Seven Pillars of Wisdom · Chapter
XCVIII explained
Lawrence and Dawnay meet with Allenby and Bartholomew to finalize plans for the September offensive.
What happens
Lawrence and Dawnay meet with Allenby and Bartholomew to finalize plans for the September offensive. Allenby's strategy relies on deception to convince the Turks that the main attack will come in the Jordan Valley, while the real assault is prepared in the coastal sector near Ramleh. Bartholomew details elaborate ruses including dummy camps and air superiority. Lawrence secures the loan of the Imperial Camel Corps under Colonel Buxton to further confuse Turkish intelligence. Meanwhile, preparations for the Deraa raid intensify, with Nuri Said chosen to lead, and logistical disputes arise with Young over supplies. Despite internal tensions, the Arab force is readied for the final campaign.
Themes in this chapter
War and Guerrilla Tactics
The chapter details Allenby's deceptive strategy and the Arab irregular warfare against the Hejaz Railway, emphasizing mobility, surprise, and psychological operations.
Honor and Deception
Deception is central to the plan, with dummy camps and feints used to mislead the Turks, while Lawrence and his team navigate internal disagreements with a sense of duty.
Futility and Meaning
Lawrence reflects on the precariousness of the plan and his own confidence in 'botching' things rather than letting them fail, highlighting the existential stakes of the campaign.
Characters to notice
- T.E. Lawrence
Participates in strategic planning with Allenby and Bartholomew; secures the Imperial Camel Corps; disputes logistics with Young; drives preparations for the Deraa raid.
- Guy Dawnay
Accompanies Lawrence to meetings with Allenby; proposes using the Imperial Camel Corps; collaborates on planning the Deraa raid.
- General Allenby
Outlines the offensive plan centered on deception; expresses confidence in capturing thirty thousand prisoners; approves the loan of the Camel Corps.
- Bartholomew
Deputy chief of staff; details the logistical and deceptive measures for the coastal attack; warns of risks and backs the request for the Camel Corps.
- Joyce
Initially skeptical but supports the Camel Corps plan after reasoning; helps organize the Deraa expedition despite doubts.
- Young
Logistics officer; clashes with Lawrence over supplies and feasibility of the Deraa raid; ultimately carries out the necessary arrangements.
- Nuri Said
Offers to command the Deraa expedition; begins selecting the best men for the force.
- Captain Pisani
French commandant; takes charge of the four Schneider guns; struggles with logistics for the Deraa raid.
Key passages
“Allenby’s confidence was like a wall. Before the attack he went to see his troops massed in secrecy, waiting the signal, and told them he was sure, with their good help, of thirty thousand prisoners; this, when the whole game turned on a chance!”
Allenby's unwavering assurance inspired his troops, as he predicted capturing thirty thousand prisoners despite the operation's high risk.
Highlights Allenby's leadership and the gamble of the offensive.
“I prosed forth on my hoary theorem that we lived by our raggedness and beat the Turk by our uncertainty.”
Lawrence argued that their success depended on unpredictability and lack of rigid organization, contrasting with Young's precise planning.
Captures Lawrence's guerrilla philosophy and the tension with conventional military logistics.
