Setting the Desert on Fire: T. E. Lawrence and Britain’s Secret War in Arabia, 1916–1918

It was T. E. Lawrence’s classic__Seven Pillars of Wisdom__that made the Arab Revolt a legend and helped turn the British intelligence officer into the mythical “Lawrence of Arabia.” But the intrigue behind the revolt and its startling consequences for the present-day Middle East have remained a mystery for nearly one hundred years. James Barr spent four years trawling declassified archives in Europe and crossing the hostile deserts of the Middle East to re-create the revolt as the international drama it really was. A colorful cast of Arab sheiks, British and French soldiers, spies, and diplomats come together in this gripping narrative of political maneuvering, guerrilla warfare, and imperial greed.__Setting the Desert on Fire__is a masterly account of a key moment in the history of the Middle East, and a portrait of Lawrence himself that is bright, nuanced, and full of fresh insights into the true nature of the master mythmaker. During World War I, The Region Now Known As The Middle East Was A Turbulent, Violent Zone, As Warring Western Powers Scrabbled For Resources And Influence While The Locals--the Arabs And The Turks Of The Ottoman Empire--fought Their Own Battles And Found Their Own Allies -- Inside Cover. Key Figures In This Book -- Maps -- A Note On The Text -- Prologue -- A Clear-thinking Hatchet Man -- Will This Do? -- The Uprising Starts And Stutters -- The Blame Game Begins -- The French Arrive -- This Was The Man -- Crisis Over Rabigh -- Turning Point -- Wajh -- The First Railway Raids -- Differences Over Tactics -- Fighting For Us On A Lie -- Stalemate In The Hijaz -- Triumph At Aqaba -- The Impact Of Aqaba -- Impolitic Truths -- Difficult Times -- Gaza And Yarmuk : Victory And Failure -- Dara Or Azrak : Where Was Lawrence? (15-21 November 1917) -- The Balfour Declaration And Its Aftermath -- Fighting De Luxe -- New Conditions -- A Complete Muck-up -- Preparing For The Push -- Holding Operations -- The Dara Raid -- The Road To Damascus -- A House With No Door -- Epilogue. James Barr. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [355]-362) And Index. Greed and intrigue combine explosively in this gripping tale of how the mercurial Lawrence of Arabia changed the Middle East forever. It was T. E. Lawrences classic Seven Pillars of Wisdom that made the Arab Revolt a legend and helped turn the British intelligence officer into the mythical Lawrence of Arabia. But the intrigue behind the revolt and its startling consequences for the present-day Middle East have remained a mystery for nearly one hundred years. James Barr spent four years trawling declassified archives in Europe and crossing the hostile deserts of the Middle East to re-create the revolt as the international drama it really was. A colorful cast of Arab sheiks, British and French soldiers, spies, and diplomats come together in this gripping narrative of political maneuvering, guerrilla warfare, and imperial greed. Setting the Desert on Fire is a masterly account of a key moment in the history of the Middle East, and a portrait of Lawrence himself that is bright, nuanced, and full of fresh insights into the true nature of the master mythmaker. T.E. Lawrence's classic Seven Pillars of Wisdom made the Arab revolt a legend and helped turn him into the mythical "Lawrence of Arabia." Setting the Desert on Fire is both a masterly account of the intrigue behind the revolt and its startling consequences for the present-day Middle East and a portrait of Lawrence that brings fresh insight to the true nature of the master myth maker Examines the role played by T. E. Lawrence in helping British efforts to shape the Middle East during World War I, tracing the political maneuvers and military actions that led to the expansion of British power and influence in this important region.