Portrait of T. E. Lawrence

by Vyvyan Richards

A concise, perceptive study, focusing on Lawrence's mission as a man meeting an historical need; his extraordinary gifts and powers; and his career as an example of personal freedom, both his own, and his quest for the freedom of others.

Genres: Nonfiction

148 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1982

Reviews

[Zoë Birss · Rating 3 out of 5]

For any reader who loves the film Lawrence of Arabia as much as I do, this book will be a treat.

Exactly as the title says (ignoring the cringey and problematic subtitle, which was not included in the original edition of this book), this is a portrait of the enigmatic, brilliant, arrogant, complicated Lawrence of Arabia. As a biography, it is very short. The writer, in a very readable and even occasionally poetic style, gives a lot of information in an economy of words. So it is concise, and thorough.

The greatest strength of he book is in the character study of the subject, rather than the gas and figures of his life. He is a fascinating man, audacious and completely self-conscious. Bold, yet terrified of failure. As such, the middle section, on his time as a Captain, becomes unfortunately bogged down in politics and military strategy. This may interest some, but does little to paint the portrait the book promises beyond the first twenty pages of decisions and battles.

Fans of the classic film will probably like this book. I'd encourage others interested in T.E. Lawrence to find a book with greater context given to the culture and history of the time. This book is written as though much of this is already known by the reader.

[BLRBrazil · Rating 4 out of 5]

My copy was actually a paperback, published in the USA by Scholastic Book Services in 1939 (2nd printing 1967).
It is an excellent book that reveals, in spite of the quality of the David Lean classic "Lawrence Of Arabia", that the film nevertheless failed to do justice to a most remarkable and capable man. He was one of those rare people of whom others remark - they don't make them like that anymore!

[Hadeel · Rating 4 out of 5]

needed more context but was really pleasant to read.

[Karyl · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not a good book to read if you know almost nothing about Lawrence of Arabia. I've heard his name and have a very general idea of who he is, but I'd never seen the movie or read any other books on him. This book assumes you have a pretty good idea of Lawrence, and of his work in the Middle East, as well as a working knowledge of his book Seven Pillars of Wisdom. I feel as though I have no better knowledge of Lawrence as I did before I read this book.

[Billie Cotterman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a very basic and simple biography of T.E. Lawrence published in 1939. It is what it is. I enjoyed it, and it was a good way to remind myself of the basic timeline of events.