Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia

De: Michael Korda

Narrado por: Robin Sachs

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

Reseñas de la Crítica

“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)

Thoroughly enjoyed!

Loved it . TE Lawrence remains a facinating topic and this book describes the man in an interesting way

Amazing story, good narration

This was a fascinating story. I've been ignorant for so long about the legend of Lawrence of Arabia. It's an amazing tale, and there's plenty of detail. There's a few academic and dry spots near the end, but it is a pretty good intro to the whole story. I found myself Googling for more info at the end of it (and this is a long book too). I really enjoyed it, the british narrator seems to really fit the tone of the writing too.

Well written and aptly performed

Extremely descriptive and very grabbing.
Thoroughly enjoyable and should be enjoyed by any who value not just historic figures, but the character behind them as well.

Avoid Abridged Audiobooks

First, I find Robin Sachs to be the best narrator in the field of military history, That is a large part of the reason I selected this book.
However, as mentioned by someone else, it is an abridged version. I found this to be very disappointing. No significant time is spent on Lawrence's childhood or his days at Oxford. Why was he so interested in the Middle east to begin with? No insight is provided on this point. In fact, the concluding paragraphs of the book make reference to parts of the book that are not included in this abridged edition. I fail to see why it was necessary to use an abridged version in the first place.

A masterpiece!

Well read with a comfortable quick speed and beautiful pronunciation of Arabic names. The book it self might be the best biography I have read. It is honest, intellectual and well structured and written.

Excellent

I knew almost nothing about TE Lawrence before listening to this book. Now I feel pretty well informed on this amazing and historical figure. This also added to my knowledge of the Arab world. The book tells a great story, and one that is more interesting than fiction. It is long, but I enjoyed the whole thing. The most interesting was certainly the war years, but the aftermath was well told, and kept my interest.

A tale so marvelous it can only be fiction.

The story of perhaps Great Britain's greatest hero or at least, their finest offering in the 20th Century. Like Cincinnatus, he chose to live in the shadows after exhibiting his preeminence, just where the men of privilege and hubris wanted him to stay. If nothing else, T. E. Lawrence proves England is not a meritocracy.

Superb

An excellent account of the life of one of the 20th Century's most famous,and complex characters.From the vivid descriptions of guerilla actions in the desert to the skullduggery of Anglo-French politics and all the aspects of Lawrences' life after WW1,the book is always riveting.
Excellent narration,I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook.

He really was a hero

What an interesting character was Lawrence of Arabia. I'm pretty sure there has never been anyone quite like him. I was so impressed with Lawrence's great love for a people so strange and foreign to him in the beginning. He endured much on their behalf, including an unbelievably brutal rape that left him forever changed. After reading this book, I could hardly wait to re-watch the great epic movie of 1962 to see if it was a good as I remembered it. Yes, it is a great epic, but after reading the book, I have to say "The book was better."

I loved learning about World War I, of which I do not know much and am always ready to learn more. Although the story of Lawrence is not germinal to the War, it did give me some good insights into it.

Excellent Narrator

New Favorite.

This book has sent me on a hunt for all things about T.E. Lawrence. I will be reading it again. I do not want to go into detail about parts of the book. But I will say that as a whole the book was flawless.