Hero : the life and legend of Lawrence of Arabia / by Michael Korda.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Who is this extraordinary pip-squeak?" -- Aqaba, 1917 : the making of a hero -- "The family romance" -- Oxford, 1907-1910 -- Carchemish : 1911-1914 -- Cairo : 1914-1916 -- 1917 : "The uncrowned king of Arabia" -- 1918 : triumph and tragedy -- In the great world -- "Backing into the limelight" : 1920-1922 -- "Solitary in the ranks" -- Apotheosis -- Epilogue: Life after death.

The acclaimed author of the "New York Times"-bestseller "Ike" returns with a definitive new biography of the legendary British scholar, adventurer, soldier, and hero who became a myth in his lifetime--T.E. Lawrence, Lawrence of Arabia.

The story of an epic life on a grand scale: a revealing, in-depth biography of the extraordinary, mysterious, and dynamic Englishman whose daring exploits and romantic profile--including his blond, sun-burnished good looks and flowing white robes--made him an object of intense fascination, still famous the world over as "Lawrence of Arabia." An Oxford scholar and archaeologist, Lawrence was sent to Cairo as a young intelligence officer in 1916. He vanished into the desert in 1917 only to emerge later as one of the greatest--and certainly most colorful--figures of World War One. As Korda shows, Lawrence was not only a man of his times; he was a visionary whose accomplishments--farsighted diplomat and kingmaker, military strategist of genius, perhaps the first modern "media celebrity" (and one of the first victims of it), and an acclaimed writer--transcended his era.--From publisher description.