H Books

Have you been searching for spiritual truth and have had to traverse the myriad of paths? This is the book to read as it contains what one truly needs to know in one book. The teachings contained in this book plants the seeds for the expansion of mind for higher consciousness.

this book has obviously meant a lot, and many things, to many people.

possibly Ouspensky's work overall has some of the beauty of the late 19th and early 20th centuries about it.

usually I wonder how this book would have turned out had he published it himself. the author might have changed some things, written a preface, and so forth; that is, provided an orientation for the reader.

written after the fact, it may even show the author's reservations from the first chapter, not the last, and the fact that he recorded his teacher's statements doesn't necessarily mean that he endorsed them all -- duh!

This is an extraordinary mind-altering book, if you allow it to be.

You cannot truly understand G.'s teachings from your own perspective. You have to see it from the perspective that G. wants you to see it from. You have to relinquish your current thinking and surrender to his view, then you can see the truth that lies behind the illusions... This is his way of teaching, not by ways of deception, but through submission. By showing you the possibilities that lie within another dimension of perception. Only then can you truly see your 'self'.

P.D. Ospensky as a teenager decided to forgo an academic education and instead to search for or hidden knowledge. His search lead him to study Theosophy, to travels in the East, to India, and such. Yet, he remained dissatisfied with what he found. Little did he know that he would find what he was looking for (The Miraculous) in a teacher who showed up from the East in his very own Moscow!

This book is about Ouspensky's experiences learning from this teacher, a mystic and very strange one at that, G.I. Gurjieff.

Gurjieff teaches Ospenskys things he never knew, gives him experiences he never thought possible. This book is Ouspesnky's gift to us from of what he learned and experienced.

Certainly, this book works mostly on the intellectual mind, and yet, Ouspensky frequently tells us that we must find an 'emotional state' and that, my friends, is 'The Work'.

This is easily the most important book I have ever read, and afterwards, I could lo longer see the world the same, or live my life in the same way.

If I was forced to have only one book, this would be it. Not for the Herd or Lazy. No fluff around the edges, tells it like it really is.

it's been over a decade since I read this and can't justify giving it 5 when it's been so long. That said, I enjoyed this quite a bit as I recall. What makes this a good read is that it is about an ordinary guy finding himself in an unbelievable scenario and how he faces the challenges. Many authors would be tempted to turn Joe Schmo instantly into James Bond or any other fantasy hero with all the smarts and moves. Fortunately, Saint avoids this and presents us with a story that we can almost believe is fact, not fiction. This is actually more a review of the film than the book. If you've seen the abomination of a film citing this novel as the source material and thought it was good, you should probably pass on giving this a read. Much like Bonfire of the Vanities, this was horribly miscast and butchered. How this ever fell into the hands of John Carpenter and Chevy Chase, I'll never understand. Someone else mentioned that Harrison Ford would have been better cast as the central character and I think that's pretty much dead on but the screenplay would have to have been trashed and put in the hands of someone who wanted to create something that actually represented the original and also in the hands of a more capable director. John Carpenter may be good at what he does but he was way out of his depth with this and was probably incapable of controlling Chase. Bottom line, the books very good if not great and the movie is a huge disappointment that really sucks.

Saint's narrative of how an invisible man survives in an urban setting is very credible because of the amount of details provided. Nick is forced to become a true survivalist because government agents are after him with the intent of making him a laboratory curiosity.
One reviewer commented that Nick appeared rather wimpy in his response to Colonel Jenkins' persecution (that is the best word for it) and this is the only aspect of the book that put me off slightly. If I'd been in Nick's place, Jenkins' life would have been much, much harder.

It takes you on a journey in your mind. You feel like you are the character. Fighting for survival. It's an amazing book. Fascinating. Awsome, What else can i say?

Edgy, nail-biting, darkly humorous, sexy, paranoid, and brilliant speculation about what life might be like for a man who is accidentally turned invisible.

This is light-years better than any of the many other recent attempts to build stories on this theme, from books and TV to films, and sadly including the distinctly average Chevy Chase comedy which was actually inspired by this book.

