T.E. Lawrence
Lawrence, T(homas) E(dward), known as Lawrence of Arabia (1888-1935). British soldier, writer, and scholar. After studying history at Oxford, he worked in Syria on archaeological excavations for the British Museum. In World War I he encouraged the Arabs in their revolt against Turkey (an ally of Germany). Living as one of them, Lawrence himself led many Arab attacks on Turkish supply trains and against Turkish forces. He related his exploits in The Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1926). Anxious to avoid hero-worship, he enlisted in the RAF and then the Royal Tank Corps under assumed names. He died at 46 in a motorcycle accident near his home in Dorset. A colourful but enigmatic figure, Lawrence caught the imagination of the British public and his life has prompted numerous biographies.
