Arabian Books

This was one of my favorite books as a child, and i just gave it as a gift to another child. It is an excellent book - a true story about a famous horse who had to overcome tremendous struggles and his faithful groom who managed to accompany him and assist him no matter the personal cost, as well as a look at prejudice and genuine kindness.

I first read this book when I was in elementary school. That was many, many years ago. The thought of this book somehow crossed my mind a few days ago. So I procured one and read it through in a couple of hours. The re-read reminded me of how great of a book this is.

This book speaks of hope, trust, perseverance, and especially of undying love. Yes, it's a children's book but adults will benefit greatly from reading it as well. It's one of those books which will forever remain a classic in the hearts and minds of those who have read it.

This is one of my favorite horse stories of all time. It is about a young boy who makes a bond with an increadible horse. A must read for any horse lover!!!!

This is my favorite horse story ever! This book stands above all others for me and I will always remember it. My mom read this to me when I was 9 years old and still to this day, I have never read it's equal. Henry's writing is so beautiful, the story so touching and the characters so real. A plot unfolds about a young stable boy in Morocco and his golden-bay stallion who would one day be known as the Godolphin Arabian, who's bloodline still runs in race horses of today. It's quite possible a lot of this book is based on fact. A simply amazing story in all respects! I must warn sensitive readers however, there are some very intense parts of this book, some sad parts which are sure to make most people cry and a few parts where there is fairly harsh abuse and neglect of animals. Maybe not the best choice to read to very young kids, especially if they are the type to get scared easily. Overall, I would say the book has an excellent balance of tragedy and triumph. The ending is a beautiful one, both happy and a little sad but satisfying and well worth reading the story.

King of the Wind is a great book by Marguerite Henry. It is about a mute boy named Agba and his horse Sham. Agba goes with Sham on many adventures together. Agba goes with Sham from the royal stables in Morocco to Gog Magog. Sham also sires many winning foals and when he is gone, Agba goes back to Morocco.
I enjoyed this book very much. I liked it because it is about horses. I also liked it because it was full of adventure. It was sad and exciting and there were many parts where Sham and Agba were seperated. Agba was very brave for a young, mute boy and Sham kept him company with his firy spirit that only Agba could control.
My favorite part was when the cook tried to drive Sham. He wanted to show that he did not need Agba to drive Sham. He left Agba at the royal kitchens then set out. Sham bidded his time till the cart was groaning with goods and a young pig. Then "BAM!" He went wild and ran like the wind, sending the goods, the pig, and the cook into the air. The cook runs after first the pig, then Sham, then the pig, until he is so confused that he catched nither. In the end the apple woman cathes Sham and the cook is so fustrated that he sells Sham to a cruel man. I like this part best because it is so funny and shows Shams firy nature.

This is the first person, and slightly egotistical, account of Lawrence of Arabia. It has lots of interesting anecdotes and maps.

Although a bit confusing in his presentation of dozens of key characters unfamiliar to the reader, Lawrence paints an extraordinary sketch of a time and people otherwise just a footnote to World history. The richness of the text and word pictures were worth the time spent laboring through massive amounts of detailed narrative.

TE Lawrence (1888-1935) the British soldier, poet and scholar wrote this insightful personal account of the Arab Revolt based on his war journals which is as confronting as it is poetic and beautiful. How could one not be enthralled by the writings and perspectives of a fine intellectual mind tormented by the reality of war and hypocrisy? What makes this book unique and powerful is Lawrence's sensibility as a poet and a soldier. Even if you are not into war history, this is a riveting book you can't afford to miss.

ON STRIKE UNTIL AMAZON STOPS DELETING FAVORABLE VOTES FROM FANS AND COUNTING NEGATIVE VOTES FROM THOSE WHO HATE THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE BOOK BEING REVIEWED MORE THAN THEY CARE ABOUT THE REVIEW.

I own an original first edition (and did not realize its value until recently), but in searching for this book to add a link from within my new book on Irregular Warfare: Waging Peace, I realized the reader is faced with two choices today, one costing $4 more than the other. I believe I found the explanation in the less expensive version, which is described as "severely abridged." So all things being equal, buy this version instead.

There is no finer summary of this work that I have encountered in my literature search than "T.E. Lawrence And the Mind of An Insurgent" by James J. Schneider, Ph.D., a professor of military theory at the School of Advanced Military Studies, U.S. Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Previously published in 2005 in varied works, it can be easily found online by searching for the author and title.

My preliminary research for the new book shows that the Lieutenant Colonels/Commanders and some Colonels/Captains of the Navy get it, but the flags do not. Even the vaunted counterinsurgency handbook avoids dealing with three realities:

1. Absent a moral legitimizing strategy that includes a commitment to sufficiency of presence, no occupation will succeed.

2. Absent a national intelligence community willing and able to jump deep into Multinational, Multiagency, Multidisciplinary, Multidomain Information Sharing and Sense-Making (M4IS2), no commander will succeed.

3. It costs asymmetric irregular warriors $1 for every $500,000 they force us to spend with our present idiotic emphasis on technology as a substitute for both thinking and human presence. They can keep this up forever, we cannot.

IMHO, Dr. Schneider's distillation is utterly brilliant, and if the publisher issues a new edition, I urge the publisher to obtain permission to include Dr. Schneider's distillation as a new professional preface.

Although I have a very very large personal library (photo at oss.net), here are the books I bought today as part of my homework. In the comment I provide the URLs for the pieces I have had printed locally.

