©2008 Lawrence James (P)2012 Audible, Inc.
"It gets better at the end"
This is not so much about the mythical Lawrence as it is about the hundreds of characters in his life with whom he played his life's role as an artist, scholar, military genius, literary writer, adventurer, etc!!! There seems no end to opinions held by people who knew him and the book seems to cover them all—one after another with less than ideal organization.
The publisher makes clear the objectives of this book. Take them seriously and perhaps reconsider whether this is the book you want. The ending part of the book and the epilog moves too quickly but is excellent to the date of publication when relevance to modern Southwestern Asian history is briefly covered.
If you are interested in the personal Lawrence you will find the book relates conflicting and contradictory opinions throughout. Apparently Lawrence had few or no fixed principles or morals and often “put on a show” to serve his own ends. The exceptions were alcohol, tobacco, wasted time, and women. The result is a very complex book reflecting these inconsistencies. As such the book is far better as a thorough and detailed history than for casual listening.
I listen only to Biographies and Histories.