LAWRENCE, T. E. - LIDDELL HART, Basil Henry.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

'T. E. Lawrence'. First edition, first impression, of this influential early biography which was central to the formation of the Lawrence myth. Captain Sir Basil Henry Liddell Hart (1895-1970) was one of the leading military thinkers of the 20th century, and his book is often considered the first "serious" Lawrence biography after the sensationalism of Lowell Thomas and Robert Graves. It provides valuable insight into Lawrence's achievements as a strategist "who had the vision to anticipate the guerrilla trend of civilized warfare" (p. 382). Liddell Hard considered that his friend Lawrence "was more deeply steeped in knowledge of war than any other general of the First World War"; a judgement that has been seen as hyperbolic by many in the intervening 80 years, but which in view of current thinking on the increasing prevalence of asymmetric warfare, and counterinsurgency operations seems remarkably prescient.Liddell Hart views Lawrence as a brilliant leader, worthy of comparison to Napoleon, and Marlborough. Using minimal resources against a numerically and technologically superior foe, Lawrence "turned the weakness of the Arabs into an asset, and the strength of the Turks into a debit" (p. 383).

• Printing: first

Found via Rare Books Intel, a search across rare-book dealers, auction houses and marketplaces worldwide.