The narrator and central character is Nick Halliwell, a 34-year old, single, securities analyst working for a New York firm, who is completely ordinary except perhaps for an overactive sex drive. As part of his campaign to seduce a beautiful New York Times journalist called Anne Epstein, Nick invites her to a demonstration by a company called MicroMagnetics of their new type of magnetic fields.

Unfortunately Anne has cartoonishly stereotypical left-wing/liberal views. She decides that the magnetic fields must be intended for nuclear fusion containment, and tips off a buch of lunatics called "Students for a Fair society" about the event. These idiots decide to stage the other sort of demonstration, which includes cutting off power to the building.

As Nick puts it later, he should have paid more attention to what the students were about to do and what effect this might have on the process which the head of the company describes.

"I knew that someone was about to shut off power to the building ... And this man was telling me that he had some loopy subatomic process roaring away, which sustained itself but whose control system used outside power. It is important to listen to exactly what people are saying ..."

Shortly afterwards Nick is in the toilet when the building is evacuated as someone realises what the students are about to do: perversely ignoring a security guard who asks if anyone is there, he remains in the building and consequently is still inside when the control system has its power cut off, and the equipment blows up, turning everything else inside the building invisible.

Nick is knocked out by the effect. He comes to his senses a few hours later, and realises that he has been turned invisible, by which time government investigators are looking at the building. He calls out to the nearest investigator, expecting them to offer help, and is astonished when the man speaks into his radio and even as he promises medical help, Nick can see that an ambulance and some paramedics are being told to leave. Then the investigators come towards the building with a net. Nick realises that they see him more as an invaluable asset than as another human being, and falling into their hands might be a very bad idea ...

The main plot of the story is about the determined efforts which the investigators, led by the horrible Colonel Jenkins, make to capture Nick, and Nick's equally determined attempts to stay out of their custody. The sub-plot is that invisibility does not affect Nick's considerable libido, and he misses female companionship more than anything else about his situation. And as if it were not difficult enough for an invisible man to find love, any attempt Nick makes to do so is almost certain to offer new opportunities for Colonel Jenkins to catch him.

The dramatic tension in the book is sometimes unbearably strong, and there are some very exciting action sequences: there are also some moments of extreme pathos and some hysterically funny or embarrassing scenes.

Contains a lot of speculation, much of it highly plausible, about how other human beings might react to an invisible person. He is still solid, still needs food, water, sleep & shelter, and has to open doors to pass through them, so he cannot avoid leaving evidence that a person is around. Some people confronted with evidence of Nick's presence assume he's a ghost, or that a burglar has been and gone, but other people who become aware of him react in much more dangerous ways.

"Memoirs of an invisible man" is one of the best novels I have ever read. As I prepare to post this I see that the number of Amazon.com reader reviews is now up to 64 and 62 including mine are five-stars, which must be almost unprecedented. But the book really is that good.

I first read this book almost 20 years ago, and remember at the time recommending it to everyone I knew who loved books. They recently had a re-run of the dreadful film ( movie) of this great book, which prompted me to get my 15 year old daughter to read it - she loved it!

ps anyone ever find out who actually was H.F Saint?

The book is fun and easy. It is as good for adults, like me, as it is for any youth interested enough to use it. I have had more fun using it than any of my three large telescopes.

If you want to be able to go at night, look up and "know" the sky this book is a must. The constellations are drawn with shapes that make prefect sense. Once you use the book to find the shapes in the sky you will be able to find them on other nights without any problem because the shapes make figures that are very easy to remember. Taking the book out for 10-20 minutes a week is enough to learn the whole sky in less than a year. The only reason for it to take that long is because it takes a year for all of the constellations to cycle through. Anyone using this book will visually know the sky better than more than 90% of professional astronomers.

Now when I go out at night and look up, it is like looking at a group of old friends. You don't need to search for them you just know them when you see them.

If you want to learn the sky and constellations you can be confident this book will easily teach you.

I had this book on constant borrow from my public library when I was kid in the 60's. I learned the sky from this book and still use it for easy reference today. It's so well thought out and accurate that it provides a great introduction to heavens accessible to all ages. It doesn't have any color pictures from Hubble or triple fold out sky maps but just the information one needs to know to enjoy the sky persented in understandable terms. I reguard the constellations as my life-long friends due to learning them from this book so long ago. They are always there,something to be counted on, rare in todays world. I highly recommend this classic work for anyone wanting to know what those points of light represent. It will be well worth the effort.

