Lawrence And The Arabs

To be sold with its likewise uniformly rebound sister volume (7 Pillars 1955), This is the story of the Middle East in the early 20th century - through the eyes of arguably two of that period's greatest Englishmen - Robert Graves and Lawrence of Arabia. Beginning his life-long affair with the Middle East, T.E Lawrence made his first journey to the region, a four month walking tour of Syria studying the Crusaders' castles, while still a student at Oxford. the 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 the 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 major dislike of publicity and, at the time Graves began writing this book, had begun a life of self-imposed obscurity as T.E. Shaw, an anonymous RAF soldier.First published in 1927, Grave's biography remains a unique study of Lawrence. As a close personal friend (Lawrence had earlier saved the aspiring poet from bankruptcy), Graves was the only biographer to write with Lawrence's permission and cooperation, enabling Graves to bring to this intensely personal book, the precision and insight that was necessary to separate the man from the myth.Several rare photos, illustrations and maps are included throughout. Overall a stunningly beautiful pair of expertly uniform rebound volumes. $1600 with its sister volume written by Lawrence (Seven Pillars of Wisdom)