Seven Pillars of Wisdom

By: T. E. Lawrence

Narrated by: Roy McMillan

Length: 25 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Although T. E. Lawrence, commonly known as "Lawrence of Arabia", died in 1935, the story of his life has captured the imagination of succeeding generations. Seven Pillars of Wisdom is a monumental work in which he chronicles his role in leading the Arab Revolt against the Turks during the First World War. A reluctant leader, and wracked by guilt at the duplicity of the British, Lawrence nevertheless threw himself into his role, suffering the blistering desert conditions and masterminding military campaigns which culminated in the triumphant march of the Arabs into Damascus.

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Public Domain (P)2012 Naxos AudioBooks

One of the greatest stories ever told.

Would you listen to Seven Pillars of Wisdom again? Why?

Yes. I have been listening to it again. This memoir has so much detail, and so much happens, and it is so full of strange sounding names of tribes and tribal leaders and places, and so much intrigue, that it is possible to thoroughly enjoy going through it once to get the big picture and then go through it again to go over the details you missed the first time and still thoroughly enjoy it the second time!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Seven Pillars of Wisdom?

There are so many it is difficult to choose, and so much variation. I love the descriptions of Auda of the Abu Tayi and his various exploits. He is such a larger than life character, its almost difficult to believe that such an extraordinary person ever lived. The way Lawrence wrote about Auda, he seemed clearly in awe of him. Some of the battle descriptions are quite grim, but particularly disturbing was the description of his capture and torture by Turkish troops.

What about Roy McMillan’s performance did you like?

I thought he did a fantastic job. His accents, his timing...I couldn't fault it.

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

I laughed on a few occasions, but more often I found myself going "ewww".

Any additional comments?

One of the things that is striking about this book, particularly bearing in mind when it was written, is that it is very personal and honest and Lawrence lets you see inside his head and often enough you would rather not look but he was such an extraordinary and strange man you can't stop yourself listening.

What an adventure!

Any additional comments?

There isn't a work of fiction that can rival this incredible true story; it's as if most works of fiction strive to achieve what happened for these two years in the deserts of Arabia through the eyes of a single, odd Englishman during World War I.

Of course Lawrence has the mind of an author, his ability to stand apart from the men and world around him and take in all the details and grains of life and then turn all that into a coherent story with vivid characters is a skill very few people truly possess. And there were times when I really did wonder if everything here really happened or if it was invented. Any other author I would be much more skeptical of, but Lawrence was an unusual person who actively hated himself, hated his own body even, who never could figure out how to fit in, who would rather long for a desire rather than grasp the reward, who spent the best part of his life living as another person. That pedigree, that inability of him to ever take credit for anything other than cleaning up a hospital of dead, liquefied Turks, made me trust his account, even the dreamy bits.

There were parts of the books I struggled with - mostly the names and places. Maps are helpful, but maps lead to outright historical documents to me laid next to the book for quick consulting and then I'm not even reading the book proper anymore - so I dispensed with any hope of knowing who all the people were and focused on those that mattered, namely Faisal, Auda, and the brief moments of Allenby. The language of the Arabs is very foreign sounding so it got a little confusing keeping everyone straight in my head and I was grateful when he resorted to generalizations such as calling a group 'The Australians'.

Other parts weren't clear because so much time has passed since the events here (nearly 100 years) that people and events who were probably quite well known when the book was first published have faded into history or have been too confused with David Lean's masterful film "Lawrence of Arabia".

However, this did not hinder my enjoyment of the book and aside from an already decent understanding of the events of WWI, and the overarching political structures, I was able to proceed into the desert without much difficulty. Though it would be fun to really sit down with this book and research every last person and event.

The one part of the book I had been told would be tedious was the part I found not only the most fascinating, but also the most crucial : the landscape. But Lawrence wrote so much of the landscape because that is what the Arabs were fighting for and Lawrence wanted to give every grain of sand in Arabia its due glory. And only then after we've turned over every stone, every burning lava field and slate, every murky well, the supreme glory of Rumm, only after seeing all of this country do we see why they fought the Turks. The cruelty of the Turks in that village, that little girl ... Tallal became the Arab conflict and this is what Lawrence was trying to tell us the entire time. It took that many words, that much detail to get the point across as to why they fought and why they actually came together as a people who normally hated each other to defeat a common foe.

And the fact that Fiasal was able to get these tribes to stop killing each other for just long enough to take Damascus and win the war is the most remarkable thing here. Lawrence's story was incredible for sure, but what Fiasal did is unmatched and only Ghengis Khan can surpass such political ability (however Fiasal actually didn't even have to resort to Mongol brutality either). Yet that's the sad thing here too since that corporation lasted for such a short time and has never been seen again. Even now in a post Arab Spring world, there is not much hope of a unified middle east - Saudi Arabia is rich but not trusted (though must be respected because of Mecca). Syria is still reeling and probably always will, and the West Bank and Palestine is in even worse shape.

For that brief moment there was hope but it started to fall apart the very hours after the taking of Damascus as the men immediately fought over political control. Maybe that's why Lawrence added the bit about shoveling up the jellied remains of the Turk soldiers an poured those stinking remains into the grave because he knew how vile the whole business of humanity was, how terrible (yet glorious) war was, how petty, how temporal and fleeting life is, how in the shadow of Rumm all of us are utterly insignificant.

And he knew it wouldn't last. "Fantasies, these will seem, to such as are able to call them my beginning an ordinary effort".

He tried, he gloried, yet couldn't enjoy it, and could never shake that it was all vanity in the end. But what a tale!

So thankfull T.E.Lawrence wrote this book

Roy McMillan reads this so well.

As the book was written for others. that could perhaps explain if one needs explanation, why this book is so intimate. It has the feel and resonance of letters from a friend.
Roy McMillan captures this.
Also Lawrence's style of writing, what he writes about, moving through the experiences, the people and events and places that all contribute to a great account. He was an archeologist working in the Middle East before being asked to work with the Military Intellegence.

The pdf is helpfull, giving times and chapters as well as a simple map. If you are like me you will find some excellent links through Wikipedia and well, just surfin. So I have listened once since downloading and spent as much if not more time searching the web.

The events in 'Seven Pillars' are almost 100 years old. The decisions of Super Powers of the day, still influence us today.
While a lot has been written about the man, it is good to hear or read his own account. Keeping in mind he was with the British Military Intellegence at the time there are no doubt many things he did not write about.
And yes, I am thankfull Lawrence wrote Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Armed with better maps and Bio's my second read will be very slow.

An Honest Man

T.E. Lawrence went home a hero. History still holds him such. But honest men know that as has been typical of other conquerors toward their conquered, the British lied and cheated the Arab people and used them for cannon fodder to reduce loss of British lives.

Lawrence went home a hero, but in his heart he more honestly felt himself a failure. In this book he tells the truth of his failures and the emotional pain they bought him.

This book is worthy of the library shelves of any serious student of history.

Sand,Camels and a Genius

For a long time I have wanted to read "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" I am glad I didn't. I never would have put in the fantastic narration that gives this book a life. Roy McMillan puts so much verve in the interpretation, all the characters have their own voice. This book is true history as it comes from Lawrence's confused mind.. It has action , of course, camel rides for days under the most sever conditions,rides in Rolls Royces filled with high explosives intrigue, betrayal tense page turner. I listened to it in two days. It' fantastic! I believe you'll love it.

The true middle East

Would you listen to Seven Pillars of Wisdom again? Why?

Absolutely! The story captivated my imagination and I felt like I was stood by the side of Laurence throughout is journey.

Who was your favorite character and why?

T.E. Laurence was the main character and so it's without a doubt that he is the leading character.

What does Roy McMillan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator brings this story to life so well it sounded like he himself was Laurance.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The long distances that Laurance endured on camel and the moments of complete isolation bring it home how humans can struggle through and make the most of bad situations, even through these difficult times Laurance still captures the beauty of the Middle East his discription of the surrounding areas and the people he travelled with is like poetry. Nothing is left unsaid and the simple purity in the writting brings you in to his world.

Any additional comments?

For those who would like to get a better understanding of the early times of the Middle East and with a perspective that is non biased this is the book for you. With modern events and with difficulties currently in the region it would be wise for those who make comments with out a factual bases to take a moment to step back into history and get a better idea of the reasons why modern day Islam has come about.

watch the Arab uprising in early 1900s

you may have seen the movie Lawrence of Arabia, but you haven't felt the experience until you read this book.

superb

One of the greatest books ever written - my personal favorite. The narrator could easily pass for the voice of Lawrence himself. I wish i could give it 100 stars. Absolutely superb!!!

Tremendous work!

One of the most interesting stories ever told from a perspective that you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere. To me, Laurence seemed to have great ability and foresight with little ego except that which recognized these forementioned gifts. The personal struggle with his mission and the times gives amazing insight into a historical character that text books lack.

Expected more …

This is not a bad book but certainly not a great one! I was expecting much more of the Arab Revolt within its pages as well as the part played by T.E. Lawrence in shaping the current Middle East. Instead you get an idealized mish mash of colonialism, betrayal and brazen bravado. The history of this book is quite remarkable as the original pages were lost and Lawrence wrote it three times from memory and diaries. But you only get one side of the history as the Arabs mentioned by Lawrence left no written record themselves. I am not sure if the Turkish side of the story exists either.

To be sure, Lawrence was not the character displayed in the David Lean Hollywood blockbuster, Lawrence of Arabia. That was just Hollywood. In this historical narrative, he displays himself as a savior to the Arab ambitions, chief strategist on operations, and dashing war officer riding in the Saharan desert. Riding a camel or wondering the desert in an armored car comes naturally to Lawrence. He also treats the fading Ottoman’s with disdain and focuses primarily on his own successes. Even though some of his disappointments are explained, the Arab revolt was much more than Lawrence and Faisal. There were many other operatives throughout the region who masterminded the fall of the Ottoman Empire. Some are mentioned but very insignificantly.

On the positive side, it is a window into the Arabian theater of WWI. The book also richly paints the various Arab sheiks, Bedouins, warriors, and their machinations. The writing is also satisfying as the desert and exotic foreign locales come alive with mystery and fascination. Ultimately the Arabs were betrayed by the colonial powers via the Sykes-Picot agreement. Lawrence, eventually washed his hands and left.

Hard to Start, then Astonishing

The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is written in what feels like a rather arcane, Gothic-style sermon-like English. This seems an odd choice because T. E. Lawrence is felt to be a modern figure in British history: his story is set during the mechanized 1914-1918 war, but in the middle-east, rather than the trenches of Europe. The book, because of its style is difficult at the start, but then through its moral complexity, its astonishing closeness to the motivation and events of the the life of T. E. Lawrence, the story becomes compelling. At its heart, and what makes the book profound, is the fact that is a moral journey within war, not just the memoir of a skilful soldier, or a story of blood and guts. In the end the intricate reading, and the polite British style of the reader, all make for an emotional and astonishing story. It is very good to have this audio-book and while its length and its complexity takes some effort to embrace, this challenge matches the scope of the story, the quality of the writing and the understanding it gives to the reader of T. E. Lawrence, and the books as a basis for an understanding of the contemporary politics and struggles of the present middle-east.

A reading that opens the door...excellent

I had tried to read this a couple of times and given up. Lawrence's prose seemed of another era, a challenge to battle through. Whilst listening I went back to my hardback to check something, and was reminded of my difficulty reading it. Somehow the narrator picks it off the page and makes it compelling in a way I could never do when trying to read it. It was fluent, gripping and Lawrence was brought to life in a way I could not have imagined after those abortive attempts on the text myself. This really makes a compelling case for the audio format.

A Fascinating and Inspiring Piece of Work

What made the experience of listening to Seven Pillars of Wisdom the most enjoyable?

The description of the nuts and bolts of waging war and the analysis of how important personality and a judgement of individuals is in the process.

What does Roy McMillan bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

McMillan's seemed command of the Arabic names and his capacity to demonstrate the emotion ingrained in the narrative added to the experience of the book. It was easy to say "this is the voice of Lawrence".

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This is not a book to listen to in one sitting. It is complex in both its detail and its ideas and it resonates with a whole range of contemporary events. Don't hurry your listening. As each day with the book passes, you with think 'around' it to gritty ideas in the world at large.

Any additional comments?

A map of Arabia at the time of the First World War would be very useful to accompany your reading, particularly if the map pertains to the Arab conflict. The movements of Lawrence and the Arabs are quite convoluted throughout the book.

Fascinating historical insights

What did you like most about Seven Pillars of Wisdom?

I found this book fascinating as it covers a conflict which I knew little about. It gives insight into the mind of Lawrence and what motivated him. His attitudes and opinions are sometimes not PC by modern standards but he has a great respect for the Arab culture and a wonderful descriptive style. The reading is clear and he makes the text very accessible.
Overall I really enjoyed it from both the literary and historical perspectives.

Won't Recommend!

Any additional comments?

The book gets very boring with similar scenes and it was one of the those books which could not get my attention throughout. There was not a single scene which could could hook me into the book. So I had to bear it for 25 hours. Only buy this if you’re Brit and love the heroic role of Britain in breaking up the Ottoman empire. Other than that it is very difficult bear.

Excellent

One of those rare books that can have a real effect on one's life. "Wordy" but stick with it, it's well worth it...

Pheww a long slog

I am trying to get through this. Tried the book as well. Its very difficult. Maybe I should have tried the shorter version. But beautifully read.

Fantastic

Loved this book.

The History.

The Story.

The Narration.

Felt like I was there every step of the way.

Excellent and Fascinating account of war in Arabia

Having now listened to the whole 26 hours of this I can't imagine what the point of an abridged version would be. This book is an amazing and immersive experience. I feel that the narration is probably very much in the spirit of a character such a Lawrence and one is sometimes surprised by the matter of fact way in which the sometimes horrific violence of war is described in such a measured manner. All round excellent and, for me, a good companion to Shackleton's South! and Sassoon's Sherston books which are both as well written and from the same period but set in very different theatres of struggle.

Exquisite

Sheer joy, flowing prose which can be forgive for its archaic vocabulary, racial and class stereotypes by future of its authors background and the time at which the events occurred. Those considerations aside a most insightful and informative work.