To begin the world over again : Lawrence of Arabia from Damascus to Baghdad / John C. Hulsman.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

I like it well, but it is far from Damascus -- We are calling them to fight for us on a lie -- There is a point where coddling becomes wicked -- My dreams puffed out like candles -- The old men came out again and took our victory -- Suddenly I awoke to find myself famous -- There is a dry wind blowing through the east -- One more such victory, and we shall be undone -- On a hot Sunday afternoon, I created transjordan -- The edifice that has not firm foundations make not lofty -- It is impossible for a foreigner to run another people.

Lawrence of Arabia is best remembered for the Oscar-winning film about his life. But there is a different T.E. Lawrence, a man who applied his unique experiences and extensive knowledge of the Arab world to a political vision for nation building in the Middle East that holds many lessons for today. Following the Arab Revolt, Lawrence embarked on a heroic effort, harnessing his celebrity to force the British to keep the promises made to their Arab allies. Alas, he was unable to stop the Western powers from carving up the Middle East at Versailles, thus laying the foundations for the ongoing instability in that region. Still, until the day he died, Lawrence continued to fight for Arab nationalism, famously saying: Better to let them do it imperfectly than do it perfectly yourself, for it is their country, their war, and your time is short. By weaving together a gripping narrative of Lawrences Middle East adventures and highlighting his surprisingly astute political thinking, John Hulsman teases out this and many other lessons to be learned from Lawrence about the Arab world. Documents T.E. Lawrence's lesser-known advocacy of Arab nationalism throughout the post-World War II years while describing his template for nation building in the Middle East, recounting his efforts to keep British promises and prevent decisions that contributed to present-day instability.