MEETING - Wednesday 15 February 2012
Dr Neil Faulkner - Lawrence of Arabia
Thomas Edward Lawrence was born on 16 August 1888 in north Wales. His father, Thomas Chapman, had left his wife to live with Lawrence's mother, a governess. Lawrence studied at Oxford University and in 1909 visited Syria and Palestine. A year later he joined an archaeological dig in Syria, where he stayed from 1911 to 1914, learning Arabic. He developed a deep sympathy for the Arabs who had lived under Turkish rule for centuries. In 1914, Lawrence was part of an expedition exploring northern Sinai, carrying out reconnaissance under cover of a scientific expedition.
When war broke out, Lawrence became an intelligence officer in Cairo. In June 1916, the Arab Revolt began against Turkey, an ally of Germany, a revolt the British had worked hard to encourage. Lawrence became liaison officer and adviser to Feisal (Faisal), son of the revolt's leader Sherif Hussein of Mecca.
Lawrence was a superb tactician and a highly influential theoretician of guerrilla warfare. His small but effective irregular forces attacked Turkish communications and supply routes, tying down thousands of Turkish troops and preventing them from fighting against regular allied forces under the command of General Edward Allenby. Lawrence's overriding aim was to help the Arabs achieve military success that would lead to post-war self-government.
Pages from an exhibition dedicated to the life and legend of Lawrence of Arabia which ran from October 2005 to April 2006 at the Imperial War Museum provide a comprehensive overview of the life and legacy of T E Lawrence.
Dr Neil Faulkner: Educated at King's College Cambridge and Institute of Archaeology UCL. Works as lecturer, writer, archaeologist and occasional broadcaster.
Research Fellow, University of Bristol. Editor, Military Times. Contributing Editor, Current Archaeology.
Author of The Decline and Fall of Roman Britain, Apocalypse, Hidden Treasure, and Rome: Empire of the Eagles.
Forthcoming The Ancient Greek Olympics: a visitor's guide.
Major TV appearances include Channel 4's Time Team, BBC2's Timewatch, and Channel Five's Boudica Revealed.