Modern irregular warfare: In defense policy and as a military phenomenon
The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism
Counterinsurgency and the Global War on Terror: Military Culture and Irregular War (Stanford Security Studies)
Asymmetric Warfare: Threat and Response in the 21st Century
Guerrilla Warfare: Irregular Warfare in the Twentieth Century (Stackpole Military History Series)
The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual
Never Surrender: A Soldier's Journey to the Crossroads of Faith and Freedom
Kill Bin Laden: A Delta Force Commander's Account of the Hunt for the World's Most Wanted Man

Two other books I already own within my ten link limit:
War of the Flea: The Classic Study of Guerrilla Warfare
Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam

And everything written by H. John Poole, but especially Tactics of the Crescent Moon, Phantom Soldier, One More Bridge to Cross, and Tiger's Way. Also Col Hammes on Sling and Stone, Mao and Che, Max Manwaring's various works including Search for Security, Uncomfortable Wars, and Environmental Security....and on, and on, and on....IRWF is finally "in" now we just have to spend ten years waiting for the current flags to retire.

Rightfully regarded as a modern classic, this book is nevertheless not light reading. This is a result of the density of information, as well as Lawrence's writing style, which often makes a re-reading of passages necessary to fully grasp them, besides his use of some unusual vocabulary. But by the time one has completed the journey to Damascus with Lawrence and his Arabs, one has almost got a taste for his own peculiar style, even if one cannot always agree with his views, which however, were pretty progressive for a man who grow up at the height of imperialism.

There are, however, many contradictions in the man. At the start of the book, for example, he sympathizes with the unwilling Turkish conscipts, illiterate Anatolian peasants who really wished to be back home, led by a militaristic officer caste fresh from the Armenian genocide. Later in the book though, little sympathy is shown, and on one occasion when Lawrence was angered by the Turks, he did nothing to stop their massacre on their defeat, and left all their wounded where they fell - every one of hundreds froze to death in the cold winter night...

But when one considers that he lost both brothers in 1915 in France, his father in 1919 of the Spanish influenza, and his closest friend, and probably boyfriend, Salim Ahmed, shortly before his entry into Damascus, one can be more forgiving of his attitude. And who can forget his botched execution of Hamed, who'd killed another man? To avoid a blood feud, Lawrence suggested that he execute the man, which was insisted on by the Arabs. 3 shots with his pistol, one of which hit the man on his wrist. No wonder he said he couldn't sleep that night. Or his having to shoot long-time compatriot Farrah in the head as he was too seriously injured to move, and wanted to avoid the inevitable torturing to death of Arab prisoners. Enver Pasha, the Turkish commander, had thrown so many men live into his furnace that he knew just how long it took before you heard the sound of their heads popping. Considering this background of brutality, Lawrence comes across as positively humane.

The book has it's lighter moments though. Who can forget the tribe of the Ageyl, who were so poor they used to go into battle stripped to their loin cloths, both in the belief that it reduced their chances of infection if they were hit, as well as to protect their clothing from bullet holes or blood stains...the young Arabs urinating on others' wounds as the only antiseptic treatment in the desert...the Howeitat treatment of snake-bites - bind up the part with snake-skin plaster, and read chapters of the Koran to the sufferer until he died. Life was hard, and luxuries were few, something which seemed to attract Lawrence even more towards his mission of reaching Damascus and driving out the Turks, even if his conscience continued to bother him that the British Govt's promises to the Arabs were unlikely to be fulfilled.

Finally, Lawrence claimed he left the original manuscript on the train, and had to rewrite the entire book from memory, an amazing feat considering the wealth of detail here. Actually, it would be a superhuman task, and Robert Graves, one of his best friends, believes the story was a lie. The implication is that Lawrence made out that he'd had to rewrite the book by recalling his memories as a cover for the fact that parts of the book are invented, and many facts changed, and that this would be the perfect excuse should his information later be found to be inaccurate. But why claim to have blown up over 70 bridges when the real number was around 20 or so?

The answer is that this is a work of literature, and not a military textbook. We'll never be really sure of which parts are exactly true, and which merely invented as representing what typically happened. It's not always light reading, so set some time aside for this one, but when you get to the end, you'll be glad of having made the effort.

This book is an absolute treasure. I was initially uninterested in reading this book, primarily because a small section of it, from the Norton Anthology of World Literature, was assigned reading in one of my college literature classes. I always hate reading stuff that is assigned to me. However, as I started reading the first few pages I was immediately hooked. When class let out that day I RAN to the nearest bookstore and bought a copy of the entire book. It was incredible from the first page to the last. This book is definitely a keeper.

This book was more than what I expected...a very attractive appearance, without breaking the bank. It was purchased as a gift, and he is ecstatic about it!!

Not only do the tales read very, very well -- in good, elegant English -- but also the author does a great job at explaining why a new translation is needed. He makes his case in a detailed, very informative intro, which compares different translations of The Arabian Nights. Delightful.

Excellent translation, from the oldest known manuscript of the tales. True to the original, it captures not just the letter, but the spirit of the text. Clearly, Haddawy is a talented writer on his own accord.

A very good place to discover Arab culture as well.

I have been reading this to my 8 yr old and changing or leaving out the inappropriate parts. She loves to hear it, and with the cliff hangers she is always asking for another chapter.

Wow! This book rocks! What happens is...
--the true owner of the black stallion shows up and TAKES THE BLACK BACK
--Alec and Henry find the black, but it is a very difficult journey and they first must travel across the Atlantic
--there is a big race that the black is to be in
--somewhere along the way, a vicious man attempts to KILL THE BLACK
This is not only a horse book, but a good vs. evil book. I highly recommend it.

