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Hero

The Life and Legend of Lawrence of Arabia

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Michael Korda's Hero is the story of an epic life on a grand scale, a revealing, in-depth, and gripping biography of the extraordinary, mysterious, and dynamic Englishman whose daring exploits and romantic profile made him an object of intense fascination, known the world over as 'Lawrence of Arabia.' Yet Korda does not seek to burnish or destroy the legend; rather to demystify and reveal the real man as he truely was. Korda analyses Lawrence's vision for the modern Middle East, plans that might have prevented the current hatred ans bloodshed of the region. Ultimately, Lawrence remains the paradigm of the hero in modern times, the arch-heroic type whose life is at once a triumph and a sacrifice, and whose capacity to astonish remains undimmed.

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    • AudioFile Magazine
      Thomas Edward Lawrence, aka Lawrence of Arabia, stood 5' 5" tall and was blond and scholarly. Yet Mao, Ho Chi Minh, and Castro consulted his SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM, a book on war, as they planned their strategies. Narrator Robin Sachs manages to sound old-fashioned yet fresh and modern. Sadly, events and guerrilla warfare in the Middle East have changed little since Lawrence united Arab tribes against Turkey, becoming a WWI hero. Sachs perfectly captures the regal, adventurous yet humble manner that enabled Lawrence to both influence and blend in, depending upon the situation. There is also a moving humanity to this solitary man as he battles his domineering mother. S.G.B. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      Starred review from August 23, 2010
      This magisterial biography of British soldier and adventurer T.E. Lawrence celebrates a life spent subverting authority in the most glamorous—and bizarre—ways. S&S editor-in-chief emeritus Korda (Ike) gives a rousing, lucid account of Lawrence's leadership of the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire during WWI and his diplomatic championing of Arab nationalism. But it's Lawrence's artistic bent—his Seven Pillars of Wisdom is a classic of war literature—and his magnetic but tortured soul that take center stage. Korda's Lawrence blends fierce ambition, monkish austerity, self-abasing masochism (sparked, perhaps, by whippings at the hands of his mother and Turkish soldiers), a disdain for higher-ranking brass, and a penchant for dominating it. After the war he tried to restrain these tendencies by enlisting as a lowly private in the Royal Air Force when he was a celebrity and confidant of government ministers. Korda perhaps exaggerates the novelty and significance of Lawrence's military exploits and makes an unconvincing stab at framing him in Joseph Campbell–inspired heroic archetypes. Still, Korda's vivid portrait of Lawrence and his warring impulses captures the brilliance and charisma of this fascinating figure. 16 pages of b&w photos, 26 b&w photos throughout.

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  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

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  • English

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