Behind the Lawrence Legend
The Forgotten Few Who Shaped the Arab Revolt
Published on 8. February 2018
Book
Hardback
314 pages
978-0-19-880227-3 (ISBN)
Description
T. E. Lawrence became world-famous as 'Lawrence of Arabia', after helping Sherif Hussein of Mecca gain independence from Turkey during the Arab Revolt of 1916-18. His achievements, however, would have been impossible without the unsung efforts of a forgotten band of fellow officers and spies. This groundbreaking account by Philip Walker interweaves the compelling stories of Colonel Cyril Wilson and a colourful supporting cast with the narrative of Lawrence and the desert campaign. These men's lost tales provide a remarkable and fresh perspective on Lawrence and the Arab Revolt.
While Lawrence and others blew up trains in the desert, Wilson and his men carried out their shadowy intelligence and diplomatic work. His deputies rooted out anti-British jihadists who were trying to sabotage the revolt. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Lionel Gray, a cipher officer, provided a gateway into unknown aspects of the revolt through his previously unpublished photographs and eyewitness writings. Wilson's crucial influence underpinned all these missions and steadied the revolt on a number of occasions when it could have collapsed. Without Wilson and his circle there would have been no 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
Yet Wilson's band mostly fell through the cracks of history into obscurity. "Behind the Lawrence Legend" reveals their vital impact and puts Lawrence's efforts into context, thus helping to set the record straight for one of the most beguiling and iconic characters of the twentieth century.
While Lawrence and others blew up trains in the desert, Wilson and his men carried out their shadowy intelligence and diplomatic work. His deputies rooted out anti-British jihadists who were trying to sabotage the revolt. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Lionel Gray, a cipher officer, provided a gateway into unknown aspects of the revolt through his previously unpublished photographs and eyewitness writings. Wilson's crucial influence underpinned all these missions and steadied the revolt on a number of occasions when it could have collapsed. Without Wilson and his circle there would have been no 'Lawrence of Arabia'.
Yet Wilson's band mostly fell through the cracks of history into obscurity. "Behind the Lawrence Legend" reveals their vital impact and puts Lawrence's efforts into context, thus helping to set the record straight for one of the most beguiling and iconic characters of the twentieth century.
Reviews / Votes
By opening a new window into how the British operated in Arabia and how British agents understood their roles and goals, Walker does worthwhile and constructive work...his book is a useful contribution to understanding the apparatus of imperial intervention and the process of imperial mythmaking. * Andrew Orr, Humanities and Social Science Reviews Online * A fascinating and excellent read. * Keith Simpson MP's Summer Reading List * Minutely researched... a worthy and thorough addition to the history of the Arab Revolt. * Literary Review * [A] superb and genuinely original addition to the literature on Lawrence and the Arab Revolt... a compelling and exceptionally well-written narrative, the book is strongly recommended. * Neil Faulkner, Military History Monthly * Peppered with previously unseen photographs, and written in readable prose that anchors us into rhythms of these men's daily, it is a must for anyone interested in the war Britain waged in the Middle East from 1916-18... Walker should be commended for an engaging and thoroughly researched account of the British men who underpinned Lawrence's romantic forays into the desert. * Jacob Norris, BBC History Magazine * The meticulous research of the author... is evident on virtually every page. Walker has left almost no stone unturned. * Jacob Rosen-Koenigsbuch, Israeli Journal of Foreign Affairs * Provide[s] a more richly detailed and nuanced background than we have had till now to the unfolding of one of the most colorful theaters of World War I. * Anthony Sattin, Wall Street Journal (Europe) * These men's lost tales provide a remarkable and fresh perspective on Lawrence and the Arab Revolt. * Eye Spy * An extremely welcome addition to the existing literature on the Arab Revolt in 1916-18. Exhaustively researched and colourfully written, it provides a nuanced and detailed sketch of the way the British assisted the Arab rebels, and brings to life a number of key actors whose roles have either been forgotten or obscured by the Lawrence legend. * Saul David, Telegraph * Theres no doubt that in setting out to rescue Lawrence's colleagues from obscurity, Philip Walker has performed a valuable service... by the end [of the book], you want to give them all a clap. * John Preston, Daily Mail * Highly recommended. * Western Front Association * [A] seminal study ... fascinating and well-written. * Martin Bourke, Asian Affairs Journal * Philip Walker has written a deeply investigative account of the war in Behind the Lawrence Legend and has broken new ground in examining how numerous other people and organisations - besides the legendary TE - underpinned the campaign and were crucial to its eventual success. * Tissie Roberts, Alderney Journal * A gripping account of the Arab Revolt as seen through the eyes of the men on the ground in Jidda. Walker has uncovered remarkable new documentation and photographs that shed valuable new light on the Great War in Arabia. An outstanding book for the centenary of the Revolt. * Eugene Rogan, Director of the Middle East Centre, St Antony's College, Oxford * This excellent account of those who underpinned the fighters in the Arab Revolt reminds us of the hardships and challenges of war in early twentieth century Arabia. By looking behind the lines Walker shows us the real scale of Lawrence's achievement and the achievements of those who supported him. * Sir Mark Allen, ex-Foreign Service * An excellent and fascinating complement to Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom. It reveals the hidden stories of his brothers-in-arms and what they achieved during the Arab Revolt. * Lawrence James, English Historian and Writer * After another round of books on T. E. Lawrence 'of Arabia' published on the war's centennial, it seems scarcely credible that anything new can be said on the subject. But Philip Walker has discovered an astonishing wealth of new material in private collections. The 'Forgotten Few' peers beneath the Lawrence legend to reveal the seamy underbelly of the Arab Revolt. * Sean McMeekin, Professor of History, Bard College, New York *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Approx. 35 black & white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 161 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
694 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-880227-3 (9780198802273)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
02/2018
1st Edition
OUP Oxford
€33.00
Available for download
E-Book
01/2018
1st Edition
OUP Oxford
€33.00
Available for download
Person
Philip Walker is an historian and a retired archaeologist who spent many years working for English Heritage. He has travelled in Libya, Palestine, Morocco, Xinjiang (the Muslim far west of China), and other parts of Central Asia. He lives in Cambridge and this is his first book.
Content
LIST OF MAPS; A NOTE ON THE TEXT; PREFACE; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS; ENDNOTES; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX