Hero: The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia

Even Lawrencephiles - like me (I must confess...) ask "Why ANOTHER bio on Lawrence?" After all - there has already been 60 of them! Perhaps a brief, readable resume or analysis of the hits & misses in the previous works... But at nearly 800 pages this is hardly that. Rather Korda does it all over again - in often painful detail. In fact, the first 100 or so pages is most guilty of regurgitation - military affairs that have been discussed - infinite, elsewhere; when the great man did it - first & best, going on nearly a century ago (In "Seven Pillars" & elsewhere). What Korda does examine - somewhat more adroitly than most, is Lawrence's "nature". Of course, even that has been done to death.. Yet - for various reasons, other authors tackling this area - whether by prejudice, ignorance or homophobia or even the reverse (A determination to make Lawrence into what the author believes he was - or should have been. And then there's all the S&M fetishists (Is that a word? - if not I just coined it, cause it should be)!Well here we are - all these words and we haven't yet got to the point, i.e. is it good or bad? The problem, as you might have gathered, is a book this long and - to some extent, a tell all as much as a scholarly work and at this super length it can be both, bad & good! As other reviewers have pointed out - it does hit the mark - in many aspects and, as I agreed about others, it surely missed. But a 760+ page tome - about one of the most famous & heroic men of all time, needs to be GREAT! Korda can - and has, written great books. He has done a yeomans job here and if you care - as much as I do, for the man & subject(s) you need to get, read and enjoy this book. If you are not an enthusiast or only hold a mild interest, this book just may be a bit much...and probably isn't for you; even while being a great book about agreat man!

The journey of his is truly extraordinary and yet strange at the same time. The whole steps and thinking that he took during the archeology, war, uncrowned king fame, then post-war life with the burden by the fame of hero on him. His life was indeed interesting. And how his part did indeed shaped the middle east after the fall of the Ottoman Empire.On another side of the note, I think the book could cut down some fillers in my opinion. When the chapter starting to talk about his childhood I started to skim through. Then it was back to war...then I skimmed again in chapters about his postwar life with books and disillusioned moments.

Michael Korda is an amazing writer and he didn't disappoint here at all other than at the end where I thought it dragged slightly.I picked this book up after enjoying Korda's book on R.E. Lee, released in 2013, so much. Found the same engaging writing style, thorough research, and mingling of fact, myth, and opinion to shine through in this book. I'm constantly amazed at how these biographers are able to weave so much into one congruent story. It's quite a talent and one that Korda should be very proud of. Writers like Korda, McCullough, Brands and Robert Dallek are national treasures.Specifically in the book.... his inclusion of the political scene leading up to the war was somewhat lacking, but this was a book about T.E. Lawrence, not the World and WWI as a whole I guess. His even-handed treatment of the Arab cause set against the back drop of the world's great powers was very fair and also very easy to understand. I had a significant amount of background knowledge heading into this book but even a person that wasn't familiar could have followed along without any trouble.I also appreciate the fact that Korda makes some eduucated guesses on subjects. I mean, after all, he spent what I can only think were years researching the subject. Who better to provide the opinion on things like... was T.E. Lawrence gay or just conflicted. And - as they said on Seinfeld - it doesn't really matter but it is just interesting to find out what a guy like Korda thinks on the subject.cCearly this is the book to be reading if you want to know more about Lawrence and Korda is fair, balanced, and thorough.

Extraordinary! One of the best biographies I have read, and I have read more than a hundred. Korda captures the essence of one of the most enigmatic and intriguing men of the twentieth century. This work ranks up there with Richard Ellman's biography of Oscar Wilde and William Manchester's biographies of Douglas MacArthur and Winston Churchill. Well done, Mr. Korda.

This is a very enjoyably written book. There is much to be said about T.E. Lawrence and the author does so in an engaging, enlightening style. Begin with the Preface. It is not to be overlooked. The author provides us with a summary of the essence of T.E. Lawrence and he speaks to us about what a hero really is. This a book of many levels if one chooses to observe them. The book is a biography, it is history, and it is a sense of the times and how all of it speaks to us today. I greatly appreciate the relevant maps in the book. One needs a sense of place when reading. These maps in particular relate directly to the text.I find the book to be fresh and invigorating. Please read this fine book!

As years pass, less and less of WWI is remembered or written of. The major figures have faded away. T.E. Lawrence is not forgotten. As little as he had to do with the major theatres of the war, his name continues to stand out. A major motion picture helped, of course, but that is in the distant past, as well. That being said, his influence is still felt. He (and Gertrude Bell) had much to do with the countries emerging from the Ottoman Empire and he remains a figure of controversy. That explains the continuing series of biographies. I think this is one of the better ones. The author is familiar with the art so the book reads well. It covers the subject well though sometimes in more detail thn I would have liked. The footnotes and bibliography add to the quality of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed the latter part of the book, the part nobody thinks about in which he lives the rest of his life as obscurely as possible. He accomplished a lot in other ways. This is an excellent book that was well worth reading.

The book "The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia" is possibly the most comprehensive biography of T. E. Lawrence. It is descriptive, imaginative, authoritative and a joy to read.Although I have read many books about this extraordinary man I have yet to find one that is so comprehensive.If I had to recommend one single book to a person who was new to the legend of T. E. Lawrence then it would be this one.Lawrence's character was as complex as his life and this book is a must read.

A quite splendid biography of Lawrence - very readable, and not just a repeat of so much that has gone before. A lot of books on Lawrence reveal little, if anything, new about him but Korda approaches his subject from different perspectives, and gives a lot of very interesting background information relating to the war, and other world events from the period. I have many books about Lawrence (about eighteen, I think) but no other book is as well written, fascinating, and informative as this one (and I include the authorised biography in my comparisons).Very highly recommended - even if you have other books about TEL, you will find this book very well worth reading - and extremely easy and enjoyable to read, not in the least dry and dreary.

I am probably a bit mean to award this book 4 stars but it is so very long. Having said that it is a history lesson as well as the story of man who should have been awarded the VC. Countless books written about TEL but this was very readable and clearly well researched. Lawrence’s early life was as colourful as his later life and the book covers it all. Recommended

Having read just about every book printed on this subject I have found Mr Korda's version to be one of the very best. His neutral, no-nonsense prose, which is presented in a refreshingly logical, rather than chronological fashion, makes for an informative and comfortable read. The book is well researched by an author with a rare talent for zooming in on those small, subtle and undramatic snippets of information that could easily be excluded as mundane and valueless but in fact add an extra depth of insight to well thought through account.This is a 'must have' for anyone with a continuing interest in the life of T.E. Lawrence or in fact the middle eastern front of the first world war in general, and a definite 'look no further' for those in need of an introduction to either of those subjects.

Outstanding biography of a brilliant and complex man. Korda has researched his subject thoroughly and his writing style is is a joy to read. I have read 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' by T.E Lawrence, which was stunning in many areas,but difficult to grasp in others; Seven Pillars is a must read for any Lawrence follower, however, Korda manages to clarify some of the difficulties I found in Seven Pillars and it has now made me understand the great man Lawrence a good deal more. It gives a full study of Lawrence from childhood through to the end of his remarkable life and I could not recommend 'Hero' more highly to accompany Seven Pillars. I will go back and re read Seven Pillars now I feel I have a much broader empathy with the intricacies of Lawrence as a person and as a warrior; and so much more. It will sweep you away and you will be heartbroken to be dragged out of his world at the end.