A Book Review of Thomas Edward Lawrence’s Revolt in the Desert A Critical Review

Reading Revolt in the Desert, the recently published abridged version of Seven Pillars of Wisdom—T. E. Lawrence’s rendition of the overt and covert journeys in the Middle East in support of the Arab rebellion against Turkish Ottoman rule—entails a journey in itself—in time, space and myth—in order to come to grips with recent history and its complex ramifications. Unlike Palgrave, Gertrude Bell and the Blunts, Lawrence knew the terrain well, had a clear agenda and was primarily interested in Realpolitik , political expediency and military pragmatism, and certainly not in the magnificence of the East or its cultural and mythical splendors.