In this book, the second one in the Black Stallion series, the Black Stallion's real owner comes to retrieve him. He returns to his homeland, Arabia, soon after.You follow Alec, Raj, Henry, and Mr. Volence in an unforgettable adventure through Arabian deserts, facing criminals and hunger.
This was the best book that I ever read! If I could I would give it 9 million star!

Abu the Black Stallions ownerhad lost his horse by going on a ship to a country and the ship had started sinking.The Black had saved a boys life named Alec.Alec had thought that the owner of the horse was really dead but he wasnt,which Alec didnt know that.Well anyways Alec had took the Black home with him and put him in a stall and took good care of the Black.Well now Abu had been looking for his horse for a while now and so he had finally found out where his horse was and went to Alecs house and proved ownership of the Black.Then Abu had taken the horse back home to their country and then Alec was really upset that he didnt have that horse anymore so Abu said that he could have the Blacks baby that was born.

Abu the Black stallions owner had lost his horse by going on a ship to a country and the ship had started sinking.The Black had saved a boys life named Alec.Alec had thought that the owner of the horse was really dead but he wasnt,which Alec didnt know that.Well anyways Alec had took the Black home with him and put him in a stall and took good care of the Black.Well now Abu had been looking for his horse for a while now and so he had finally found out where his horse was and went to Alecs house and proved
ownership of the Black. Then Abu had taken the horse back home to their country and then Alec was really upset that he didnt have that horse anymore so Abu said that he could have the first Blacks baby that was born.

This mysterious and enchanting book takes Alec and Henry to a setting far from the one in the previous book. In the barren deserts of Arabia, they search for their black stallion in his own home. A thrilling tale of survival, and just as vivid, with a race for high stakes and a horse to beat any of the same caliber all thrown in too make the story plot thicken.

This book had me turning the pages, never wanting to put it down. The story was very different from the first, but not as much as some sequels. Farley had a way of keeping his characters in prospective, and in turn, the story again took the readers on an exhilarating ride. A great piece of literature for young tweens to read, though the movie does have violence in it, but seems to make the story even more thrilling. An excellent book I will be sure to show my kids one day.

This is a must read for humans. Guess what? The bin Laden clan is not so different from any other family--they've got personalities that span the spectrum. Osama's father had 54 children and died in a plane crash. Daddy was an ambitious, clever, can-do sort of man. A charismatic opportunist, and a capitalist. He built a company up from nothing and, by Islamic law, his fortune and business were passed on to his children. Osama got his share. He was an only child from a Syrian wife. He was a quiet lad and found his way educated by religious extremists ... and he took to it--fundamentalist religion. The rest of the fam took to the good life that money could buy--oil money mostly-- passed on from the King of Saudi Arabia for construction projects. The family disowned Osama and now they are making money hand over foot. I think Osama will go down in history as somewhat of a hero, a sort of Robin Hood, Butch Cassidy type. Bush? History won't be kind to him - he's the one with the anti-social personality. The bin Ladens don't exhibit great intellect, they're really quite unexceptional, except for Osama, who had the rare courage of convictions ... religious fanaticism.
It's been seven years now - bin Laden's still a free man, Bush is being retired to his ranch - there are two wars still going on, and the stock market is back to "ground zero." Amazing.

I started reading this book mainly because the author is a pulz prize winner. I started it back in April. Mind you I am a slow reader but this is one that I can't put down. I remember after 9/11 hearing that the Bin Laden family had been flown out the next day or so by Bush. But I didn't know anything about them. Except they were allowed to fly but I was stuck in Essen Germany (one of the pilots has lived there w/ his girlfriend). This book is drenched in so much information that Steve gathered. I cannot imagine how hard or frustrating it must have been to get people there to talk. I have been taking my time and absorbing it (and even highlighting names...like James Baker). I had no idea and I don't think most American's how intertwined the Bin Laden family is with the U.S. They own so many properties all over the country. Even in the small city I live in now and the city I just moved from. It was also interesting to read about the Gulf War since I am a vet that was in during the gulf war. I remember that the king of Saudi told Bush he wanted to give every service member a solid gold metal. Every one of us. We were soooo excited. Bush said no. So nice of him. I mean my younger brother was on foodstamps while he was an e-3 in the Navy and I was barely clearing 12 grand as an e4. Nah that couldn't have come in handy. It is also interesting to see that money from the U.S. came through CIA to one of the main operatives there that passed on money to Obama and he never knew we gave him money. This was during the Afgan war. I could go on and on but JUST BUY IT!

This book provides a glamorous insight into the life of the Bin Laden family from the early beginning. Details within this book might seem over exaggerated but most likely very real. A dazzling narrative of high stakes business/borderline politics that brought about the most powerful family in the Middle East.

This book brings you on a journey across many continents leaving a dizzying trail of foot prints. A journey made possible by Oil, Construction, fortune and pure ambition.

This is a long book, but will remain in your hands until the last page.

A second addition would be appreciated to bridge current events to where this book left off.

Steve Coll's THE BIN LADENS receives Erik Singer's smooth voice and Broadway experience as it tells of the rise of the Bin Laden family and the oil fortune which earned them a place in not just the Middle East, but in Western history as well. Concurrent with the family biography is a survey of global integration and interactions key to understanding world politics - and an invaluable guide.

With his "The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in the American Century" Steve Coll has written something relevant and valuable. In his meticulous reporting of a powerful Middle Eastern family that spawned the world's most famous terrorist Steve Coll has, more important, revealed the trappings of globalization.

