Lawrence and Aaronsohn: T. E. Lawrence, Aaron Aaronsohn, and the Seeds of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

by Ronald Florence

How Lawrence of Arabia and a Jewish agronomist from Palestine mapped the land and conflicts of the modern Middle East

In the turmoil of the First World War, while the Great Powers secretly plotted the future of the Middle East, a second lieutenant from Oxfordshire and a Jewish agronomist from Palestine audaciously imagined new nations—Arab and Jewish—rising from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. T. E. Lawrence, who would later become the iconic Lawrence of Arabia, used his assignment of coordinating Arab support for British war strategies to advance the dreams of an Arab state. Aaron Aaronsohn gave up a distinguished career in science and, with his sister Sarah, established a secret spy network in wartime Palestine, providing the intelligence that enabled the British victory over the Turks.

Their arguments in wartime Cairo and at the Peace Conference in Paris presaged the political battles of the Middle East today. In this gripping narrative history, Ronald Florence resurrects the exploits and sacrifices of an unsung Zionist hero, deconstructs the legend of Lawrence of Arabia, and provides new perspectives on the origins of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Genres: History, Middle East, Biography, Nonfiction, World History, Israel

528 pages, Hardcover

First published July 19, 2007

About the author

Ronald Florence is a novelist and historian, author of twelve books. Educated at Berkeley and Harvard, he taught at colleges and universities, ran a foundation, raced sailboats, and raised Cotswold sheep before turning to full-time writing. He lives in Providence, RI and travels in Europe and the Middle East to research his books.

Reviews

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through careful research and telling, Florence tracks T. E. Lawrence as he seeks to help the Arabs (whom he has romanticized since childhood) help the British in WWI. Similarly, he tracks Aaron Aaronsohn, who bravely and methodically parleys his agricultural research station's observation capability into war intelligence for the British. Both men see war participation as a strategy to advance their skeptical constituencies in the aftermath of war. Both have to work to get the ear of the British bureaucracy.

One of Florence's theses is that in the work of Lawrence and Aaronsohn we can see the beginnings of the Arab Israeli conflict. The other is that while Lawrence is better known, Aaronson's work is more lasting.

I was particularly drawn to the childhoods of the two men. Lawrence's was a 99% guarantee that he'd be eccentric. Aaronsohn's brought to life the early days of Israeli settlers, how they came to the Middle East and how they contended with both European patrons and Ottoman overseers. There are many well written episodes, besides those of the childhoods these include tense moments in spying, Sarah Aaronsohn's ultimate sacrifice and descriptions of some of the Arab operations.

The text devoted to Lawrence's loss of his manuscript and Aaronsohn's death is short in relation to each's respective impact, but both are followed by a very good analysis of the impact of the men's lives on the future.

[Alma Kucymbala · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually a fan of books about war and battles, but I loved this. The history of WWI in the middle east from the perspective of T.E. Lawrence (Arab guerillas) and Aaron Aronsohn (Jewish spies) it is a well written history. Gives me pause to think how our actions today will shape the course of our future.

[Dakota · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was surprised how much I enjoyed this. While perhaps overdramatic at times, Florence skillfully weaves the lives of two deeply fascinating and unique individuals into one story of a land in between worlds. Lawrence is already justifiably famous, but given thoughtful study; Aaronsohn was nearly unknown to me and an equally incredible man. Florence has done his research and presents balanced portraits of both men in all their flaws and glory. There are points of historical uncertainty which he perhaps simplifies, or moments of excessive projection of 'what if,' but on the whole the book has style, research, and tells an intriguing and sad story of two pivotal lives in the midst of the storm.

[John Sgammato · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like the Frank Meyer book reviewed here, this book is encyclopedic in collecting and ordering a lot of good information. I enjoyed it, but there were times that I had to go back and refresh my memory of some names or events, they come so fast and thick. In the end, it's a very good book that really fleshes out these two fascinating and important men.
My only gripe is when discussing the Peace Conference at the end of WWI, when the author describes Woodrow Wilson's "naive idealism". One doesn't accomplish what Wilson did by being naive. He was idealistic for sure, in a hopeful sense. I wish the book could have added 20pp more to better explore the aims of the world leaders at the conference and how Aaronsohn's and Lawrence's plans fit from the perspective of those leaders.

[Jonathan D Kopplin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great history on how Arab Nationalism and the Zionist Movement came into conflict coming out of the First World War.

[Susan Hirtz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Florence, a respected scholar, has spent considerable time and effort in fruitful research on the causes of conflict between modern day Israel and its neighbors. He has excellent Middle East credentials, associated with Harvard and UC Berkeley on the subject.

Exploring Aaron Aaronsohn's upbringing as an experimental farmer under Turkish rule in then-Palestine, his book delineates his influence on modern irrigation and farming methods in California. Aaronsohn, educated in Paris, was obsessed with creating scientifically based agronomy in both Palestine and America, but was stymied by political unrest and British suspicion. This was a time when agriculture was in trouble because small farms couldn't expand to meet the need for food. He was the founder of Israeli food production. Unfortunately, he died before he could see the birth of the modern state and agricultural miracle of Israel.

Florence then contrasts the life of this excellent scientist and agronomist with that of T. E. Lawrence, showing how the Balfour Declaration and its influence were counter to the needs of the budding nation states in the Levant. Lawrence and Aaronsohn were working along parallel lines.

They were giants in the history of the area; both created fascinating plans to map a Middle East without today's ongoing political strife. Disregarding their ideas, sadly the European rush to power led to ongoing bloodshed; both died trying to change the economic and political systems of their day.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one of those books that I picked up when I couldn't find another one I was looking for. It sounded interesting and the topic is something I'm trying to understand as much as I can. Still, the book never really grabbed me at any point.It wasn't badly written, I suppose, but it was a topic that it seems should have been a lot more compelling than it was presented.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although it can't be classified as riveting, the pairing of these two intensely driven, equal and opposite contemporaries, is fascinating and lends itself to the telling of their respective life stories. Excellent format for a biography and useful, at times, as a primer on many early aspects of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

[Agustin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very enlightening read on two very important figures in the history of Palestine and the Middle East. Sadly the influence of Lawrence and Aaronsohn is neglected in most history books. Recommended reading for anyone interested in the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Middle Eastern history in general.

[Valarie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite a fascinating look behind the scenes at the wrangling that went on to establish the modern state of Israel. Two men, both incredibly flawed, and how their interactions were a forewarning, of sorts, of the current conflicts between Arabs and Jews in the Middle East.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was good. The only problem? I had the great pleasure of reading Lawrence in Arabia by Scott Anderson and that book is fantastic. So, compared to Anderson's book, Florence's isn't as captivating, but the information is still good and the book is well-written.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating topic. Not the easiest read (for me)