Lawrence of Arabia

Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East

After the outbreak of World War I in 1914, Germany's ally, Turkey, seized the opportunity to invade the Arabian Peninsula. The region's tribes were disorganized and unable to resist the Turkish invasion. The British military dispatched Lawrence, an Army intelligence officer known for his "Arab expertise," to conduct operations there. The British intention in the Arabian Peninsula was to provide the Arabs with limited firearms and ammunition to tie down Turkish forces while simultaneously bringing the Arab tribes under their control. Lawrence largely followed this strategy, but his approach was highly strategic. He adopted Arab clothing and tried to live as close to Arabs as possible. His commando unit's numerous military exploits, which resonated throughout the Middle East, earned him the nickname "Lawrence of Arabia." The book details Lawrence's heroic long-distance raids against the Turkish garrisons of Aqaba and Damascus, his friendship with the Arab leader Prince Faisal, and other historical details. The book highlights Lawrence's rich inner life, particularly his resistance and struggle with British imperial policy in the Middle East. To highlight Lawrence's unprecedented and potentially unparalleled feat, the author also uses parallel narratives to narrate the efforts of two outstanding American and German intelligence officers, effectively serving as a foil to Lawrence. In short, this is an excellent biography, with a captivating subject and elegantly written, with a plot twist that remains true to its core. It is a key to understanding the history of the Eastern Front in World War I, British imperial foreign policy, and the modern history of the Middle East.

2014-09-01

社会科学文献出版社

Oracle

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9787509759233