Lawrence of Arabia on War

Reviews

A riveting account of T. E. Lawrence’s battles on and off the battlefield… Using scrupulous research and succinct prose, Johnson provides a gold mine of stratagems… a must-read for military leaders to come! An innovative study of Lawrence that carefully and intelligently examines his campaigns and thinking on irregular warfare, and in doing so produces an accessible and intellectually stimulating work of military history. A new, pioneering study of Lawrence in Arabia, focusing on his military thought, contributions to strategic theory and, indeed, continuing relevance to today’s doctrines of insurgency, counterinsurgency and ‘hybrid’ warfare. Rob Johnson’s intimate knowledge of his subject produces a fascinating book which fuses history and theory. T. E. Lawrence's reputation has been a battleground for historians and biographers for decades. Setting aside the clutter of disputes about the accuracy of Lawrence's post-war writings, Rob Johnson's superb study makes a bold and compelling case that Lawrence was a significant and original military thinker. This is a major contribution to the literature on the Middle East in the Great War, and the history of military ideas - and it is highly relevant to contemporary armed force. In this significant re-examination of the breadth and depth of TE Lawrence's contribution to strategic thought and guerrilla war, Rob Johnson performs the invaluable task of linking military history to contemporary thinking on counterinsurgency and hybrid war. The critical consideration of Lawrence's military engagements and the careful analysis of the myth versus the man are vividly explored and reveal how Lawrence remains relevant for those interested in the contemporary character of warfare. Rob Johnson elegantly presents an account of Lawrence's writing on guerrilla warfare with his experience of it in the desert, in a captivating narrative which allows the reader to see how the theory and practice inform each other. Johnson's account is especially strong on Lawrence's analysis of the human, psychological element of war, and traces this theme up to the present day. This timely work will engage general readers and specialists alike. This volume is the key to understanding how this Oxford historian and archaeologist emerged as a major strategic tactician…This book by Rob Johnson has a strong appeal at so many levels and is thoroughly recommended. This book can be strongly recommended to anyone interested in Lawrence, the First World War in the Middle East, and the theory and practice of guerrilla warfare. A most valuable and interesting study. Johnson’s account of Lawrence’s thinking on irregular warfare will remain an important and widely cited work for years to come. Expand reviews