DORK DORK DORK DORK DORK
I had a fairly amusing textbook Aspie moment earlier today. Usually I just have "I'm a bit awkward" moments, but in retrospect this gave a good argument for certain theories about my brain being true. At lunch I mentioned being excited to get Michael Korda's Hero for Christmas. My friend's father asked if I had read any other books about Lawrence. I gave him a list. With authors/editors where possible.
It occurred to me later that afternoon that it was probably supposed to be a yes or no question.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom -A Triumph-, by T. E. Lawrence.
Read this, obviously. A lot easier to get through than it looks like. I have the Anchor Books paperback edition with the ocher cover. It has over the years acquired tape on its cover and vocabulary words written in the back. I used to try to entice people to read this by telling them it has sex on page two.
Revolt in the Desert, by T. E. Lawrence
Basically all the juicy bits of SPW. Out of print, I think
Selected letters, by T. E. Lawrence
Two editions, one of which I can't remember the editor of (it's out of print anyway). I recommend the recent one edited by Malcolm Brown.
The Essential T.E. Lawrence: A Selection of his Finest Writings, by Lawrence, edited by James Garnett and Malcolm Brown
A great place to go for non-book stuff. Includes Twenty-Seven Articles and A Study of Explosives Under Fire.
The Mint, by T. E. Lawrence
I think Lois McMaster Bujold and I are the only people in the US who have read this. :P VERY different from SPW, obviously but still interesting. I read it online.
parts of The Odyssey as translated by Lawrence
Good! Read again online - I don't think it's published in this country.
Lawrence of Arabia, by B. H. Liddell Hart
The original source, obviously. A little harder to get through than modern biographies just because of style, but then again it's B. H. Liddell Hart. Also provided me the best memory from my stay in Cooley-Dick.
The Secret Lives of Lawrence of Arabia, by Philip Knightley and Colin Simpson
THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS. It's unfortunately out of print, but I practically squeed myself off the floor when I found it in a used bookstore. However, if you can't get your hands on it, the next best things is...
The Golden Warrior, by Lawrence James
Really good, solid biography. The one I'd recommend to anyone who was looking to get into the subject. Draws very heavily on The Secret Lives of Lawrence of Arabia. Also, if anyone is paying attention to the sexuality controversy, it calls on the side of "gay."
Lawrence of Arabia: the Life, the Legend, by Malcom Brown (in association with the Imperial War Museum)
So frigging shiny. It's basically a huge glossy art book based on the Imperial War Museum's exhibit (which I got to see!). Expensive and from the UK, but awesome.
A Prince in Our Disorder, by John Mack
Yes, as in alien abduction John Mack. Prior to that he was I believe a professor of psychology at Harvard. While I have my biases towards Knightly and Simpson, this is rightfully considered the authoritative biography of Lawrence, and probably the one against which Hero will be judged. For those who don't want to spend an inordinate amount of time reading and drawing their own conclusions, it delves into the psychological aspects of Lawrence's character in a very preceptive manner.
With Lawrence in Arabia, Lowell Thomas
Obviously again one of the root sources. Not somewhere to go for analyzation, but for raw material. If anyone has seen the movie, Jackson Bentley is a total expie for the author.
Setting the Desert on Fire, by James Barr
More of a military history than most covered here and so not so much to my personal taste, but it is none the less a very solid work.
Lawrence and Aaronsohn, by Ronald Florence
About the founding of Israel and the carving up of the Middle East. Not as much Lawrence as I would have liked and I disagree a little with the author on some points, but I still enjoyed it.
I know I have read other non-fiction books that I cannot remember, including one of essays that I mentally refer to as "the dorsal scarring one." I have never read Richard Adlington's biography, and I never intend to, because I SPURN Adlington and consider him anathema. Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russel is a wonderful novel in which the protagonist basically crashes the post-war talks in Cairo and ends up befriending him. Also has a lot of Gertrude Bell and Winston Churchill. (When it comes to Bell I prefer Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations to Queen of the Desert - the latter has kind of purple prose). The Waters of Babylon is HORRIBLE, though my opinion may be biased as it is in first person and I opened straight to a sex scene. Which involved the phrase "my serpent." *shudders* I really want to read The Last Days of T.E. Lawrence: A Leaf in the Wind (yes, seriously, that's the title), but it seems to be hard to get your hands on. At least without your own credit card.
Anyone who saw the film should definitely check out A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia, which is about the Paris Peace Conference. It stars Ralph Fiennes in what I believe is his first major role, and it is brilliant. I watched it with duello and couldn't really restrain myself from doing things like pointing and going "And that scene is straight out of Meinertzhagen's memoirs!" It's a film about people making political machinations, so of course I love it. :P Fiennes does an amazing, intense, spot-on Lawrence. It also features Siddig el Fadil, aka Alexander Siddig, aka Dr Bashir from DS9 as Feisal. Who is, miraculously, the right age in this adaptation.
