Rating: 
Summary: Don't expect a film script
Review: Those who enjoyed David Lean's magnificent "Lawrence of Arabia" and picked this book up wanting to gain a deeper insight into T E Lawrence will be sorely disappointed if they expected to see the film reflected clearly in the book. True, the main incidents in the film are there in the book, albeit in a totally different context: you begin to realise how freely Robert Bolt (and presumably Lean himself) adapted Lawrence's account to make the film hang together more dramatically.Many of the previous reviewers have commented that the book is a rewarding if demanding read, that it doesn't really "get going" until about 100 pages in, and that the constant shifts of scene and entrances and exits of characters are sometimes difficult to follow. All that is true - a friend of mine advised that Lawrence is easier to read about than to read. But I felt that choppy nature of the narrative was inevitable when one considers the type of warfare Lawrence describes: hit-and-run guerilla action undertaken by (often mutually antagonistic) Bedouin tribes. Just as Lawrence's raiding parties would emerge at unexpected places out of the desert, so the reader must be prepared for the text to jump from location to location, event to event, and must I suppose be prepared for much of the text (particularly the first 100 pages) to be devoted to how Lawrence managed to muster support both from the Arabs and from the British. Parts of the book will remain with me for a long time - for example - Lawrence's descriptions of how he dug his camel out of the snow, the descriptions of the Bedouins' eating habits, the non-romantic description of life in the desert (defecating camels, infestations of lice and so on). However, what does come over is Lawrence as a tortured soul: he both loves and despises the Bedouin; professes that he knew from the start that the British (and therefore he himself) were merely using the Arabs against the Turks and would not honour their promises at the end of the War; is both proud (particularly of Allenby) and ashamed of the British; and is both spiritually and physically attracted to the Bedouin men, yet embarrassed by this. It helps to have even a superficial knowledge of the Middle East campaigns in World War One: I felt that the danger of not having that overview is that one would tend to think that Lawrence's campaign was the pivotal factor in those campaigns rather than a contributory one (Allenby's campaigns are referred to only obliquely by Lawrence, even though in the later stages of the book he does emphasise the supportive role he was playing). Fair enough, as Lawrence was not writing a general history of the campaigns, but I feel (as my friend advised) that reading about Lawrence now that I have read him would be interesting.
Rating:
Summary: Don't expect a film script
Review: Those who enjoyed David Lean's magnificent "Lawrence of Arabia" and picked this book up wanting to gain a deeper insight into T E Lawrence will be sorely disappointed if they expected to see the film reflected clearly in the book. True, the main incidents in the film are there in the book, albeit in a totally different context: you begin to realise how freely Robert Bolt (and presumably Lean himself) adapted Lawrence's account to make the film hang together more dramatically. Many of the previous reviewers have commented that the book is a rewarding if demanding read, that it doesn't really "get going" until about 100 pages in, and that the constant shifts of scene and entrances and exits of characters are sometimes difficult to follow. All that is true - a friend of mine advised that Lawrence is easier to read about than to read. But I felt that choppy nature of the narrative was inevitable when one considers the type of warfare Lawrence describes: hit-and-run guerilla action undertaken by (often mutually antagonistic) Bedouin tribes. Just as Lawrence's raiding parties would emerge at unexpected places out of the desert, so the reader must be prepared for the text to jump from location to location, event to event, and must I suppose be prepared for much of the text (particularly the first 100 pages) to be devoted to how Lawrence managed to muster support both from the Arabs and from the British. Parts of the book will remain with me for a long time - for example - Lawrence's descriptions of how he dug his camel out of the snow, the descriptions of the Bedouins' eating habits, the non-romantic description of life in the desert (defecating camels, infestations of lice and so on). However, what does come over is Lawrence as a tortured soul: he both loves and despises the Bedouin; professes that he knew from the start that the British (and therefore he himself) were merely using the Arabs against the Turks and would not honour their promises at the end of the War; is both proud (particularly of Allenby) and ashamed of the British; and is both spiritually and physically attracted to the Bedouin men, yet embarrassed by this. It helps to have even a superficial knowledge of the Middle East campaigns in World War One: I felt that the danger of not having that overview is that one would tend to think that Lawrence's campaign was the pivotal factor in those campaigns rather than a contributory one (Allenby's campaigns are referred to only obliquely by Lawrence, even though in the later stages of the book he does emphasise the supportive role he was playing). Fair enough, as Lawrence was not writing a general history of the campaigns, but I feel (as my friend advised) that reading about Lawrence now that I have read him would be interesting.
Rating: 
Summary: a great man
Review: To begin with, I feel I don't have a right to judge here, because I cannot judge a persons life. But I can give my opinion, I hope that the difference is clear. I have heard long ago that the famous movie was a real story, and much later, I discovered that Lawrence himself has written this tale down. And so I went and bought it. For three weeks - and this is a long time for me, who reads usually three books a week - couldn't put it down. I have always been more interested in people, than in history, but in this book is both. Although Lawrence very scarcly talks about himself, he is present on every page. I think the movie, good, but incorrect, had to fail on his person. The true Lawrence was a intelligent, arrogant, very sarcastic man; he was inconsistent a man. And, I think, always fighting not to break at it. I found there a truely great man, yet no hero in the way this word is used. He has done extraordinary thing in Arabia, and for the Arabs, not for the britsh, or himself. Maybe this is the meaning of "Hero" after all. To do something, that even today, people are spellbound by it, the story, the man, the philosophy. Maybe Lawrence was a hero, after all. By the way, Lawrence proves to be one of the most skilled writers I have ever seen. Finally, I can only say one thing: Read this book, no matter if you read in twenty years, or in french, or english, or if you carry it with you on your holiday on the moon. But read it.
Rating:
Summary: I've only read it twice - dynamite!
Review: Whatever the truth of his account, (see the numerous Lawrence biographies - the more critical the better) this book is brilliantly worded. An orchestra of prose produced by a sharp English mind. The text is so poised, sharp and simply pulls you into Lawrences analysis of affiars stressing his judgement and also his regal vanity. One of the most powerful reads of the 20th C. The English is hard to beat - a wonder of prose. If you like that style, try T. E. Lawrence's translation of the Odyssey as well. I wish I could memorise much of this book - a controlled explosive account.
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