Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature)

T.E. Lawrence was a visionary and did his best to bring his vision to fruition. His insight into the Arab cultures and differences had many lessons. Many of these went unheeded and a different history of these lands and people has played out in a sad way. A great book I have given away about 9 copies.

After reading some of the reviews I was not at all sure how this read would turn out but I very much enjoyed T.E. Lawrence as an author. I generally found this a very interesting insight into what was going on during the Arab Revolt, something I have been curious about ever since seeing 'the movie'. I am contemplating going to Jordan to visit 'Lawrence' sites so this is on the reading list and I am glad to have read it. I could scarcely put this book down, however, for an American, it is a little difficult at times deciphering the British style verbiage of 100 years ago. An American dictionary is not always of help given Lawrence's 'turn-of-phrase' every now and again, but this is part of the charm of T.E. Lawrence I suppose. The intelligence and both mental and physical toughness of the man comes through very powerfully in his writing. I regard this as one of the most interesting and important books I have ever read and can easily understand why it continues in print.

I love reading books from historical figures, and this was a great read! It not only talked about T.E Lawrence’s life, but it also talked about the history of the Middle East and the different ethnicities inhabiting specific parts of the region, philosophies and strategies employed to defeat the Ottoman Empire.Definitely deserved 5 stars!

Colonel T.E. Lawrence, aka, “Lawrence of Arabia,” narrates his adventures in organizing and fighting Arab guerilla force that battled the Turks in World War I. In so doing he met and overcame many obstacles that ultimately enabled his unit to effectively support General Allenby’s conventional attack that defeated both the Turks and their German allies. His is a little-known story that deserves to be told. To accomplish his task Lawrence first had to assimilate himself into the tribal culture that was Arabia of 1916-1918. He learned to speak Arabic, rode a camel, wore Arab garb and ate Arab cuisine. By doing so he convinced the tribes to put away their centuries old feuds and unite to fight a common enemy, the Turks.Next, he battled overwhelming obstacles such as the vast, inhospitable terrain that was Arabia where supplies such as weapons, food and that most precious of all commodities, water were scarce. Taking all these factors into consideration he made use of all of them and effectively used them to his advantage against the enemy. His campaign against Turkish supply lines serves as a textbook for unconventional warfare today!The mission of U.S. Army Special Forces is to recruit and train indigenous forces and, on occasion conduct direct action missions. British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill organized his Commando units for that purpose in World War II. President John F. Kennedy did likewise in Vietnam. Conceivably Lawrence was the inspiration for them both. He could rightfully be called the first Commando and/or the first Green Beret!The campaign in Middle East is a little-known chapter of the first world war. Seven Pillars shows how guerilla forces can greatly assist conventional units. Recent conflicts in the Middle East have spurred renewed interest this coordination that began over a century ago. His is a great read that has great historical significance and contains valuable lessons for today!

This book reads like travel log a personnel view of the Arab Revolt and full of thought-provoking ideas. While reading it one feels the heat of the desert and the lifestyles of the Bedouin. Lawrnce bears his soul for all to see.

I bought the book for my great-nephew who saw my original Seven Pillars and actually knew who the author was.

I read this over the course of Christmas break, and was astonished at the skill with which Lawrence writes. A true master at prose, and a wonderful storyteller--I actually laughed a few times at funny moments. Very informative, too, with regards to all that was occurring in the Middle East at the time.

Fair reading

Não vou mentir, o material q é feito o livro é bem ruinzinho, mas para o preço do livro vale a pena. A obra em si é incrível, mas uma coisa que me incomodou foi um pouco a confusão das localizações, mas acho q foi algo comigo mesmo, pq ao decorrer da leitura comecei a me localizar melhor.

I’m happy with the book, which arrived in excellent condition.

The english is not my mother tongue. So for me was good the narration.But the book had a scratched in the back of the cover

Si tratta di un'opera troppo spesso dimenticata o fraintesa, che va letta - a mio avviso - in lingua originale. L'edizione è pregevole e la copertina contiene una bella opera d'arte, soprattutto per un amante del paesaggismo come me.

Over forty years ago, an English Literature teacher suggested I read this book; I had shown a naive interest in the Middle East. But in 1962 I saw the movie, Lawrence of Arabia, again and again, and again. I still think it's my favourite all time movie, but now I wish I had read the book first!Reading all the introductory pages first was a mistake...I wish I had started where T.E.L begins. To analyse before reading (I found) distorts the flow of the well written tale. So read T.E.Lawrence first, then go back to see what his critics say. And, if you haven't already, then see the movie! There are critics a-plenty of Lawrence from beginning to end of that, and all in the best possible taste.It's a long, not always easy read, but well worth a little effort!