# LXXVII explained — Seven Pillars of Wisdom

> Chapter companion for Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T. E. Lawrence.

## What happens

Lawrence and his Arab force, low on food and facing cold rain, decide to blow up a Turkish train near Minifir. After a failed attempt due to a faulty exploder, they lay a mine at a culvert but miss two trains before a third, troop-laden train approaches. The exploder fails again, forcing Lawrence to remain exposed as the train passes, narrowly escaping detection.

## Themes in this chapter

### War and Guerrilla Tactics

The chapter focuses on the planning and execution of a train ambush, demonstrating the improvisation and risks of guerrilla warfare.

### Suffering and Endurance

Lawrence and his men endure cold, hunger, and rain while waiting for an opportunity to strike, highlighting their physical and mental resilience.

## Character check-ins

### T.E. Lawrence

Leads the expedition, decides to risk blowing up a train despite limited resources, and narrowly avoids detection when the exploder fails.

### Sherif Ali ibn el Hussein

Proposes blowing up a train to lift spirits and agrees to proceed without machine-gun support.

### Ibn Zaal

Referenced as having previously conducted a successful raid at Minifir in the spring.

### Emir Feisal

His slave Hamud is mentioned as holding the exploder.

## Key lines

> Blowing up trains was an exact science when done deliberately, by a sufficient party, with machine-guns in position. If scrambled at it might become dangerous.

Lawrence reflects that train demolition requires careful planning and proper support, and that rushing it increases risk.

_Highlights the calculated nature of guerrilla tactics._

> I sawed it up and down four times. Still nothing happened; and I realised that it had gone out of order, and that I was kneeling on a naked bank, with a Turkish troop train crawling past fifty yards away.

Lawrence's exploder fails repeatedly as a Turkish troop train passes dangerously close, forcing him to remain still to avoid detection.

_Illustrates the tension and near-disaster of the failed ambush._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/seven_pillars_of_wisdom_se/chapters/lxxvii
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/seven_pillars_of_wisdom_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/seven_pillars_of_wisdom_se/chapters