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Literary Review
By Kevin Kizer
Best unintentionally funny line in the
book: “After which he traded in the
Ford for a used camel…”
C
onsidering the turmoil we
have seen in our lifetimes,
it’s somewhat astounding
to consider that about 90 years
ago nearly the entire Arab culture
of the Middle East was almost
unified under the guidance of a
single man. A gangly Brit at that.
That man was T.E. Lawrence,
better known as Lawrence of Ara-
bia. For as little many as Ameri-
cans know about history, this is
one piece of it that some know
well. However, credit shouldn’t
be given to our sterling educa-
tional system but rather to Holly-
wood. That, of course, is because
of the 1962 epic film starring
Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness and
Anthony Quinn. In general, the
film stays true to the real story,
mainly because the real story is
quite amazing.
“Blowing up trains and harass-
ing supply lines with dynamite
and audacity, Lawrence drove
the mighty armies of the Otto-
man Turks to distraction and
brought the Arabs to the brink of
self-determination.” But how did
an obscure junior officer with no
knowledge of the art of any type
of war gain the trust and respect
of a “loosely affiliated cluster of
desert tribes” and unite them in
a single cause? It’s because he
learned – one might say he intuit-
ed it immediately – that any type
of Western military hierarchy
would be a recipe for disaster in
a world of tribal systems where
warriors lead entire communities,
not just other warriors.
This book provides a detailed
account of the Arab revolt Law-
rence led during World War I,
from the attack on the port city
of Aqaba to his bloody victory at
Talifeh, the only battle of the war
that was Western in nature. For
two years Lawrence led the Arab
warriors as they battled Turks
unconventionally through desert
raids on camels and by dynamit-
ing trains. By harassing and mak-
ing life for the Turks uncomfort-
able, to say the least, Lawrence
helped pave the way for the Brit-
ish push northward. He and his
Arab warriors ultimately linked
up with the British army, led by
General Edmund “Bull” Allenby,
for the final push to Damascus,
toppling the Ottoman empire.
The British and French ma-
nipulated and outright lied to
Arab clan leaders, convincing
them that if they rose up against
their occupiers – the Turks, who
happened to be allied with the
Axis powers – they would help
them achieve independence and
self-determination. It would also
knock the Turks out of the war
52
thePeorian.com
“Guerilla Leader: T.E. Lawrence
and the Arab Revolt”
By James J. Schneider