Lawrence of Arabia: The Man and the Motive [Signet Biographies]

THOMAS EDWARD LAWRENCE was the illegitimate child of an Irish baronet, and the stigma of bastardy lay heavily on this man who was to become one of the most outstanding figures in recent history. What compulsion drove Lawrence, a student of archaeology, to grasp his historic role? Why did he ride across Arabia's endless sands, huddle in nomad tents, the self-appointed English emissary conferring secretly with the Arabs? Why did he storm the citadels of the English to plead the Arab cause to Gen­eral Allenby? How did he endure capture and torture in Deraa? What untold strength led him to escape and ultimate victory? This biography tells his story - the story of a man who achieved the impossible, and who turned away from the rewards of his labor when recognition was at hand, retiring into the obscurity from which he came • • . a mysterious figure to the last. PROLOGUE 7 1 REVOLT IN ARABIA 14 2 IN SEARCH OF A PROPHET 19 3 LAWRENCE MEETS FEISAL 24 4 THE KINGMAKER'S DREAM 28 5 A TURKISH REVERSE 34 6 ADVANCE IN THE HEJAZ 41 7 WEJH CAPTURED 46 8 GATHERING THE TRIBES 51 9 ABDULLA DISAPPOINTS 59 10 GOING IT ALONE 63 11 AKABA CAPTURED 71 12 ALLENBY MEETS LAWRENCE 81 13 RAILWAY RAIDING 86 14 NORTH TO AZRAK 95 15 FAILURE AT YARMUK 101 16 CAPTURE AND TORTURE 108 17 BATTLE AT TAFILEH 114 18 ATTEMPTED ABDICATION 121 19 ADVANCE AND WITHDRAWAL 128 20 FEISAL DISOWNED 135 21 SELF-ANALYSIS 141 22 CLIPPING THE ENEMY'S ARTERIES 147 23 MASSACRE AND COUNTER-MASSACRE 153 24 DAMASCUS 159 25 EXIT AND RE-ENTRY 169 26 CONFUSION IN CONFERENCE 175 27 A SYRIAN TRAGEDY 183 28 BACKING INTO THE LIMELIGHT 193 29 ATONEMENT IN ARABIA 198 30 "SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM" 205 3 1 REDUCED TO THE RANKS 215 32 "PER ARDUA AD ASTRA" 223 33 THE MOTIVE 230 BIBLIOGRAPHY 241 INDEX 243 Biography of T.E. Lawrence, the illegitimate child of an Irish baronet and student of archeology who lived among the Arabs during World War I as a self-appointed British emissary, fought, was captured, tortured, and escaped. Nutting was a British career diplomat and staff support to high officials in the department of Foreign Affairs.