The Song of Lawrence - Reader comments at The New York Sun

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Arabian Knights

Submitted by Stephen Bennett, Mar 3, 2008 13:12

About ten years ago I met a very interesting Israeli man who collected biographies of T.E. in all languages. At the time he had over 400. Yet every decade we get dozens more even though the story is now well known. Why is that I wonder? Whatever one part of the curmudgeonly world thinks of Sykes-Picot, 1914, 1948 and all that, for another part Lawrence's story (even just the true bits) would stretch credulity were it pure fiction. Add to this his contradictory character: self-promoting/loathing, elite insider/outsider, idealist/realist, Jingo/critic of empire, Arab lover/hater, and we see why the man perennially fascinates. Lawrence is not just another Philby; he is unique. He is a specimen of a romantic English intellectual who fell into just that moment in history when his eccentric skill-set found a perfect fit with the opportunity created by WWI in the Levant. Humanity will remember Lawrence's personal voyage long after it has forgotten Sykes-Picot (or Oslo for that matter) because it is so unique and so human. Who remembers - or cares - what Roland was fighting for?

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
About ten years ago I met a very interesting Israeli man who collected biographies of T.E. in all languages. At...	Stephen Bennett	Mar 3, 2008 13:12
I am getting very tired of revisionist versions of recent history written by persons with no experieince of the world... [MORE]	Randal Mcmurphy	Feb 24, 2008 23:53
'War is hell', most restaurant meals are based on slaughter but that dosen't inhibit cookery articles. We all have to... [MORE]	Rihard Barrett	Feb 26, 2008 16:30
It shows committment to go out and visit the battlegrounds mentioned and to know they are there, ths echoes Lawrences... [MORE]	Richard Barrett	Feb 22, 2008 15:48
In Shooting an Elephant, Orwell also writes of the colonialist: "It is the condition of his rule that he shall... [MORE]	john boland	Feb 22, 2008 04:43
Lawrence specifically excluded Palestine West of the Jordan from the area promised to Faisal. The fact that the Balfour Declaration... [MORE]	JJ	Feb 21, 2008 17:21
"a junior officer was able to remake the Middle East according to his own whim...." Oh really? Lawrence was a... [MORE]	Robert Baker	Feb 21, 2008 05:32
Lawrence and his Arabs did not enter Damascus "just in front of General Allenby's..", but rather entered the south gate... [MORE]	Mike Larkin	Feb 22, 2008 06:52
There was an amazing film about the charge on Beersheba - it had one of the most breathtaking scenes -... [MORE]	Sophia	Feb 22, 2008 16:41
There is nothing very new in any of this - either the books or the reviews. My own impression of... [MORE]	Mick Sherman	Feb 21, 2008 02:55
When ever I read weeping comments or rememberences of past,I can understand that famous prank=White man's burden.Today no place for... [MORE]	Ramesh Raghuvanshi	Feb 21, 2008 02:29
Mr. Kirsch can pile on now but we can all be we thankful there was a British Empire in 1940.... [MORE]	Norm Frink	Feb 21, 2008 00:10
Instead of castigating Mr Kirsch, I would try and imagine what "unimaginable masses" from the Western, read, white, world would... [MORE]	Vithal C Nadkarni	Feb 21, 2008 04:41
The last successful cavalry charge in History took place during the Desert War Campaign at Beersheba. The Australian Light Horse... [MORE]	Norman Hanscombe	Feb 21, 2008 18:57
Recently I discovered that I had a great uncle in the Imperial Camel Corps. I have known since I was... [MORE]	margaret	Feb 21, 2008 21:20
Mr. Nadkarni reveals himself by equating prospective Nazi rule in Britain with British rule in India. I suppose that's the... [MORE]	Norm Frink	Feb 23, 2008 13:36

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