I mean, I've read and like Anderson's book but it really is amazing to watch the man completely ignore one of the great ironies of Lawrence and the media mythologizing him afterwards, he himself while acknowledging the controversy refuses to address the way his perspective overshadows that that really matters. The line that will always stick out to me is the "There really was not a lot of people around in this way." what he really means is there were so few Europeans/European like people to attach yourself to. Sure he acknowledges men like Nassib al-Bakri or Nuri al-Said or countless others but they are minor characters in their own story, the story of the Arab revolt. But it isnt their story, not according to this narrative, the Arab story is merely a setting for the European story, of men in an exotic land using their artificially inflated status to drastically change the lives of people they know little of, and by extension who the audience is given little connection to. The Arab world in this book and in Lawrence of Arabia itself is ultimately a setting, we are not introduced to the truly amazing and intricate world itself, but an imagined reality. Little is made of the Qabadayat of Damascus, or the political situation in Istanbul, Beirut or Damascus. Internal Arab politics are not deeply explored only explained in such detail that will allow the reader to follow along with Lawrence's story. If it seems like I'm making a bigger deal of it than I should it's because this is one of the most sympathetic english portrayals of the era.

reading Lawrence in Arabia ,now. A real page turner. Anderson is a master of his craft.

Love this interview Gary. I am so enjoying the book...after all our travels to Turkey the history of this world fascinates me.

Scott Anderson's book, Lawrence in Arabia, is truly wonderful. The audiobook version is read by a terrific narrator, Malcolm Hillgartner. I highly recommend it to any fan of TE Lawrence and of WWI.

It begins at 3:42.

Churchill was not "First Admiral" at the time of Gallipolli (there is no such political post). He wasn't a serving naval officer. He was the political head of the Royal Navy - the First Lord of the Admiralty.

It's an amazing book and very readable!

Gallipoli was a tragedy suffered by Australian & New Zealand soldiers in their thousands (ANZAC's) not just the British. When you read in this book the staggering folly that led to the whole Gallipoli campaign, it's a blood boiling moment. The book is a fascinating read and shows the incredible amount of research that must have gone in to it. Also good to read is Michael Korda's 'Hero' the life of Lawrence of Arabia.

I LOVE IT, the tragic story of the so called Arabian Sideshow of Theater during WWI is so well done by him. How the British and French under the Sykes -Picot Agreement managed to curse that part of the world for the next century is criminal.

For the people who write the transcripts: the word is 'self-abnegation' (meaning 'self-denial' of sorts), 1.03.39

Regarding TE's cold letter to his parents about the death of his brother, Anderson doesn't mention here the reason for this, which was because his mother was controlling and abusive. TE had never, even in the past, shown any emotion to her in his letters. His heartless letters were his way of distancing and protecting himself from her. Anderson makes it sound like TE was some person devoid of compassion which isn't true.

Thank you for the review. As a Jordanian, I don't think that my country was "artificially made", in fact, I believe it's what technically could be saved because the British broke the promises they made to King Hussein Bin Ali.

I've not read anywhere that Lawrence warned the Arabs regarding Sykes Picot Agreement. Anyone else?

one of the better books I have read lately...read it twice, in fact...

Who,in this excellent book, was Omar Sharif portraying in the epoc movie L o A ?

💪🏽

42:32 No the Australians & NZ were sent to the wrong location (Anzac Cove)... That was the first wave of ANZAC's who to their credit got to the top... while the British came in later to a flat area Suvla Bay.

Sound is bad.

Your comments re the French are accurate.

Lawrence didn't inform the British about the attack on Aqaba? So the the Royal Navy bombardment of Aqaba at the same time as the attack was a coincidence? Also the Arab army was 2,000 strong by Aqaba, not 600, it was the Turks who had 600 men.

It irritates me when so-called American experts get their details wrong. Scott Anderson said that Churchill was "The First Admiral...Head of the Navy". First Admiral? Churchill was the political head of the navy - The First Lord of the Admiralty. (The professional head of the navy is The First Sea Lord). You may think this is being pedantic, but someone who claims to be an authority on the subject matter HAS to get it right. Otherwise it damages their credibility...

Which mother stepmom or real

Anderson over eggs his pudding saying that the fall of Damascus caused the almost victorious German army to collapse on the Western Front. While it may have had some effect the fact is that the average German soldier was sick of fighting and sick of the appalling conditions of his family back in Germany and - more to the point - sick of the psychotic Kaiser. The military had known for a long time that the war was lost - they fought on to try and secure favourable peace terms.

An odd take on Gallipoli. And an even odder take on the Lawrence myth.

What also has to be taken in to account was the fact that Islam accepted Christianity as a fellow religon along with the Hebrews. The attitude of the likes of Lawrence was one of "the people of the book" was prevalent at the time.

Lawrence is a tragic figure, possibly born 30 yrs too early. If he had lived into the 40s and 50s Lawrence would have seen the collapse of most of colonialism. What we have in its [place is not ideal either--tribalism and religious conflicts.

European colonial imperialism is a disgrace. Free Palestine

sad yanks gimme a break...yawns

Was Lawrence gay?

The speaker needs to take a class in public speaking. His delivery is halting, disjointed, mumbling, stumbling, hard to follow and often hard to hear. He should stick to writing.

If only... Clearly the world would be an infinitely better place if only those fools who lived through WWI had been as brilliant as modern day academics believe themselves to be. 😆