Hero: The Life & Legend of Lawrence of Arabia [Hardcover]

Michael Korda's "Hero" is a compellingly readable and insightful account of the life and the "life after death" (Korda notes parallels to the "Diana" phenomenon) of Lawrence of Arabia.

There was nothing conventional about T.E. "Ned" Lawrence's life from his upbringing - in a story worthy of Victorian bodice-rippers, his Anglo-Irish father abandoned his first family to set up a household out of wedlock with the Scottish governess, Lawrence's mother, in Oxford- to his death in a motorcycle accident at age 46 (the bike was a giant Brough).

In between, Lawrence packed a lot: brilliant scholar, unconventional military leader and commander of Arab armies, peace negotiator, advisor to Churchill in his capacity as Colonial Secretary ("I take most of the credit for Mr. Churchill's configuration of the Middle East upon myself, " he wrote to Robert Graves, " I had the knowledge and the plan. He had the imagination and courage to accept It."), author and finally in a turn of what he described as "mind suicide" as a lowly ranker in first the RAF, then the army and finally the RAF again under the new (but, he argued, equally authentic) name of "Aircraftman Shaw."

Korda attributes Lawrence's success as a commander in part to exceptional physical stamina and courage - he very much led by example. It was also partly due to a remarkable sense of physical geography - which established his value as an Intelligence Officer thus setting up his extraordinary career in Arabia, and also accounted for his strategic and tactical genius. Equally, Lawrence had a virtually supernatural ability to captivate the followership of older men whether top British brass or Arab tribal leaders. In expending this power, it was as if he destroyed part of himself contributing to breakdowns and withdrawals at key phases of his life.

Lawrence's strange, post-war burial of himself in the lowest ranks of the armed services was not out of character. At the peak of his career, he was tortured by guilt at his complicity in betraying his commitments to his Arab followers following the Sykes-Picot Agreement, refusing to accept a decoration "for succeeding in his fraud." He increasingly tried to flee from his earlier prominence. One of his superior officers observed that "some quality departed from Lawrence before he became an RAF recruit - Lawrence of Arabia had died."

Lawrence was also deeply sexually repressed. He had two intensely close relationships, one with Dahoum, an Arab boy, and the other with Clare Smith, the wife of his commanding officer. Neither was physical in nature: Clare noted that their friendship had the "closest ties of sympathy and understanding but ...(contained)... none of those elements normally associated with love. " In an aftershock, perhaps, of his infamous rape at Deraa, he paid Jock Bruce, a fellow ranker, to flagellate him in supposed punishment for various sins.

Yet, Lawrence was highly social. His ability to participate in the elaborate hospitality rituals of his Arab hosts - even though they at times frustrated him - was an essential ingredient of his success in the desert. Even as a lowly ranker he maintained friendships with cabinet ministers, Air Marshalls and such figures as George Bernard Shaw, Nancy Astor, Elgar, Coward and Graves. His fellow RAF men knew who he was and accorded him affectionate respect, referring to him as "Mr. Shaw," with rather the tone of deference with which we address surgeons as opposed to mere doctors.

Korda - who is the nephew of the Alexander Korda who once considered making a film about Lawrence - has produced a tour de force. He takes us through immense detail and atmosphere (supported by some excellent photographs) without once losing the sense of excitement and astonishment that Lawrence's story rightfully demands. He reveals - almost touchingly - in a footnote on Page 590 that he himself was inspired by Lawrence's life not only to buy a motorcycle at age 17 but to join the RAF. His sense of awe in the presence of his subject is infectious.

I haven't read all the book: just a third. But this is enough to allow me to look for it at every spare moment I have got (except at night: too big to be held while in bed).

For what I know the book is very, very good. The opening is grand; and the idea to go ahead a good way (up to Akaba) and then going back to tell the early (earlier) story of TELawrence is surprising and pleasantly interesting (although often used in this sort of books). At present I have read about 250 pages, and am going back to reread the part I already know about.

I am still looking forward to the rest of the book. If it confirms itself (there is nothing to object with) it will stay as a fundamental story about TEL. The movie version may be pleasant but in comparison is very superficial and sometimes false, I think.

It is a big book, and initially off putting, in that one thinks'will I ever finish this'. It is extremely good and easy to read, and well balanced in its deductions. Well worth reading, even if you have read all the other biographies.