MAHMAS 308 _From a drawing by_ ERIC KENNINGTON MULE TRANSPORT NEAR ABA EL LISSAN 326 _Copyright French Army Photo. Dept._ MAP: THE CAMPAIGN IN THE NORTH 336 BUXTON’S MEN BLOWING UP MUDOWWARA STATION 342 AT GUWEIRA 346 _Copyright French Army Photo. Dept._ AN ARMOURED FORD IN THE DESERT 358 _Copyright Imperial War Museum_ LAWRENCE AND HIS BODYGUARD AT AKABA 370 FEISAL JUST AFTER HIS MEETING WITH ALLENBY 386 _Copyright Imperial War Museum_ LAWRENCE AT VERSAILLES 402 ‘T.E.’ ON ‘BOANERGES,’ THE MOTOR-BICYCLE 428 INTRODUCTION Early this June I was invited by the publishers to write a book about Lawrence. I replied that I would do so with Lawrence’s consent. Shaw, as I must call him, for he has now taken that name and definitely discarded ‘Lawrence,’ cabled his permission from India, and followed it up with a letter giving me a list of sources for my writing and saying that since a book was intended about him anyway he would prefer it done by me. He thought that I could write a book accurate enough in its facts to discourage further unauthorized accounts and that he could trust me not to spare his own feelings wherever I wished to draw any critical conclusion. And he hoped that the book would have exhausted all public interest by the time that he had finished with the Royal Air Force and returned to civil life. I have his most generous permission, with that of his trustees, to use copyright material at my discretion—but certain limits were given—both from _Revolt in the Desert_ and from _Seven Pillars of Wisdom_ (of which that is an abridgment), a book that will not be issued for public sale in Shaw’s lifetime. Unfortunately owing to pressure of time my completed typescript could not be submitted to Shaw before publication and I apologize to him for any passages where my discretion has been at fault. I did, however, write and ask him specific questions and sent him rough drafts of nearly all my material. I must, however, draw a clear line between Shaw’s approval of my writing the book if it had to be written, and my own responsibility for the facts and opinions given here.