Bibliograph

Guerrilla leader, T. E. Lawrence and the Arab revolt, James J. Schneider ; foreword by Thomas E. Ricks

Type

Label

Guerrilla leader, T. E. Lawrence and the Arab revolt, James J. Schneider ; foreword by Thomas E. Ricks

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references and index

resource.biographical

contains biographical information

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Guerrilla leader

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

694283223

Responsibility statement

James J. Schneider ; foreword by Thomas E. Ricks

Sub title

T. E. Lawrence and the Arab revolt

Summary

Reclaiming T. E. Lawrence from hype and legend, James J. Schneider offers a reexamination of this leader's critical role in shaping the modern Middle East. Just how did this obscure British junior intelligence officer, unschooled in the art of war, become "Lawrence of Arabia" and inspire a loosely affiliated cluster of desert tribes to band together in an all-or-nothing insurgency against their Turkish overlords? The answers have profound implications for our time as well. Blowing up trains and harassing supply lines, Lawrence drove the Ottoman Turks to distraction and brought the Arabs to the brink of self-determination. But his success hinged on more than just innovative tactics: As he immersed himself in Arab culture, Lawrence learned that a traditional Western-style hierarchical command structure could not work in a tribal system. Weaving quotations from Lawrence's own writings with the histories of his greatest campaigns, Schneider shows how this stranger in a strange land evolved over time into the model of the self-reflective, enabling leader who eschews glory for himself but instead seeks to empower his followers.--From publisher description

Classification