ABSTRACT
T. E. Lawrence’s Arabic teacher, a Syrian woman, when in her late eighties wrote to a friend, “Lawrence seems to be like an oyster which has, through pain and suffering all through life, developed into a pearl which the world is trying to evaluate, taking it to pieces layer by layer without realizing the true value of the whole.” In order to understand the effectiveness of Lawrence’s actions during the Arab Revolt of 1916 to 1918 one must assess carefully the actual nature of his role therein. In Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Lawrence told in vivid, gory detail how the retreating Turkish columns had bayoneted or otherwise massacred the citizens of the Syrian village of Tafas, pregnant women, children, and babies included. Lawrence’s role in the post-World War I political settlements remains controversial, and the historical judgments are not all in.
