Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 784 pages
• Published by: Anchor June 1, 1991
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0385418957
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0385418959
• Book Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 1.8 inches
• Weighs: 1.2 pounds

Product Review
This is the exciting and highly literate story of the real Lawrence of Arabia, as written by Lawrence himself, who helped unify Arab factions against the occupying Turkish army, circa World War I. Lawrence has a novelist's eye for detail, a poet's command of the language, an adventurer's heart, a soldier's great story, and his memory and intellect are at least as good as all those. Lawrence describes the famous guerrilla raids, and train bombings you know from the movie, but also tells of the Arab people and politics with great penetration. Moreover, he is witty, always aware of the ethical tightrope that the English walked in the Middle East and always willing to include himself in his own withering insight.

Product Description
The monumental work that assured T.E. Lawrence's place in history as "Lawrence of Arabia." Not only a consummate military history, but also a colorful epic and a lyrical exploration of the mind of a great man who helped shape the Middle East as it exists today.

Reader Reviews
It is difficult to describe the experience of reading The Seven Pillars. It is by turns beautiful and ugly. It is military history. It is a subjective view provided by a man very much of his time. It is an apology and an excuse for the necessities of war. It is a portrait of a tribe that Lawrence came to respect and even love. It is a travel book about life in the desert at the time of writing. It is inevitably a mix of fact and history and fiction and probably at least a little bit of wishful thinking. It is, ultimately, a pretty amazing book to read. A few notes: Before you read the book, do some quick background reading on the history that's involved. This will help avoid confusion. Be prepared for a long read! It's not only a long book, it's an extremely dense book. The choppiness and frequent changes in tone make it hard to put on the reading cruise control. Read it as a product of its time. Lawrence was a fascinating man, but not without his prejudices or faults.