Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia

By: Michael Korda

Narrated by: Robin Sachs

Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins

Publisher's summary

Michael Korda's Hero is the story of an epic life on a grand scale: a revealing, in-depth, and gripping biography of the extraordinary, mysterious, and dynamic Englishman whose daring exploits and romantic profile - including his blond, sun-burnished good looks and flowing white robes - made him an object of intense fascination, still famous the world over as "Lawrence of Arabia".

An Oxford scholar and archaeologist, one of five illegitimate sons of a British aristocrat who ran away with his daughters' governess, Lawrence was sent to Cairo as a young intelligence officer in 1916. He vanished into the desert in 1917, only to emerge later as one of the greatest, and certainly most colorful, figures of World War One. Though a foreigner, he played a leading and courageous part in uniting the Arab tribes to defeat the Turks, and eventually capture Damascus, transforming himself into a world-famous hero, hailed as "the Uncrowned King of Arabia".

In illuminating Lawrence's achievements, Korda digs further than anyone before him to expose the flesh-and-blood man and his contradictory nature. And as Korda shows in his brilliantly readable and formidably authoritative biography, Lawrence was not only a man of his times; he was a visionary whose accomplishments - as a farsighted diplomat and kingmaker, military strategist of genius, perhaps the first modern "media celebrity" (and one of the first victims of it), and an acclaimed writer - transcended his era.

Korda examines Lawrence's vision for the modern Middle East - plans that, had they been carried through, might have prevented the hatred and bloodshed that have become ubiquitous in the region.

Ultimately, as this magisterial work demonstrates, Lawrence remains one of the most unique and fascinating figures of modern times, the arch-hero whose life is at once a triumph and a sacrifice and whose capacity to astonish still remains undimmed.

©2010 Success Research Corporation (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

“Much has been written about him, but no one has succeeded in illuminating the quintessential Lawrence of Arabia so profoundly and so well as Michael Korda. Hero is a work of brilliance, discernment and meticulous scholarship that surely will be hailed as the gold standard.” (Henry A. Kissinger)

“This magisterial biography of British soldier and adventurer T.E. Lawrence celebrates a life spent subverting authority in the most glamorous - and bizarre - ways. Korda’s vivid portrait of Lawrence and his warring impulses captures the brilliance and charisma of this fascinating figure.” ( Publishers Weekly)

“Comprehensive.... An accessible, textured story of one man who intimately knew the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.” ( Kirkus Reviews)

Very well researched and written

Enjoyed the level of detail, especially with the lesser known period of his life following his return from the Middle East.

Are you interested in T.E. Lawrence? This is it!

Beautifully recorded and does a great job telling the remarkable story of Lawrence. Also sheds light on the Arab conflicts that started a long time ago and still rage today.

Excellent book and narration

Lawrence was an enigma; at the height of his fame he retreated from the public eye. Korda captures the complexity without explaining it away. He presents Lawrence's life without simplifying it. The tone of the book is one of deep pathos and an ineluctable pitch towards disaster, but it's a lovely thing nonetheless.

I do wish we had had the option of an unabridged version.

Great man, good book

If you have watched the movie Lawrence of Arabia then Part 1 will be a rehash. If you have not watched the movie Part 1 will be a good and interesting introduction. I have watched the movie several times and the movie served as an anchor visually for Part 1. Actually the movie was very much better than Part 1 of the book. I almost quit listening several times going through Part 1 because of the repetition. I hung in there and continued to listen. Then came Part 2 and opened up the years after where Lawrence of Arabia leaves off. Part 2 was the "rest of the story" after WWI for Lawrence. It was very interesting and worth the book. Lawrence was such an interesting and multi-talented person it would be very difficult for a book to do his life justice.

A True Hero with Ethics

Seldom do you see a person who becomes a celebrity through their heroic efforts, and doesn't want to be known or recognized for it. He essentially help create the kingdom of Jordan, Iraq and Saudi Arabian among others. He disliked the notoriety of being known as Lawrence of Arabia, and he didn't want to be paid for his book 7 Pillars of Wisdom, just to really break even. He died too young and too poor. How many men do you know of who changed the world and didn't want to be paid a fortune, achieve political gain, or even at least have a trophy wife. He didn't smoke or drink, mostly a vegetarian, and even though he portrayed depression and maybe PTSD he never complained, he just kept living and contributed to life mainly for others.
A brave man of integrity, courage, and exceptional intelligence. He had some strange habits and was eccentric, but all in all an exceptional man. The narration was terrific, and I would seek out the author and narrator again.

Wow What a compelling story

Would you listen to Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia again? Why?

Yess to get more details. he was a very facination person more accoustomed to our modern media age than his own it seems.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia?

He was into motorcycles

What three words best describe Robin Sachs’s performance?

I did not notice him , I was focused onthe story

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

he had a naught side that ios some what shocking.

Yes, Lawrence

I loved the movie, but this book told so much of Lawrence that one didn't know. He knew what HE wanted and tried his best to get it.

The book was good, the audible format was extremely bad

I do not recommend this audible version, some pages are not in the audible format! It is a bad audible book

Incomplete!

The narration is incomplete. It does not contain the entire book. The epilogue was left out. That was a horrible mistake on a biography of such a life as TE Lawrence.

Several hundred pages left out.

I'm up to page 153 in the paper version and thought I would purchase the audio version to listen to when I'm not able to read. I immediately noticed the audio version skipped two chapters, Carchemish and Cairo 1914 - 1916, about 100 pages. That's lame, especially in a biography. There should be a disclaimer in the product description when a publisher decides to decide for you what you should and shouldn't read.

Despite what another reviewer thought, I though the narrator did a great job and Korda's an excellent biographer.