I absolutely love this book, so much so that I have given it as a gift a number of times and my copy is one of the most well-worn volumes on my bookshelf.

Among its many outstanding features are the Planetary Tables on pp. 134-135 that show you where the visible planets will be located as the years pass. The tables run from 1997-2006. The tables in the current edition are therefore out of date (type "134" into the "Search Inside" box and look at pp. 134 and 135).

I realize this is a minor quibble, and it is the ONLY reason for my 4-star rating. But these pages deserve an update. There are easy ways to get planetary information on the internet but it would be nice if the tables were updated in the book.

This book is a very good guide for the beginner as well as veteran stargazers. The book's biggest asset lies in the way the stick figures are drawn. Unlike the drawings before this book was published Rey's drawings are realistic in shape, corresponding to the name of the constellation, making them easy to spot and memorize.

This is a great book....reducing the complexities of the always in motion astronomical world to something understandable by ordinary folks with a curiosity.

I've purchased a number of gluten-free cookbooks since my husband was diagnosed with celiac disease a couple of years ago. This is the first one that has recipes that actually taste like the wheat-flour versions! I had given up on gluten-free baking, but somehow this book caught my eye, and am I ever glad. I just made the chocolate chip cookies for my husband and ate 5 of them myself even though I've pretty much given up sweets! I can't wait until he gets up and tries them! He craves good baked goods and these will be a definite hit. Thanks for the great recipes!

An interesting and detailed book. Be advised that one needs to plan ahead before experimenting with this chemistry. The author also advises of that!

I bought this book and several others to bake a treat for a family whose daughter has celiac disease and numerous food allergies - egg, soy, nuts, and citrus among others. I found a recipe for chocolate sandwich cookies, which was easily adaptable for the child's needs, using pure palm shortening instead of soy shortening, egg replacer for the eggs, and parchment paper instead of cooking spray. (Bonus: you can reuse each sheet of parchment paper once, since the cookies do not lose a lot of butter while baking.) The recipe was overall easy to prepare, and made oodles of little sandwich cookies, which were delicious enough to stand on their own merits. I tested the cookies on several unsuspecting people, and everyone raved about them. My husband ate about six before he could stop himself. So my friends' four-year-old daughter was able to have "Oreo" cookies for the first time in her life, thanks to this book. I didn't try any other recipes in this book, and I gave it to my friend so she could explore it further; but I imagine the other recipes will taste as delicious because the author appears to have put a great deal of thought and effort into creating recipes that recreate textures and flavors people love.

I've stopped using all my other baking recipes since I acquired this book. Its recipes and specific flour mixture create truly delicious baked goods, and few people would know they're GF.

This book is wonderful especially because it bakes GF with a minimum of ingredients. If you have done any GF baking you know it requires many ingredients and many egg whites. Most of these recipes use whole eggs and a brown rice flour mix (that you can buy already mixed at Authentic Foods) that is easy to have on hand. If you are new to GF baking, by all means start here.

I purchased the book for my friend's grandchildren in the US, they were delilghted with the book, they enjoyed grandma reading the stories and loved looking at the pictures.

I am fifteen and I LOVE these stories!!! They really are just that good!
Each story makes you wonder what intriguing adventure or silly mishap the next will hold in store for you. Whenever I take out the book or simply look at the cover, I get a comfortable, warm feeling inside; because I know that each story is filled with the timeless, treasured tales of a talented author. I was somewhat surprised (and a little humored), however, in the manner in which the characters sometimes acted and spoke. For example, when Rabbit, Piglet, and Pooh are trying to think of a plan to capture Baby Roo (which is also a little disturbing), Rabbit "gently" tells Pooh that he "has no Brain" and Piglet "no Pluck." Why must he be so harsh? Eeyore, though, surprised me the most. The most I knew of Eeyore from Disney's viewpoint was that he was a poor, sad, and mostly forgotten creature. I always felt sad for him. However, after reading the stories, it is very difficult to feel bad for him when he is constantly going around throwing insults whenever he gets the chance. For example, when Piglet goes to visit Eeyore to give him some violets, he sees Eeyore staring at three sticks on the ground that are in the shape of the letter "A". Eeyore proceeds to tell Piglet that the "A" represents "Education, it means all the things that you and Pooh haven't got...but to the Educated--mark this, little Piglet--to the Educated, not meaning Poohs and Piglets, it's a great and glorious A." See my point? But overall, it is a very satisfying story that no child (or adult, for that matter) should miss out on. What is also a great plus is that it's a beautiful and durable hardcover edition that also has a ribbon bookmark.