Korda refers to him as "Ned" rather than "Lawrence" throughout his book, which delights me. :D
It occurred to me later that afternoon that it was probably supposed to be a yes or no question.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom -A Triumph-, by T. E. Lawrence.
Read this, obviously. A lot easier to get through than it looks like. I have the Anchor Books paperback edition with the ocher cover. It has over the years acquired tape on its cover and vocabulary words written in the back. I used to try to entice people to read this by telling them it has sex on page two.
Revolt in the Desert, by T. E. Lawrence
Basically all the juicy bits of SPW. Out of print, I think
Selected letters, by T. E. Lawrence
Two editions, one of which I can't remember the editor of (it's out of print anyway). I recommend the recent one edited by Malcolm Brown.
The Essential T.E. Lawrence: A Selection of his Finest Writings, by Lawrence, edited by James Garnett and Malcolm Brown
A great place to go for non-book stuff. Includes Twenty-Seven Articles and A Study of Explosives Under Fire.
The Mint, by T. E. Lawrence
I think Lois McMaster Bujold and I are the only people in the US who have read this. :P VERY different from SPW, obviously but still interesting. I read it online.
parts of The Odyssey as translated by Lawrence
Good! Read again online - I don't think it's published in this country.
Lawrence of Arabia, by B. H. Liddell Hart
The original source, obviously. A little harder to get through than modern biographies just because of style, but then again it's B. H. Liddell Hart. Also provided me the best memory from my stay in Cooley-Dick.
The Secret Lives of Lawrence of Arabia, by Philip Knightley and Colin Simpson
THIS THIS THIS THIS THIS. It's unfortunately out of print, but I practically squeed myself off the floor when I found it in a used bookstore. However, if you can't get your hands on it, the next best things is...
The Golden Warrior, by Lawrence James
Really good, solid biography. The one I'd recommend to anyone who was looking to get into the subject. Draws very heavily on The Secret Lives of Lawrence of Arabia. Also, if anyone is paying attention to the sexuality controversy, it calls on the side of "gay."
Lawrence of Arabia: the Life, the Legend, by Malcom Brown (in association with the Imperial War Museum)
So frigging shiny. It's basically a huge glossy art book based on the Imperial War Museum's exhibit (which I got to see!). Expensive and from the UK, but awesome.
A Prince in Our Disorder, by John Mack
Yes, as in alien abduction John Mack. Prior to that he was I believe a professor of psychology at Harvard. While I have my biases towards Knightly and Simpson, this is rightfully considered the authoritative biography of Lawrence, and probably the one against which Hero will be judged. For those who don't want to spend an inordinate amount of time reading and drawing their own conclusions, it delves into the psychological aspects of Lawrence's character in a very preceptive manner.
With Lawrence in Arabia, Lowell Thomas
Obviously again one of the root sources. Not somewhere to go for analyzation, but for raw material. If anyone has seen the movie, Jackson Bentley is a total expie for the author.
Setting the Desert on Fire, by James Barr
More of a military history than most covered here and so not so much to my personal taste, but it is none the less a very solid work.
Lawrence and Aaronsohn, by Ronald Florence
About the founding of Israel and the carving up of the Middle East. Not as much Lawrence as I would have liked and I disagree a little with the author on some points, but I still enjoyed it.
I know I have read other non-fiction books that I cannot remember, including one of essays that I mentally refer to as "the dorsal scarring one." I have never read Richard Adlington's biography, and I never intend to, because I SPURN Adlington and consider him anathema. Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russel is a wonderful novel in which the protagonist basically crashes the post-war talks in Cairo and ends up befriending him. Also has a lot of Gertrude Bell and Winston Churchill. (When it comes to Bell I prefer Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations to Queen of the Desert - the latter has kind of purple prose). The Waters of Babylon is HORRIBLE, though my opinion may be biased as it is in first person and I opened straight to a sex scene. Which involved the phrase "my serpent." *shudders* I really want to read The Last Days of T.E. Lawrence: A Leaf in the Wind (yes, seriously, that's the title), but it seems to be hard to get your hands on. At least without your own credit card.
Anyone who saw the film should definitely check out A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia, which is about the Paris Peace Conference. It stars Ralph Fiennes in what I believe is his first major role, and it is brilliant. I watched it with duello and couldn't really restrain myself from doing things like pointing and going "And that scene is straight out of Meinertzhagen's memoirs!" It's a film about people making political machinations, so of course I love it. :P Fiennes does an amazing, intense, spot-on Lawrence. It also features Siddig el Fadil, aka Alexander Siddig, aka Dr Bashir from DS9 as Feisal. Who is, miraculously, the right age in this adaptation.
Korda refers to him as "Ned" rather than "Lawrence" throughout his book, which delights me. :D