XXVIII explained

What happens

Themes in this chapter

• Colonialism and Imperialism

  Bremond's political maneuvering to use military aid as a lever for French influence in Arabia exemplifies imperial rivalries and the manipulation of the Arab revolt for colonial ends.

• Honor and Deception

  Lawrence and Feisal engage in a subtle diplomatic duel with Bremond, concealing their true intentions while outwardly cooperating, highlighting the role of deception in wartime strategy.

• War and Guerrilla Tactics

  The chapter discusses the tactical limitations of the Arab forces due to lack of artillery and the need to exploit mobility and numbers, core principles of guerrilla warfare.

Characters to notice

• T.E. Lawrence

  Narrates the chapter, describes the gun shortage, his opposition to Bremond's Akaba plan, and his role in advising Feisal.

• Emir Feisal

  Accepts Jaafar Pasha as commander-in-chief despite his father's opposition, and skillfully counters Bremond's proposal for Akaba.

• Colonel Bremond

  French colonel who withholds mountain guns and proposes an Anglo-French occupation of Akaba for political reasons.

• Jaafar Pasha

  Former Turkish officer who defects to the Arab cause and is appointed commander-in-chief of Feisal's regular troops.

• Sherif Hussein

  King Hussein refuses to accept Jaafar Pasha's services due to his narrow views and dislike of Mesopotamians and Syrians.

• Colonel Newcombe

  Mentioned as being in Wejh with a friendly desire to get moves on, but not briefed on the Akaba problem.

• Sir Reginald Wingate

  High Commissioner in Egypt, happy with the success of the Arab revolt, though Lawrence grudges him this happiness.

• General Lynden Bell

  Stands as a firm friend of the Arab cause, swearing that method was coming out of the Arab madness.

Key passages

• “The gun question was an eternal torment. Because of the hilly, trackless country, field guns were no use to us; and the British Army had no mountain guns except the Indian ten-pounder, which was serviceable only against bows and arrows.”

  The lack of suitable artillery was a constant problem; the British only had obsolete Indian ten-pounder guns that were useless against modern Turkish forces.

  Lawrence highlights the technical disadvantage the Arab forces faced due to inadequate artillery.

• “Bremond had some excellent Schneider sixty-fives at Suez, with Algerian gunners, but he regarded them principally as his lever to move allied troops into Arabia.”

  Bremond's modern French guns were held back as a bargaining chip to force British military intervention in Arabia.

  Illustrates the political use of military resources by the French.

• “I believe it was sheer stupidity. But it was maddening to be unequal to many enterprises and to fail in others, for the technical reason that we could not keep down the Turkish artillery because its guns outranged ours by three or four thousand yards.”

  Lawrence attributes the British failure to provide proper guns to simple incompetence, which frustrated many Arab operations.

  Lawrence's frustration with British bureaucracy and its impact on the campaign.

• “Bremond did not tell me (but I knew) that he wanted the landing at Akaba to head off the Arab movement, by getting a mixed force in front of them (as at Rabegh), so that they might be confined to Arabia, and compelled to waste their efforts against Medina.”

  Lawrence understood that Bremond's real aim was to contain the Arab revolt within Arabia by placing Allied forces in their path.

  Reveals the hidden political agenda behind Bremond's military proposal.

• “Feisal, angry at the metaphor (impolite in Arabic), looked at Bremond’s six feet of comfortable body, and asked if he had ever tried to “goat” himself.”

  Feisal took offense at Bremond's suggestion that his men should climb like goats, and pointedly questioned Bremond's own physical fitness.

  Shows Feisal's diplomatic skill and cultural sensitivity in countering Bremond.