I bought this book years ago for my oldest son when he was only 2 years old. He loved it immediately and still loves it. This is a family favorite. I need to get a new one since the old one has gotten a bit worn.

Okay, first I'm a huge fan of Winnies Hollywood career and I also thought his apperance in the movie Top Gun as Tom Cruise's stunt double was amazing! Also playing Elizabeth Turner in the popular TV series, Pirates of the Mediterranean, was an astonishing role. But was that ever mentioned in the book? No! And that is what makes me lie awake in bed at night, hoping to one day claim vengeance on the editor and publisher. If you like this book, I will hunt you down and make you throw the book into a fire, do the tango, sing zip-a-dee-doo-da-zippada-da, then force you to alphabetize my sock drawer! So beware, and always know, I, Fartsy Magee, am always watching you. Right now your scrating your butt like a madman. I'm watching. Watching. Watching. Still watching. Okay, anyway I'm watching you every day. And I'm watching you like a blind man watching his glasses. BEWARE!!!!!!!!! BEWARE!!!!!!!!
But otherwise a great book and the author deserves a lot of credit.

Who doesn't love Winnie The Pooh? Don't answer that. This is an excellent and charming book to use for bedtime stories for children. I grew up with it and I still love it! It endears the simplicity of life and love...and honey.

This book is extremely deep in its explanation of all of the families of corals found in saltwater reef aquariums. Its a pretty heavy read, and I recommend something a little more basic if you are just getting into reef aquariums. This is my second book on corals, after a more basic and general saltwater hobby book. Had I not read the first one, I would have been a little overwhelmed by this one. Also, its a beautiful hardbound book that would do well as a coffee table book. The pictures of the corals are beautiful. I purchased it used, and the seller was punctual on delivery, with the book being in as good, if not better condition than was described.

An essential book for marine reef hobbyists, if you are interested in aquarium corals, this is one of the references you must review. Good pictures, extended information about each coral genus and quality information about coral care and maintenance in different types of reef aquariums.
Excellent quality-price relation for a book of one of the subject reference authors.

This book is simply "the bible" for corals. Not only it has an outstanding presentation (hard cover, deluxe paper, thousands of high-quality pictures) but also everything you need to know about corals. Great for the beginner, indispensable for the seasoned hobbist. If you are into reef tanks, you must own this book.

the book was everything i expected and more.it gave me a real understanding of the corals in my care and gave me great confidence in looking after them.great reading and great pics

Want to know just about everything there is to know about coral? Then this is the book for you. Tons of information and loaded with great pictures too.

I have 6-8 weeks left of my pregnancy and started to read this book and bookmark pages for my birth partner, my husband. Reading now, I think this book is very beneficial and will be very useful for us when the time comes to deliver our first baby. It was recommended by my midwife and I am glad I listened to her.

This book is a great resource for anyone about to give birth or attending a birth.
It really goes into detail about "how it works", what can be done to help the mother, what might help alleviate birth discomfort, birth scenarios etc.. Very helpful, either as a supplemental reading for a birth class or as a very good substitute for one. I would definitely recommend you buy this book!

I loved this book I read it cover to cover in less than 3 days I found it very informative and the highlighted pages would be very usefull in the labor and delivery room. I look forward to being able to use it during the actual delivery

This is our first pregnancy, and my husband is honestly more nervous than me! Letting him know what to expect is great for him.

This was one of the best purchases we made in terms of labor and delivery for our first child. Well worth reading for the mom-to-be and anyone else who is going to be involved in the labor and delivery.

Rich's life was like my life, and finding someone who was like me, a ragamuffin, was an indescribable comfort on a lonely path from helpless addiction to freedom. Note: I am still on that path today. One day I will be able to thank Rich in person for what a gift his life was to so many of us. This book is a testament to that life. It is a treasure.

