Was Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence (1888-1935) a mythomaniac secret agent with a gift for letters, or a warlord and inspired inventor of guerrilla warfare? Was his transformation into a Bedouin anything more than a travesty? What about his homosexuality? The myth of Lawrence of Arabia stems from his extraordinary life and personality. But it would be nothing without this fascinating autobiography, a blend of adventure story, political analysis and philosophical reflection, which stands as a landmark of twentieth-century English prose.