MOUSA, Suleiman. T.E. Lawrence. An Arab View … Translated by Albert Butros. London, Oxford University Press,1966.
8vo. Publisher's black cloth, spine lettered in gilt; in the original pictorial dust-wrapper (not price-clipped); pp. x, 301; spine of wrapper sunned; marks to lower board of wrapper; light rubbing to extremities and chips along top edge; a very good copy in the wrapper.
First edition, first printing in English. Suleiman Mousa's text is an exploration of the literature surrounding T. E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt, bringing to light the actual extent of Lawrence's involvement, and how many texts fail to do justice to the Arabs themselves.
'Mr Mousa's obvious concern to be fair-minded and the weight of the evidence he produces make his book one that must be studied by all who are interested in 'Lawrence of Arabia' (front flap). - "Gives an excellent historical perspective on the movement of the Hashemite forces from the day in 1915 when Sherif Hussein realized that Arab nationalism could place no faith in the Turkish Committee of Union and Progress and decided on all-out revolt, with French and British help.Suleiman Mousa.denies (Lawrence) neither his wounds, his courage, his endurance, his brains, nor his reality as a force.in his own and Arabia's affairs.His book is important, and should be read by all who care about the Middle East and its future, as well as by the many who are still intrigued by Gertrude Bell's "Little Imp'" - William Buchan in the Spectator.
The book was not only translated onto English, but into French and Japanese. The cover photo of a wrecked Ottoman locomotive was taken in 1965 by J.E.Dayton.
O'Brien E256.
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