author:

Robert Graves (1895-1985) was a preeminent English poet, novelist, critic, translator, and scholar of classical mythology. He served in World War I--an experience recounted in his 1929 autobiography, Good-Bye to All That--and later became the first professor of English literature at the University of Cairo. Best remembered today for his acclaimed historical novels about the Roman emperor Claudius, I, Claudius and Claudius the God, his other books include The White Goddess, The Hebrew Myths, and Collected Poems.

Former newspaper reporter DALE MAHARIDGE (Intro) is a professor of journalism at Columbia University. His books include And Their Children After Them and Homeland (with Michael Williamson), and Bringing Mulligan Home: The Other Side of the Good War.