We are still awaiting a truly great biography of T. E. Lawrence. Easily one of the most fascinating and complex individuals of the past century, Lawrence remains in many ways a cipher and an enigma. I found Peter Brent's volume in a used bookstore, and bought it for the superb illustrations as much as for the text. Luckily, the text provides a solid and useful treatment. Brent doesn't dissipate the mystery of Lawrence so much as introduce the reader to it. For instance, he juxtaposes Lawrence's apparent asexuality and revolt at physical contact with others with his pleasure in physical masochism, without a serious attempt to provide a solution to this mystery. He makes several suggestions that many of Lawrence's difficulties in life may have been related to a sense of being an illegitimate child and a consciousness of being rejected by his father's family, but he is not able to systematically relate this to specific instances of his life. At the same time, the book doesn't degenerate into psychobiography, something that could happen all too easily with someone as complex as Lawrence.

The bulk of the book deals with the Arab Revolt against Turkey, and Lawrence's role in it. The discussion is solid without being outstanding. Brent does a fine job of outlining the major issues in the conflict, describing the major figures in the conflict, and depicting the difficulties in any happy resolution. He treats Lawrence fairly, not minimizing his role, but not buying uncritically into the Lawrence legend. He neither tries to erect an idol nor destroy an icon. He also deals with Lawrence's life before WW I, and to a much lesser extent, his life after it. I wish the latter part of the book had been a bit fuller. I found the final years of Lawrence's life to be dealt with far too brusquely.

The illustrations make the book. There are photographs of nearly all the key figures, color reproductions of many of the illustrations from the original private edition of THE SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM (including a number of cartoonish depictions of Lawrence), and fascinating photographs of Lawrence from all stages of his life. Even if one did not wish to read the text, I could recommend this volume as a great visual companion volume to anyone reading THE SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM.