T.E. Lawrence

Subject: T.E. Lawrence Sun Oct 11, 2009 5:48 pm

Most people, myself included, know of T.E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") through his screen impersonator Peter O'Toole, but his military exploits are far better known than his writings.

Has anyone here ever read his account of the desert war "The Seven Pillars of Wisdom", his translation of Homer's Odyssey or his many letters?

I haven't, by the way; that's why I ask.

He strikes me as being a fascinating character, and I wonder whether his literary work is worth exploring?

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The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas

Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Sun Oct 11, 2009 5:51 pm

The public face of T.E. Lawrence.

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The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas

Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:37 pm

http://www.last.fm/music/David+Bowie/_/The+Secret+Life+of+Arabia

...and the secret life of Arabia.

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The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas

Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Sun Oct 11, 2009 7:47 pm

It's only hinted at fleetingly in the David Lean movie, but Lawrence was a Masochistic flagellant.

On his return to civvy street, he hired a young soldier to beat him with a cane, spinning some yarn about an uncle's unconventional means of punishment for Lawrence's theft of money from him to account for this unusual request.

In the movie, O'Toole is beaten in a similar manner by a Turkish officer who then remarks cryptically, "I want you to understand that I KNOW".

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The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas

Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Sun Oct 11, 2009 9:26 pm

I once read he was not only beaten but buggered by his Turkish captors. Terrifying ordeal, I'd imagine; trying to understand or assimilate it by confronting it later is an enormously brave thing to do, to some people.

Gender: Number of posts: 172 Registration date: 2008-12-11

Well, how very interesting. Thanks for bringing him up, Eddie. I'm putting The Seven Pillars of Wisdom on my reading list.

I've understood that he was a brilliant millitary strategist.

I didn't know about the naughty stuff.

Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Wed Oct 14, 2009 2:45 am

Winston Churchill on T.E. Lawrence: "He was not in complete harmony with the normal".

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The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas

Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Thu Oct 15, 2009 10:07 am

Terence Rattigan's play "Ross" looks at Lawrence's decision to seek anonymity after his wartime exploits by enlisting in the R.A.F. as Aircraftman Ross, an insignificant ranker.

In the play, Lawrence/Ross recalls his glory days during a night of fever.

Ian McKellen and Alec Guinness have both tackled the role.

For what it's worth, Rattigan was gay.

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The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas

Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Thu Oct 15, 2009 1:16 pm

I'm not sure of its relevance - the same is probably true of many playwrights etc - but neither am I sure of its non-relevance, given the (alleged?) treatment of Lawrence at the hands of his Turkish captors. Does the play go into detail about this savagery?

Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Thu Oct 15, 2009 3:02 pm

John McLaughlin wrote:

I'm not sure of its relevance - the same is probably true of many playwrights etc - but neither am I sure of its non-relevance, given the (alleged?) treatment of Lawrence at the hands of his Turkish captors.

Rattigan was writing at a time when homosexuality was illegal in the UK and the office of the Lord Chamberlain still censored playscripts. While I don't remember the play all that well, I'd be astonished if Lawrence's experiences in captivity were mentioned at all.

What I do recall, though, is an officer questioning Ross/Lawrence's drill Sergeant about the sick man. The latter remarks that the ranker is of average physical fitness, only slightly inconvenienced by the scars on his back. That's as close as Rattigan would have dared come to the delicate subject of flagellation.

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The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas

Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:24 am

T.E. Lawrence. Portrait by Augustus John.

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The salmon-falls, the mackerel-crowded seas

Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Mon Oct 26, 2009 2:05 am

A nit-picky point--wasn't Lawrence about 5'4" and O'Toole about 6'2"?

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Subject: Re: T.E. Lawrence Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:21 pm

It's called "acting."