Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature)
Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature) book cover

Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Wordsworth Classics of World Literature)

Paperback – December 5, 1999

Price
$10.94
Format
Paperback
Pages
704
Publisher
Wordsworth Editions Ltd
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-1853264696
Dimensions
4.9 x 1.5 x 7.5 inches
Weight
15.2 ounces

Description

T.E. Lawrence was born on 16th August 1888 in Tremadog in Wales. He was one of five illegitimate children born to the Seventh Baron of Westmeath. He studied at Jesus College, Oxford where he became interested in the Middle East.He worked for British Intelligence during the First World War and fought with the Arab forces to defeat the Turks.His exploits earned him the title of 'Lawrence of Arabia' back in Britain.Her resigned in 1922 and sought anonymity in the RAF where he enlisted as John Hume Ross.He later changed his name by deed poll to T.E. Shaw. Shortly after retiring from the RAF, T.E. Lawrence died in a motorcycle accident on 19th May 1935.

Features & Highlights

  • As Angus Calder states in his introduction to this edition, Seven Pillars of Wisdom is one of the major statements about the fighting experience of the First World War'. Lawrence's younger brothers, Frank and Will, had been killed on the Western Front in 1915. Seven Pillars of Wisdom, written between 1919 and 1926, tells of the vastly different campaign against the Turks in the Middle East - one which encompasses gross acts of cruelty and revenge and ends in a welter of stink and corpses in the disgusting 'hospital' in Damascus. Seven Pillars of Wisdom is no 'Boys Own Paper' tale of Imperial triumph, but a complex work of high literary aspiration which stands in the tradition of Melville and Dostoevsky, and alongside the writings of Yeats, Eliot and Joyce.

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(517)
★★★★
25%
(216)
★★★
15%
(129)
★★
7%
(60)
-7%
(-60)

Most Helpful Reviews

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Boring and difficult to read

As the headline states, I found this book to be dull and difficult to read. Because it is a classic, I forced myself to read to page 115, then threw in the towel. I stuck with it because I thought maybe it would improve my vocabulary or something. That didn't happen. There are a lot of better things you could read instead of this.
2 people found this helpful
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The movie is better

It’s a very slow read, as the author uses a lot of British terms and expressions from the early 1900s. Also, much of the book is descriptions of the terrain, the colors of the sand, rock, shale and lava.
1 people found this helpful
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Travel. history etc.

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.
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Excellent

Excellent
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Review

Fair reading
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The power of one

A classic about the power of one individual.
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brilliant book

brilliant book and still incredibly relevant and a pathway to understanding Mideast dynamics
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A Lesson Filled Classic

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.
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Good reading

Good reading
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Fantastic book!

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!