Setting the Desert on Fire: T. E. Lawrence and Britain's Secret War in Arabia, 1916-1918

“Barr turns history into a drama, with bright writing and a fascinating cast of characters.” —Mary Foster, Associated Press

T. E. Lawrence’s classic Seven Pillars of Wisdom made the Arab revolt a legend and helped turn him into the mythical “Lawrence of Arabia.” Setting the Desert on Fire is both a masterly account of the intrigue behind the revolt and its startling consequences for the present-day Middle East and a portrait of Lawrence that brings fresh insight to the true nature of the master mythmaker.

31 photos; 3 maps