Setting the Desert on Fire
T. E. Lawrence and Britain's Secret War in Arabia, 1916-1918
28 July 2009
Territory Rights — Worldwide excluding Canada and the British Commonwealth.
Description
"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.
Reviews
"A tightly-focused, fast-paced account…Mr. Barr’s achievement is to tell Lawrence’s story more clearly and objectively, helping to make sense of a complex war fought in an unfamiliar land and language." — Adam Kirsch, New York Sun
"[James] Barr has written a compact, scrupulously accurate chronicle of the revolt and Lawrence’s role in it, utilizing previously unavailable archival material…An excellent general history of a widely misunderstood struggle that largely defined the shape of the modern Middle East." — Booklist
"Barr expertly navigates an intriguing landscape of shifting alliances and labyrinthine politics peopled with eccentric characters to demystify a fascinating legend." — Publishers Weekly
Also By: James Barr 
A Line in the Sand: The Anglo-French Struggle for the Middle East, 1914–1948
Paperback, 2013
“A provocative history . . . helps us to understand why the Arab spring is so important and valuable.”—David Ignatius, National Interest
A Line in the Sand: The Anglo-French Struggle for the Middle East, 1914–1948
E Book, 2013
“A provocative history . . . helps us to understand why the Arab spring is so important and valuable.”—David Ignatius, National Interest
A Line in the Sand: The Anglo-French Struggle for the Middle East, 1914-1948
Hardback, 2012
The untold history of the French-British rivalry that shaped the Middle East, from Lawrence of Arabia to the violent birth of Israel.