The Bin Ladens is the Saud royal family's contractors, and they have literally built most of Saudi Arabia. They are a large and expansive, devout and traditional Muslim family but before anything else they are businessmen. That's why they will assiduously cultivate good relations with the corrupt and tyrannical Saud royal family, whose very whim rests the fate of the family. They will also tear down and bulldoze to a fault the holy cities of Mecca and Medina, and transfer their capital and assets out of Saudi Arabia in times of uncertainty. By being absolutely loyal to the Saud royal family, even acting as one of their largest creditors, the Bin Ladens has prospered, even though because their private and business dealings are so blurred together and because the thorny web of personal relationships that constitute business in Saudi Arabia means everyone owe and is owed money to someone else, they have no idea how much they're worth.

As a mighty tome this book discusses many topics but ultimately it's about, as the subtitle suggests, the Bin Ladens and globalization. And while this is a family epic the patriarch was much too prodigious (fathering at least 54 children), and the story centers around two Bin Laden scions: the eldest and heir Salem and his younger half-brother Osama.

Sent to English boarding schools at a young age the very large and personable Salem, as the heir apparent to this family's construction empire, must have learned quickly that wealth in a global free market means he can live his life like a wet dream. After his father died Salem did much to globalize his company, and retained many foreigners -- lawyers and advisors, pilots and girlfriends -- in his retinue. Yet, out of necessity, Salem was staunchly loyal to the Saud royal family, even doing intelligence work for them -- such as supplying the mujahedeen arms, money, and Osama in their fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan. Freely moving between the West and his homeland Salem's ultimate dream was to have four Western women from different countries as his wives: for him this was the true meaning of globalization.

Osama Bin Laden led a very different life from Salem. His mother had him when she was fifteen, and, because there were so many wives already in the Bin Laden household and as was the custom, she re-married, and it was in junior high that the Osama became involved tangentially with the Muslim Brotherhood and radical Islam. At that time many young boys in Saudi Arabia were drawn to radical Islam, and it's possible that like fatherless black teenagers in New York who joined gangs they were drawn in because they desperately wanted authority and structure in their lives. When Middle Eastern patriarchs decide to have dozens of sons they in fact sentence all of them to a fatherless existence. And while Osama had a kind stepfather his Bin Laden name meant he was in fact superior to his stepfather, and therefore could never look up to him.

Besides providing Osama with structure and order Islam also sated his second most immediate need: sex. Islam permitted Osama at 17 to marry a younger cousin of 14, and would permit him to marry three more times. And fighting the jihad in Afghanistan Osama may have been motivated by yet another mundane reason: respect from his half-brothers. The Saudi royal family supported the war, and thus the Bin Laden family supported the war -- and here was an opportunity for Osama to finally prove himself to the Bin Ladens. Ultimately, it did not but in Afghanistan he created a new family for himself: Al-Qaeda.

"Ambition, energy, natural talent, and a gift for managing people had made [the patriarch] Mohamed Bin Laden wealthy," Steve Coll writes. "Reinterpreted by Salem, these characteristics had girded a secular life of singular creativity and financial success. Reinterpreted through a prism of Islamic radicalism by Osama, they would soon prove just as transforming."

And what Osama realized was that the very tools of globalization -- mobile phones, Internet, and international finance -- could be used against globalization itself with devastating effect.

Unfortunately, globalization's prophets were so enamored of their creation they could not imagine this was possible. During the late Clinton administration federal agents tried to ascertain the funds available to Osama by hacking into Swiss banks but their overlords overruled this, arguing this would compromise confidence in the European banking system.

What was so traumatic about the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks was not the degree of damage but how it shattered our very sense of the world -- of what is fixed, true, and right. By turning the very symbols of modernity and globalization against itself Osama Bin Laden showed how messy and precarious our world really is, and that's a sort of metaphysical trauma almost impossible to recover from.

Globalization indeed is a messy and complicated process, as the Bin Laden family would discover. Yes, globalization meant cheap access to German prostitutes and German cars but it also brought many complications. While in America Bin Laden family members were swindled out of their money, and harassed by the police about if they were treating their household help properly. When one Bin Laden son found himself in American divorce court, and constantly harassed about his actual finances -- which he knew nothing about -- by his wife's divorce lawyers he yearned for the ease and simplicity of patriarchal Muslim law. Not at all strange that while reared in modern and progressive Western society most Bin Laden sons in the end chose the comfort and certainty of their corrupt and close-minded homeland.

Globalization, like the Internet and modernity, is neither good nor bad. It just is -- it promises and it imperils, it strengthens and weakens, it creates and destroys. Many are turned off by globalization's inherent messiness and complication, and thus it's not surprising many -- in every society -- will seek comfort and consolation in religion, the simplest and most dogmatic thing available to them.

And so Osama Bin Laden is not globalization's enemy. He is, like his other brother Salem and like the Bin Laden family and like all of us, ensnared and overwhelmed by globalization, desperately trying in his own way to best make sense of it.

I've been studying the life of Lawrence nearly all of my own 50 years, since I was thirteen. I've read and reread all I could find about him, especially his own Seven Pillars of Wisdom. How refreshing it was to read Professor Mack's excellent book which covers so much more than I'd ever found before and with surprisingly brilliant insight. A fresh look at this enigmatic figure with modern eyes and a richer understanding. A great read.

