by Scott Anderson
Thankfully (and to make my life easier) there was a consistent message that the book was enjoyed and highly rated by all, receiving 7, 8, or 7-8 out of 10 from each reader.
Some of the observations made were:
we all learned a lot more about the history of the middle east in the 20th century and the implications for all of the past, current, and future issues in the region and their global knock-on effects;
it was interesting just how influential were the actions of so few individuals;
there was a greater understanding of just how epic and involved was the contribution of Lawrence – rather than just an influential character in the region having some vague presence in the desert, the extent of the sleeves rolled up and hands-on, non-stop action was greater than most had appreciated before;
there was some interesting reflection on the nature of the Ottoman empire, its dissolution and then re-emergence of Turkey under Kemal Attaturk;
the style of writing was conducive to understanding and following the storylines in a way that is often difficult to achieve for detailed historical narratives.
There was some discussion as to whether or how the region would have been different had the imperialist and colonial behaviour been avoided and the Lawrence/Hussein envisaged the Arab nation been established – would it have worked out or would the factional divisions within the Arab world led inevitably to a Wahabi coup or another factional fighting in the Arabian peninsula regardless of what the allies had pushed through?
Please circulate any further comments that I have missed.
Weare going for a two-fer next time – so there are two (short-ish) novels for next month. they are:
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Guards, Guards by Terry Pratchett