The Arab Revolt of 1916-1918, when the disparate tribes of Arabia rose
up as one great force to defeat an empire, was one of the most turbulent
periods in the history of the Middle East and a pivotal element of the
Middle Eastern arena of World War I. It sounded the death knell for the
Ottoman Empire and paved the way for a new colonial power in the
region - the British. It was T.E. Lawrence, a young army officer with a
brilliant military mind and unmatched knowledge of the region and the
Arab people, who - alongside the charismatic Faisal I - led the Revolt.
These were epic events that changed the shape of the Middle East and
affected Lawrence for the rest of his life. His magnificent first-hand
account of the period is now a classic of 20th century literature.
Revolt in the Desert, the abridged and far more accessible edition of
Seven Pillars of Wisdom, became an instant bestseller when it was
first published in 1927.