I have now read several books both on T.E. Lawrence, the Middle East, World War I and English governmental history. This is by far the best biography on T.E. Lawrence and the situation in the Middle East that I have read. John Mack did an outstanding job of researching Lawrence for this book. One of the most interesting sections of the book was reading the endnotes. They provide even more information about Mack's research as well as to clarify some previous misstatements about Lawrence.

Although Lawrence suffered greatly from depression and other disorders he was a truly great man. That he was able to be an outstanding friend to so many people while enduring personal suffering is amazing. John Mack portrays Lawrence in an honest light which actually makes Lawrence and his achievements all the more spectacular because of his personal struggles.

John Mack's biography shows us that great people are not perfect nor does their greatness make them happy. He also shows that people who, if truth were know, live outside of societies norms can do world changing things and be loved by society. Lawrence seemed to have been very accepting of all people, other than himself.

To call Lawrence's life tragic in some way diminishes his accomplishments. Was Lawrence a great man because of his problems or in spite of his problems? I think that Lawrence was capable of being a legend because of his problems. The psychological struggles he endured were who he was. Society is so quick to discount a person because of psychological problems, whether they are great people or not. If society were honest with itself, it would realize that everyone has some problem or other. Some, as Lawrence was, are open (relatively) and honest about their problems while most choose to act as if they don't exist.

Winston Churchill, a contemporary of Lawrence's, also suffered greatly from depression and probably some other things as well. Churchill was also hero and a legend and was largely responsible for keeping the world free from Nazi Germany when few noticed the threat or appropriately dealt with it.

It appears to me, that the greater the leader and the more astounding his or her abilities, the more "different" they are from what society believes is normal. A good thought to ponder.

John Mack does an excellent job of providing a well-documented biography of T.E. Lawrence as well as an outline of his psychological makeup. Mack does not claim to understand Lawrence or to explain every behavior. I had expected to read more of a detailed psychological report and was, at first, a bit disappointed. However, the longer I read the more apparent it was that Mack was portraying Lawrence's personality through an accurate telling of his story rather than trying to lecture on "who Lawrence really was" and "why he did everything he did". John Mack also did not fall into the overly Freudian theory that Lawrence did everything because of sex. Sex obviously played a role in his psychology but did not appear to be the overriding theme.

For years, I have studied the life and works of T. E. Lawrence. My research has lead me across the pages of hundreds of books including his own Seven Pillars of Wisdom, but the best biography and analysis of Lawrence I have yet encountered is A Prince of Our Disorder.

Dr. Mack's thorough examination and explanation of the effect of Lawrence's childhood on his adult life and mentality is brilliant. Instead of merely stating his opinions, he touches on those of other biographers as well and then proceeds to state how and why he feels they are accurate or inaccurate, providing quotes from military reports, other Lawrence books, interviews with Lawrence's relatives and friends, and Seven Pillars of Wisdom.

If you read A Prince of Our Disorder, I can almost 100% gaurantee that you will have a better understanding of Lawrence's personal role in the Hejaz Campaign and the lasting effects of his experiences in Arabia on him physically and psychologically. Thankfully, it is beautifully written, and not at all confusing.

From the moment Mack "introduces" you to Lawrence you will have a desire to learn more about him, and as Mack walks you through his troubled life, you will feel pity and awe for this untouchable man.

I think that A Prince of Our Disorder clarifies the line between the legend of the indestructable, hero-Lawrence and the lost, soul-searching man Lawrence really was.

Dr. John Mack's study of Lawrence is one of the most absorbing reads I've ever enjoyed in my lifetime. As Irving Howe wrote, "What finally draws one to Lawrence, making him not merely an exceptional figure, but a representative man of our century, is his courage and vulnerability in bearing the burden of consciousness." The impact that the trial by fire in Arabia appears to have had on his post-war life is shocking, and teaches us once again not to envy our great heroes. Lawrence wrote of General Allenby that great men cannot be judged by ordinary standards, anymore than the sharpness of the bow of an ocean liner can be judged by the sharpness of a razor. After reading "A Prince of Our Disorder," I recognize now that Lawrence was probably thinking of himself while writing those kind words about his former master, asking that he not be be judged by his hidden afflictions, torments, and self-doubts, all the while laying out those same imperfections for all the world to read. Lawrence warned us,"The documents are liars ... No man ever yet tried to write down the entire truth of any action in which he has been engaged." No man is truly capable of understanding his own subconscious motivations, but I doubt that anyone has ever struggled harder than Lawrence to achieve self-understanding. We will have to try to read between the lines, learn what we can, and apply that knowledge to enrich our own poor lives.

So sad for all of us that our leaders are not of the same introspective type. Dr. Mack comments in his introduction that "The destructive leader, and the eagerness of a large segment of the population to identify with him, comprise one of the central threats -- if not the greatest threat -- that faces human society. There is perhaps an increasing unwillingness to entrust our well-being and our lives to individuals and characters we do not understand and whose ultimate purposes we are ignorant of." Let's hope so.

Jeremy Wilson's massive biography "Lawrence of Arabia" may better satisfy military readers interested in extensive contemporary document citations, and includes much more detail on Lawrence's Cairo years. Wilson also has a better set of photographs. The 1922 Oxford full text of "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," edited by Jeremy and Nicole Wilson and available from Castle Hill Press in the UK, is most highly recommended to all who find "T.E.L." fascinating.

While searching for literature on the man in the movie `Lawrence of Arabia', otherwise unknown to me other than knowing him as the brother of D.H. Lawrence, I stumbled across this most authoritative biography on the man who David Lean so magnificently portrayed in his film. He is one of the men who could be placed in par with other great leaders of Britain during the early part of the 20th century.

