No full-text available
To read the full-text of this research,
you can request a copy directly from the author.
T. E. Lawrence and the Art of War in the Twenty-First Century
Abstract
If there were a hall of fame for modern military theorists, Thomas Edward Lawrence would deserve a place in it. In his dual role of theorist and practitioner of the art of war, Lawrence demonstrated the power of military theory for developing appropriate strategy and tactics in war. In working effectively with the leaders of the Arab Revolt in World War I, he left insights for forging a successful coalition to defeat a common adversary. By embracing the Bedouin Arab way of war, he was able to develop a theory of guerrilla warfare that still holds relevance today. In light of the above achievements, Lawrence should stand as a model for military officers as they prepare intellectually and emotionally to face the challenges of the twenty-first century.
No figure in twentieth-century Anglo-American history is so mysterious, intriguing, and charismatic as Thomas Edward Lawrence of Arabia. Nearly every aspect of his rather short life has aroused contention. Yet, he surely once belonged in the company of Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee in America and Winston Churchill in England as a major iconic hero, all of whom have since had their posthumous reputations subjected to harsh revision. Many more books have been written about these others. To be sure, though, T. E. Lawrence has his impressive share--from the journalist Lowell Thomas and Lawrence's close friend, the poet and novelist Robert Graves, to the more recent biographers, Jeremy Wilson and John Mack. Most of these writers have been positive or even reverential in their treatment. Some, notably the English poet and biographer Richard Aldington, were distinctly negative, and lately the analyses of Lawrence's war efforts and personality have made Aldington's accusations appear especially egregious and unjust. The question arises, why should a subject so long worked over still engage interest? Several come to mind. The first is the very quality of Lawrence's mind, literary skill, and influence on other thinkers, both literary and military. His two major works, Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1926) and The Mint (1955) are both classics in their own right. He was not prolific, but his surmounting of Victorian convention and adopting of modern, psychologically rich insight affirm that his art belongs among the best twentieth-century examples. 1 Yet, the concentration of this exploration is devoted to his military relevance followed by analysis of his reputational complexity.
The Uncommon King of Arabia
- Michael Asher
- M Asher
My Reveries Upon the Acts of War
- Maurice De
- M Saxe de
For a succinct analysis of his military thought Theorist and Campaign Planner (Fort Leavenworth, School of Advanced Military Studies Another good source is Basil Liddell Hart
- Seven Lawrence
- T E Pillars Lawrence Moores
- Lawrence
Conduct of the War: Strategic Factors
- Douglas Pike
Twenty-Seven Articles
- T E Lawrence
How to Change an Army
- Huba Wass De Czege
- HW Czege de
For a recent reprint see Wilson, Lawrence of Arabia
- T E Lawrence
- TE Lawrence
Desert Warrior: A Personal View of the Gulf War by the Joint Forces Commander
- Khaled Bin Sultan
- K bin Sultan
The thesis was first
- T E Lawrence
- TE Lawrence
- L Moores