Being a long time Rich Mullins fan, I wanted anything and everything Rich Mullins I could get my hands on. This book, "An Arrow", by James Bryan Smith, gave me a whole side of Rich Mullins I never knew. But even more importantly than the man himself, this book points to a deeper walk with Jesus, and the struggles involved in obtaining that walk. This book is so inspirational. I've read it twice, and am now reading it a third time. I bought an extra copy to give away.

I was not able to put down the book until I finished it.

The reading I'd done on Rich Mullins previously taught me that he was an incredible person, but the book confirmed his devotion to Jesus Christ as well as his struggles to live faithfully. I was encouraged, amused, saddened, yet most of all inspired to keep contending for the faith.

The author's friendship with Rich Mullins came through - I only wish that it went into more detail and told me more.

I loaned the book to a friend, also a fan of Rich Mullins, and she said that it encouraged her greatly.

i highly recommend it to anyone whether your a fan of rich mullins music or just a christian who longs to have a deeper walk with God. Great book, inspiring, not shallow, deep, thought provoking, convicting. trust me if you ever buy a book buy this one. . you wont regret it.

The Book Arrow Pointing to Heaven is the most inspiring book I have ever read. I could not help but write "Amen," "Praise the Lord," "I need to read this again" or some other comment in the margins as I read the book. Having known Rich Mullins briefly early in his musical career, I knew he was someone different, someone closer to God than I could imagine, yet I had no idea just how close to the Awesome God he really was. This book, so well written by Smith, is a must for anyone that believes in God. It will take you to really knowing God in much the same way as Rich Mullins knew HIM - intimately. Perfect gift for graduation presents. I have given several with notes made in the margins of the gift books. Thank you for having such an all-inspiring-book! It is a MUST for persons seeking a better relationship with God.

This is a very solid, practical manual with good, specific guidance on raising a pup to be obedient, manageable and secure. The behavior or a dog can be a joy to itself and its owner or a disaster and this book will show you the steps to raising a pet you can love and enjoy and one that will be happy and safe with you.

This book is a MUST for all new puppy owners! It will tell you when to do what with your puppy so you can raise a puppy that you will be happy to have around and proud to own. Also great for all breeders- it goes into the first 8 weeks as well and what should be done to raise well adjusted puppies.

i thought this book was easy enough to read. it explained everything you needed... gets straight to the point and has good explanations of your puppy at a certain level or age. im planning to get a puppy and after reading this book, i know a lot more about how to take care of one. i feel ready.

This book is invaluable in the way it describes each stage of the puppy's development (both physical and psychological). It eqips you to answer the age-old question: Why is my puppy behaving this way???

Also, after reading this book, you will understand why you should always purchase your pup from a breeder ... and NEVER from a pet store.

This is the best book I've found on raising a puppy. Especially helpful is the week by week detailed description of what a new owner may expect developmentally from the puppy, and what the puppy needs for each stage of growing. I've given this book to every new puppy parent I've known!

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.

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.

This is one of the great books of the 20th century. That it could be written at all is almost a miracle in itself. Take a brilliant Oxford student trained in the old classical tradition, place him in the Arabian desert as advisor to the wild Bedouin tribesmen during their revolt against the Turks and have him write with an acute sensitivity and unparalleld insight into what was transpiring before him and you may have some notion of what the book is like.
It's a long book. You will learn a great deal about blowing up a railroad bridge in the desert, about camel rides, thirst, and hunger and the heroism and brutality of war. The portraits of Sheik Auda, Sherrif Ali and Prince Faisal of the two Arab boys who Lawrence takes under his wing are masterpieces in and of themselves. The nobility and savagery of the desert tribesmen contrasted with the cold stoicism of the British and the inculcated cruelty of the Turks are just some of themes addressed during the course of the work. There are brilliant passing insights as to the Semitic inspiration for all the revealed religions and their relation to the desert beautiful descripitions of the terrain the weather and the obstacles encountered. When Lawrence says that from the beginning he believed the Arab revolt would succeed because it grew out of a sympathetic population was opposed by a modern army that could not garrison the territory occupied one wishes that President Bush had read it instead of just seeing the movie. Read it yourself.

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.