Revolt in the Desert

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If you read Revolt In The Desert by T.E. Lawrence, you may find yourself feeling like the poor soul lost in the scorching desert and traveling in circles again and again.  Most of the scenery starts to look the same, and you would swear you’ve seen it all before.

Revolt In The Desert includes a great deal of repetition, especially in its descriptions of the many journeys through the desert from one Arab village to the next.  After a while, they all start to sound the same.

Interspersed in the reiterations, though, are interesting bits about Lawrence’s experiences in the Middle East during World War I.  There are fascinating accounts of his dealings with the many Arab factions, the strategies they developed fighting the German-allied Turks, and the battles they fought—often from the backs of camels.

The overarching story is how a British officer “went native”, won over the Arab sheiks, helped lead them to the defeat of the Turks, and became known as Lawrence of Arabia.  There is no doubt Lawrence was an extraordinary man.  But his book is not so extraordinary.

Of course, Lawrence of Arabia is an Academy Award winning movie that dramatizes the same period covered by the book.  My suggestion:  skip the book and watch that epic movie.

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