The Golden Warrior: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia

The image of the British hero soldier T. (Thomas) E. (Edward) Lawrence (1888-1935) is tarnished by James ( The Savage Wars: The British Conquest of Africa, 1870-1920 ). The biographer, who obtained access to formerly unavailable documents, controversially posits in his carefully researched study that Lawrence's WW I military activites to spur an Arab revolt against the Turks, in order to assist the allied forces, was a public relations coup rather than a military victory. Although Lawrence was brave under fire, he identified with the Arab cause to such an extent, James relates, that he compromised the truth in his articles and books written after the war ( Seven Pillars of Wisdom ) and, with the assistance of American journalist Lowell Thomas, created his own largely fictional image as a romantic war hero. James concurs with other researchers who have revealed Lawrence's story of his capture and rape by the Turks at Dera as a lie. Illustrated. (Feb.)