The Waking Dream of T.E. Lawrence

Book excerpt: Since the end of the First World War, the legend of 'Lawrence of Arabia' has enjoyed much currency in the popular imagination of the West. Behind this legend, however, is a man, Thomas Edward Lawrence, tortured and brilliant, a man whose life and literature reflect the modern consciousness and the war that indelibly marked it. Here in this volume are essays which seek to address what has been overlooked by the legend and to better understand the legacy of his presence in the twentieth century. Contributors explore Lawrence's relation to other major writers of his time, the colonial and postcolonial implications of his link with Arabia, his sexuality, and his status as cultural icon.