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Setting the Desert on Fire: T.E. Lawrence and Britain's Secret War in Arabia, 1916-1918
by
James Barr
“Barr turns history into a drama, with bright writing and a fascinating cast of characters.” —Mary Foster, Associated Press
"In this groundbreaking book, James Barr tells the full story of the revolt made legendary by T. E. Lawrence in Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Drawing on research on the ground in the Middle East, and in the key libraries and archives of Bri...more
"In this groundbreaking book, James Barr tells the full story of the revolt made legendary by T. E. Lawrence in Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Drawing on research on the ground in the Middle East, and in the key libraries and archives of Bri...more
Paperback, 382 pages
Published
July 6th 2009
by W. W. Norton & Company
(first published 2006)
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Certainly a worthwhile read. Where the film "Lawrence of Arabia" would lead you to believe that Lawrence was a lone British officer sent out into the desert to find and recruit the Arab tribes to fight against the Ottomans. "Setting the Desert on Fire" shows that, as with most historical films, what's on the screen isn't necessarily what actually happened.
"Setting the Desert on Fire" also seems to be symptomatic of a pattern in historical writing that I have come to...more
"Setting the Desert on Fire" also seems to be symptomatic of a pattern in historical writing that I have come to...more
Fabulous book! Really went into the intricate detials of the political and diplomatic situation in the Middle East during WWI. Amazing to see how Lawrence quickly became an advocate and a mentor for some of the tribes, with 2 primary goals: to prevent the French from claiming Lebanon when the war was over, and to gain Arab help against the Turks, which would, in turn, buttress their claims for territory. Lawrence moved back and forth across the area and Egypt, negotiating with the Arabs, ple...more
Clear, well-organised account of the war in Arabia. Other reviewers have commented that it is rather dry, and it certainly is. However, the story is so interesting that the book becomes quite compelling. It's not without colour, and there are a number of colourful and some quite moving incidents presented in Barr's understated text. Perhaps, Barr could have introduced more colour and certainly more background to the major protagonists. Nevertheless it is a compelling read. perhaps more of a...more
Barr tells the story of T. E. Lawrence from a broader perspective than Lawrence's own. A bit dry at times. I wish he'd included more about modern day Jordan, et al.
Fascinating history to delve into!
Not enough info about T E him self but over a lot of info about WW! in the east.
Interesting and well formed - a little dry at times (no pun intended!).
Jose Aranzamendez
marked it as to-read
NIRAJ AGARWALLA
marked it as to-read
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Historian James Barr has written for The Economist and the Daily Telegraph. He is a Visiting Fellow at St. Antony’s College, Oxford.
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