Seven Pillars of Wisdom · Chapter
LXVII explained
After a successful train ambush, Lawrence and his sergeants Lewis and Stokes face the chaos of victory as Arabs scatter with booty.
What happens
After a successful train ambush, Lawrence and his sergeants Lewis and Stokes face the chaos of victory as Arabs scatter with booty. They struggle to recover their equipment and a wounded comrade, Salem, who is left behind. A rescue attempt fails due to Turkish presence, but they manage to retrieve some baggage. The chapter ends with a night journey through Wadi Rumm, reflecting on the beauty and scale of the landscape.
Themes in this chapter
War and Guerrilla Tactics
The chapter details a successful train ambush using mines and artillery, followed by a tactical retreat and explosive decoy to delay Turkish pursuit.
Suffering and Endurance
Lawrence and his men endure physical exhaustion, heat, dysentery, and the emotional toll of leaving a wounded comrade behind.
Futility and Meaning
The chaos of victory, the loss of Salem, and the reflection on the desert's beauty highlight the fleeting and often meaningless nature of their efforts.
Characters to notice
- T.E. Lawrence
Leads the raid, manages the aftermath, and feels guilt for leaving Salem behind.
- Ibn Zaal
Assists in the retreat, provides marksmanship, and helps recover baggage.
- Sergeant Stokes
Operates the trench mortars, suffers from dysentery, and participates in the retreat.
- Lewis
Counts slain Turks, helps with the explosive decoy, and brings a Lewis gun to support the retreat.
- Salem
Wounded and left behind during the raid; later found alive and recovered.
- Emir Feisal
Mentioned as the host of the old Arab woman and as the destination for the Medina women prisoners.
Key passages
“Victory always undid an Arab force, so we were no longer a raiding party, but a stumbling baggage caravan, loaded to breaking point with enough household goods to make rich an Arab tribe for years.”
Success in battle always disrupted Arab discipline, turning the raiders into a slow, overloaded caravan burdened with loot.
Reflects on the chaotic aftermath of victory and the difficulty of maintaining military order.
“Again we felt how Rumm inhibited excitement by its serene beauty. Such whelming greatness dwarfed us, stripped off the cloak of laughter in which we had ridden over the jocund flats.”
The majestic calm of Wadi Rumm subdued our spirits, making us feel small and serious after the earlier cheerfulness.
Highlights the contrast between the violent raid and the tranquil desert landscape.