Lawrence, T E

Lawrence, T(homas) E(dward)

 byname Lawrence of Arabia

(born Aug. 15, 1888, Tremadoc, Caernarvonshire, Wales—died May 19, 1935, Clouds Hill, Dorset, Eng.) British scholar, military strategist, and author. He studied at Oxford, submitting a thesis on Crusader castles. He learned Arabic on an archaeological expedition (1911–14). During World War I (1914–18) he conceived the plan of supporting Arab rebellion against the Ottoman Empire as a way of undermining Germany's eastern ally, and he led Arab forces in a guerrilla campaign behind the lines, tying up many Ottoman troops. In 1917 his forces had their first major victory, capturing the port town of Al-'Aqabah. He was captured later that year, but he escaped. His troops reached Damascus in 1918, but Arab factionalism and Anglo-French decisions to divide the area into British- and French-controlled mandates prevented the Arabs from forming a unified nation despite their victory. Lawrence retired, declining royal decorations. Under the name Ross, and later Shaw, he enlisted in the Royal Air Force (and briefly the Royal Tank Corps). He finished his autobiography, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, in 1926. He was eventually posted to India; his experiences provided grist for his semifictional The Mint. He died in a motorcycle accident three months after his discharge.