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Title: A Prince of Our Disorder: The Life of T. E. Lawrence by John E. MacK ISBN: 0-674-70494-0 Publisher: Harvard Univ Pr Pub. Date: April, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.50 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.73 (11 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Fame, Foibles, Flaws, and Flagellation
Comment: John E Mack has written a definitive and masterful biography of T. E. Lawrence, a man of fascinating complexity. The movie, Lawrence of Arabia, portrays a "mighty hero." Lawrence's role in the Arab Revolt are put into the context of his childhood, the Paris Conference, and the RAF years. Mack does not diminish Lawrence's achievements nor does he glorify them. Lawrence's post-war years were spent escaping his fame and what he endured. His psychical scars from the war deaden him to emotion and pleasure and his idealistic romanticism turned to nihilism. Lawrence's post-war penitence and alienation lead me to believe that he suffered from post traumatic stress disorder as a result of his brushes with death and his loss of physical and emotional integrity. He sought to break through his numbness by riding high performance motorcycles at breakneck speeds through the countryside and subjecting himself to scourgings.
If you saw the movie, read this book.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Best on Lawrence
Comment: In my opinion, this is the very best biography on Thomas Edward Lawrence. Brillantly written. Beautifully researched. A truly in-depth study of a very great man. Another biogragraphy, a very good one in fact, simply leaves out Lawrence's sado-masochistic proclivities when he joined the ranks after his departure with Churchill. This is the very best. And the author put such hard work into it that it is amazing. It's a masterpiece. My only criticism of this book is that the author definitely dislikes the film version of Lawrence's escapades in Arabia beacause it supposedly portrayed him as a bloodthirsty maniac. Yet in Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom", he did state that we killed and killed and killed as was displayed in the movie. So, whether true or not, that's history. Nevertheless, this is and will probably be the definitive book on Lawrence. Mack put so much effort into this work that I believe this will outrank all future attempts. Very well-written. And despite Mack's pschiatric inquirie's into Lawrence's nature, they don't diminish the book in any way. So may biographies have been ruined by psychiatric interpretations. This book is not one of them. And the author writes compassionately and truthfully so that you know you would like the biographer if you met him on the street. A rare biography that is both user-friendly and very deep. A difficult task indeed. And their is ample evidence that Lawrence had sexual sado-masichistic tendencies after his torture by the Turks. The author does not dispare us of Lawrence's faults in anyway. Yet we are still left with the portrayal of a kind, compassionate, man who was indeed, selfless. A great biography about a great man.
Rating: 5
Summary: We Will Never See Its Like Again
Comment: For years, I have studied the life and works of T. E. Lawrence. My research has lead me across the pages of hundreds of books including his own Seven Pillars of Wisdom, but the best biography and analysis of Lawrence I have yet encountered is A Prince of Our Disorder.
Dr. Mack's thorough examination and explanation of the effect of Lawrence's childhood on his adult life and mentality is brilliant. Instead of merely stating his opinions, he touches on those of other biographers as well and then proceeds to state how and why he feels they are accurate or inaccurate, providing quotes from military reports, other Lawrence books, interviews with Lawrence's relatives and friends, and Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
If you read A Prince of Our Disorder, I can almost 100% gaurantee that you will have a better understanding of Lawrence's personal role in the Hejaz Campaign and the lasting effects of his experiences in Arabia on him physically and psychologically. Thankfully, it is beautifully written, and not at all confusing.
From the moment Mack "introduces" you to Lawrence you will have a desire to learn more about him, and as Mack walks you through his troubled life, you will feel pity and awe for this untouchable man.
I think that A Prince of Our Disorder clarifies the line between the legend of the indestructable, hero-Lawrence and the lost, soul-searching man Lawrence really was.
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Title: Seven Pillars of Wisdom : A Triumph by T.E. Lawrence ISBN: 0385418957 Publisher: Anchor Pub. Date: 01 June, 1991 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Lawrence of Arabia by Basil Henry Liddell Hart, Henry, Sir Basil, Hart Liddell, B. H. Liddell Hart ISBN: 0306803542 Publisher: DaCapo Press Pub. Date: May, 1989 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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Title: T.E. Lawrence by Michael Yardley ISBN: 0815410549 Publisher: Cooper Square Press Pub. Date: April, 2000 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: Lawrence: The Uncrowned King of Arabia by Michael Asher ISBN: 0879517123 Publisher: Overlook Press Pub. Date: September, 1999 List Price(USD): $37.95 |
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Title: T. E. Lawrence: The Selected Letters by T.E. Lawrence, Malcolm Brown ISBN: 1569249954 Publisher: Marlowe & Co Pub. Date: April, 1994 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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