LEACH, Hugh. T. E. Lawrence: Some Centenary Reflections. A Lecture delivered before The "63 Club", London … on 11 December 1988 and subsequently at Cambridge and Oxford [cover title]. [Privately printed] for private circulation, 1988.
8vo. Original printed card wrappers; pp. [ii], 31; sketch map; covers a little marked, otherwise fine.
Extremely rare first edition, signed by the author. The traveller, soldier, diplomat, Arabist, and sometime in the 1960s circus artist performing with the Egyptian State Circus, here presents his own experience of the Middle East (he apparently had worked for the secret service as well) to shine more light on TEL's conduct and character. Hugh Leach, as many, was fascinted with T. E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt. Leach had gathered first-hand experience of working with Arab tribes to examine T. E. Lawrence’s strategy, and later published an article about it in History Today. He had travelled with Freya Stark and Wilfred Thesiger and incorporates some otherwise unobtainable information gained from his connections in the Middle East, including some participants in the events of the First World War.
The "63 Club" was a dining club associated with the Federation of Soroptimist International of Great Britain and Ireland. From 1948, the Federation had its London headquarters at 63 Bayswater Road - hence the Club's name. As mentioned in the colophon of the book, the lecture on T. E. Lawrence was initially delivered at a "63 Club" meeting at the Oxford and Cambridge Club in December 1988, and at Cambridge and Oxford in January 1989.
O'Brien E428c (the variant with the inferior binding of orange paper); WorldCat locates a single copy, at Oxford.
#2119466