During World War I, the Middle Eastern front saw the arrival of a now semi-legendary figure: the archaeologist, explorer, and British military officer Thomas Edward Lawrence, famously known as Lawrence of Arabia. In 1916, Hussain, the Sharif – a term denoting a descendant of Muhammad – of Mecca declared the uprising of the Arab tribes against the domination of the decaying Ottoman Empire. The Arabs enjoyed the support of the Allied Powers, particularly the British army, represented primarily by Lawrence, who forged a sincere friendship with one of Hussain’s sons, Faysal, who would later become the first king of Iraq after the revolt concluded. During this epic campaign, Lawrence kept track of the achievements of the Arab tribes along with his own contributions: these are epic pages that recount feats worthy of a heroic tale, interspersed with vivid descriptions of the key figures of the revolt, reflecting Lawrence’s deep admiration for the insurgent tribes. However, Lawrence’s epic story ended tragically: through the secret Sykes-Picot Agreement—named after the British and French diplomats who signed it—the United Kingdom and France had decided to divide the Middle East into two spheres of influence following the defeat of the Ottomans. This betrayed the initial British promise, which had been to support the Arab uprising in exchange for an independent nation led by Hussain, who was to be its caliph. The publication of correspondence between Hussein and Henry McMahon, the British High Commissioner in Cairo, only deepened Lawrence’s sense of betrayal and bitterness. Perhaps as a way to exorcise this pain, the adventurer began compiling his memoirs and in 1922 published his masterpiece Seven Pillars of Wisdom, named after a rock in the Jordanian desert of Wadi Rum, where he had set up his base of operations. The book quickly became a bestseller and is still considered an absolute masterpiece of English literature today.