While Lawrence's autobiography, `Seven Pillars of Wisdom' gives gory picture of his life in the desert and his adventurous war campaigns, Mack's book gives more insight into the man's psyche just as Judith Brown did on Gandhi in her book `Gandhi - A Prisoner of hope'. His many questionable traits (exhibitionism, homosexual tendancies, overemphasis of his achievements) are wonderfully analyzed with information gleaned from tons of historical materials. While the west looked at him as a great war commander (though some question his contributions during the great desert wars), the east, even the people who worked with him, do not consider him as a man who helped Arabs gain their freedom from Turks other than agreeing to the fact that he helped king Faisel in wars.

Lawrence's genius is considered twined with his behavioral disorder, a not so common association among people who have schizophrenic symptoms except may be for rare cases of autistic geniuses like Peter Guthrie (not the Scottish mathematician but a not so well-known artist). There have been debates during his later years as whether Lawrence was in fact an autistic. At any rate, as reflected in one of his most famous quotes, he was a `dangerous' daydreamer who dreamt with open eyes and made things happen unlike night dreamers who dream in their dusty recesses of their minds only to wake up in the morning to see they are vain.

T.E. Lawrence's life and his untimely death (by motorbike accident) left us with lot of questions as who was he and what was he doing in the middle east and what made him to completely depart from the politics of middle east and lead a secluded life of 23 years in the Royal Air Force (not forgetting his contributions to the invention of new types of speed boats). His appearances in Arab's traditional attire in Versailles during 1919 Paris Peace Conference with the King Faisel and with other western dignitaries draw a stark similarity with Gandhi's appearance in loin cloth and shawl during the Round Table Conference at London. Though Faisal trusted him as his benevolent, he did not entrust Lawrence completely as he always thought him as a British spy.

I would suggest anyone who is inquisitive of T.E. Lawrence, also see David Lean's much acclaimed epic motion picture `Lawrence of Arabia'. If the movie `Lawrence of Arabia' captivated me, Mack's biography enthralled me with its abundance of well researched information. As with any other great men, Lawrence's life also is worth researching into. And these biographers are the ones who make legends live and help sustain the new generations' interest on these great people. A great biographical work!

Mere coincidence or not, John E. Mack died of a car accident in New York in 2004.

For the serious horse lover, or any person young or old that really likes animals, this is a must read. I have owned the grandson of this fantastic horse for years. My stallion is 30, but has the same wonderful traits. There really are animals out there that far out shine the intelligence that their species is given. This book shows this, and Linell did a great job giving you the acurate information, in a wonderful book to read. I am glad I could finally order it!
L

I live in Southern Ontario. Years ago I borrowed this book from a library and loved it so much I told them I lost it and paid for it (I think it was around $25) and now that I see the cheapest one is $92 I don't feel quite as bad. This is the best book about an Arabian I have ever read. The part when the Russians took the majority of the breeding stock at Janow broke my heart-what a loss for all of Poland forever. And the sacrifices that the Polish people made to save all those horses was incredible. And of course when Witez won the Championship, I too, am moved to tears every time I read this. I have always thought that someone should make a movie of this story-it's not just a 'horse story' but a great story of struggle and survival of the Polish people. (I am Polish-my grandfather fought in WWII.) I have even made Witez's name my email address-if you live in S. Ont. and have any descendants of him you can send me pics - trwitez@hotmail.com

Read this book ages ago, on loan from an arab breeder my parents were considering buying from. It's a truly unforgettable story for any horse lover. Although I keep checking back it's never in my price range, worse luck.

i first read this book in middle school. i happened to think of it yesterday when i saw a magazine on arabians in a store. i can't wait to buy it and read it again as an adult.

It's hard to know where to start with this book. I've had it forever (I think its original list price was about $12...) and doubt I'll ever sell it. It succeeds on so many levels - as a story of an incredible Arabian stallion, Witez, bred from the best at Janow Stud in Poland; of the people who loved him throughout his life (some fiction, some real); of the standards of training and performance Arabians had to meet at Janow before they would be kept as breeding stock; of the sufferings of Poland during WWII while Russia, Germany and the Allies fought back and forth across some of its richest land; of the richly earned heritage of the Polish cavalry and their role in the war; of Patton's rescue of the "super horses" (which included the Lipizzaners but not JUST them); of how Witez was chosen to come to America and how close his owners came to not getting him and then, to wrap it up, how he performs in halter classes when his owners got sick of hearing rumors about his lack of quality (of course, he swept home a champion). It is, in many places, a breathless story, almost beyond belief, and in many others a fascinating weave of many of the historical threads that came together in WWII.
Read it because you love Arabians, read it if you love history, but find a copy somewhere and read it - you won't be disappointed.

I loved it, I loved it, I loved it. This is one of my most absolutely favorite books. Alison is a young woman who gets caught up in murder, espionage, betrayal, faith,romance, and adventure.
This is a must read! Not only because of the previously listed attributes, but also, it is a good Christian novel, with nothing dirty and zero profanity.
Will Alison and Bret stop the murderer and rescue the important papers? Will Alison lose faith when she is betrayed by one who she thought she could trust?
YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK

This is the best of Chaikin! It's both romance and mystery! You won't be able to put it down! The plot is great and the characters are fantastic! If you haven't had the opportunity to read Arabian Winds then your missing out on one of the best Christian romances series ever!

I'm new to Linda Chaikin's novels, but I simply can't wait to read the rest of her books...this was beyond a surprise. I couldn't put it down! The entire series is amazing (book #2 is "Lions of the Desert" and book #3 is "Valiant Hearts"), and I love the way Linda mixes romance with history and mystery. The chemistry between the two main characters simply jumps off the page and the plot is so interesting that it'll have you reading all night to find out what happens! A must-have for anyone who enjoys Christian romance, historical fiction, or mystery.

The first book is set in the months before World War I, in Egypt, where nurse Allison Wescott finds herself caught up in a world of murder and espionage, not to mention romance, as she's caught between two loves (her fiance and a mysterious British officer).

Wow, this is the best fiction book I have EVER READ!!
This book will keep you up until the early hours of morning!!
I loved this book!! If you are a romantic you will instantly love the romantic chemistry between Allison and Brett. This is truly a wonderful book. I would definitely BUY this book! I would also buy Lion's of the Desert and Valiant Hearts also. Enjoy this amazing series!!
Manda

i borrowed this book from a friend, and once i started it, i couldn't put it down! this book is a definate must-read! it's about a young nurse who gets envolved in espionage, finds true love, and oh my gosh, you have got to read this book! so, what are you waiting for??? you won't be dissapointed

I am not a reviewer but I am a soldier. This book has everything in it you could want in an action novel. I really liked how the author got all his facts right on the ordinance and gear used by the various military units and the descriptions of their effect is dead on. The plot was so imaginative I couldnt believe it! It not only kept me reading but scared me a little with how real it was. The way the book started out I thought it would be about how bad slavery is in the Arab world but in the middle of the book it took a surprise turn. I have been briefed by experts on al-Qaida and thought I knew a lot about how they operate but this story detailed new information that I later found was accurate. Every day citizens back in the world should also pay attention to the lessons you can learn from this great book, we are at war with terrorists and it will not end soon.

I read Elephant Gun by Phillip E. Carpenter and liked it so much I knew I had to read Arabian Assignment.If you read Elephant Gun first you will enjoy Arabian Assignment more as you will understand the characters and the direction of the book.Arabian Assignment is another masterpiece from Phillip E. Carpenter.This author has the type of writing skill that as you read the book you feel as if you are in the storyline yourself.You will be so involve with the characters that you just can't stop reading.This book is fiction but you will start to believe that it is really non fiction and you start to realize how little we know and understand terrorist.This book should be a must read for all armed service personnel as it will help them understand terrorist and just how evil they think.You will enjoy this book so much that when you are finish you will be e/mailing your friends and telling them they must read this book.I can't wait until the next book by Phillip E. Carpenter comes out.

Finally, a novel in the tradition of Hemingway and other great adventure novelists of the past. Not only does Carpenter create a plot with all the necessary elements, altruism, danger, evildoers, captures, escapes, rescuers, battles, personality clashes, politics, religion, international crises and final solutions, but he does it by using today's news events and real situations. Applause to the courage of an author who thought of making Osama bin-Laden one of the key manipulators of a novel's plot before Sept.11th, 2001, and using the abominable slavery trade in Africa as a stepping stone to uncover al-Qaeda's horrific terrorist plots. ... I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of reading this lengthy and satisfying novel, perhaps the best adventure story I've run across in years.

Arabian Assignment by Phillip Carpenter is by far one of the most interesting books I have read. This man is so well versed in the ways, not only of the world, but of this part of the world. It is hard to believe that this writer knows so much about this world which is so foreign to us. Further, Carpenter has an extraordinary command of the English language - used long (sometimes VERY long)sentences/descriptions without duplicating words. He has taken his enviable talents and his life experiences and used them to write a fascinating story with people who seem so real. They have real-life flaws and faults. They are very human, react in very human ways - terrified but courageous women - so much more. Also interesting, and frightening is his knowledge of Bin Laden, etc.,long before Bin Laden became,tragically, a household name. I heartily recommend this book. I am about to read Elephant Gun, written first and which I probably should have read first, to learn more about the characters in Arabian Assignment. Am looking forward to more from this author. Barbara Williams

I can't say that I liked every single thing about this book. For example, on occasion characters went on for uninterrupted paragraphs telling one another things that would have been well known by the listening characters and were obviously for the benefit of the reader alone (at times they are things even the reader does not need to hear).

That aside, I still give Arabian Assignment five plus stars. What a remarkable book to have written at any time, but especially prior to September 11, 2001! Carpenter is obviously not merely smart, he also possesses an astounding background including an insiders understanding of Arab culture. I've visited some of the regions of Africa he writes about, and have long been interested in African/Arab politics. In Arabian Assignment I had the opportunity to see some of the macro behavioral things I've learned about functioning on a micro (albeit fictional) scale. Fictional or not, there can be no doubt that these sorts of characters exist.

Arabian Assignment may be the most graphic book I've ever read. It's not for those who'd rather remain oblivious to the sub-sewer levels mankind can and does stoop to. The many scenes of this nature are not gratuitous, though. They are there because they are relevant. I suspect that many readers will complete this book with impressions vastly changed from those they brought to it. Given the current state of the world, understanding the mindset of both our allies and enemies will be immensely valuable to knowing what actions we should and should not take. Arabian Assignment becomes more encompassing as it progresses, until by the end it has some important things to say about how freedom might be protected. How many novels can you say that about?

This is a superb and easily read treatise, of use both to the military professional and the interested lay reader. The book meticulously details strategic and tactical performance of each of the prinicple Arab states, not only with respect to their well-publicized conflicts with Israel, but it also investigates the lesser-known military endeavors (e.g., Egypt's war in Yemen, Libya's adventures in Chad). As a result, this is a comprehensive evaluation. Fortunately, it was not burdened with background details on Islam and it's baleful influences on the technical aspects of modern warfare: this material would constitute a separate treatise and has been detailed elsewhere. Nonetheless, the insights gained from Pollack's investigation of military performance transfer to Arab domestic politics and Islamic cultural influence on military doctrine.

Unfortunately, the cost of the book and it's length will deter many readers. In summary, this is an outstanding book and should be on the 'must read' list of readers of Middle Eastern affairs. It's only shortcomings were in the maps: symbols used throughout the text were only annotated in one map and never completely explained. Otherwise, a superb work.

The author of this book does an excellent job of analyzing the operational and tactical performance of Arabic Armies in the latter 20th Century. But, be forewarned, the book can be a slog to get through for the novice. Mr. Pollack examines the good, bad and ugly of the national performance of several armies (Iraqi, Egyptian, Syrian, Jordanian) in a manner which is useful to any decision maker who might have to confront an Arab Military foe. The best part of this book and its most useful application is in detailing Arabic Armies 'mismanagement' of information. Yes, poor leadership has doomed many Arabic Military operations, but within Arab Military leadership the fatal mismanagement of information is at the heart of each defeat. As detailed by the author, Senior and Junior officers both lie. They lie to their troops, lie to their political masters and lie to each other. At times they seem incapable of any truth telling whatsoever. The author details Senior Officers describing "Great Victories" where battles are being lost. Junior officers repeatedly fail to provide timely analysis of opposing forces or give a true picture of ongoing operations (lest they be termed cowards?). This has caused missed opportunities to adjust deployments and often leads to catastrophic defeats. Another excellent point is that the author never dismisses the ability of the individual Arab foot soldier to display extreme bravery and tenacity often despite overwhelming odds.

Egypt, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq are six major players in the Middle East. Whether they are US allies (such as Saudi Arabia or Jordan) or die hard enemies (such as Syria or Libya) Pollack gives an objective analysis of their military prowess, or lack there of.

Pollack's argument is twofold. He claims that because of Arab society Arab militaries lack basic skills that modern European armies take for granted. For instance because Arab culture looks down upon those who preform physical labor nations like Saudi Arabia wouldn't teach maitenance skills for rifles and aircraft. As a result Saudi Arabia still rely on foriegn advisors. Pollack notes that "Saudis also were limited in the fact that very few of their people were willing to take on a job that they considered menial labor-hence the support services suffered." (pg. 431)

The second portion of his thesis is that the junior officer corps of most Arab armies is incredibly poor. Considered having one of the finest armies in the Middle East, Jordan showed that on a tactical level it simply could not preform. While most Western militaries have based their soldiers tactics off of the old WW2 German saying "every corporal should carry a field marshalls baton." Arab countries such as the Hashemite Kingdom have good generals but poor lower level leadership. This was evident when Pollack states (talking about the battle of al Karamah), "The artillery was accurate but almost exclusively preplanned, preregistered fire missions and, therefore, did not demonstrate any real improvement over 1967. Whenever Jordanian armor encountered Israeli armor-and these were mostly even fights in both numbers and types of tanks engaged-the Jordanians either lost or, at best gained a draw which still favored the Israelis."(pg.334-335) There was simply little or no improvisation on plans that were drawn earlier.

There was only one minor flaw I found, this had nothing to do with what was written but with the book itself. The sofcover copy has a bit of a poor spine and doesn't do well under a little stress.

Pollack's book is as one review by Choice Magazine says, "[an] encyclopedic study will be of great interest to scholars, military planners and analysts, and policy makers." it really is a true encyclopedia chronicaling every major and minor conflict the above countries were involved in. Whether you are reading because you love military or Middle East history, this book is for you. I couldn't recommend Pollacks book more.

This is a solid study. It is well written, well researched, solid on its data, and thorough in its scope.

The sections on inter-Arab/Muslim/African conflict give good looks at relatively obscure pieces of information -- the author's discussion of the Libyan-Chadian conflicts, for example, is outstanding.

A number of interesting conclusions are evident here, whether about Arabs' failure to maintain their weapons and equipment, their poor battlefield employment of intelligence, their horrendous logistical systems, or the failure of their junior leadership to execute, lead, and decide sua sponte.

My only real complaint is that often, I found myself thinking 'but what do you think?' The author is so thorough in the book that he often leaves his intermediary conclusions for the reader to absorb, and extrapolate. This makes the book something of a tool, as opposed to the pedantic thing you would expect given its girth. But I would figure that with all the author's knowledge (and his resume to boot), he would have more of his own things to say. He does offer, at the end, that this book is essentially a shortened version of his dissertation, and there is a follow-on work that looks more in depth, examines other aspects, and offers more analysis.

Bottom line is that this is a great piece of work. It should be seen as, essentially, an encyclopedia. If you're looking for anything else you'll be woefully disappointed. But if you're serious about the subject, this book is well worth the time.

I won't repeat all of the detail and commentary provided by other reviewers, but I wanted to provide a favorable review for this excellent work.

In the introduction, the author addresses the factors often cited for the poor performance of Arab armies--poor junior leadership, poor equipment, lack of intestinal fortitude, etc. etc. He then provides rare detailed coverage of specific operations of the various Arab armies, including their successes and failures, and then returns to address, on the basis of his analysis, the "poor performance factors" for each of the armies which he covers. Very interesting (to military history fans) and well done.

TMR