Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grimm
Speaker 1: and Mild from Aaron Manky. Listener discretion advised. There are
Speaker 1: a few different Thomas Edward Lawrences. The first Thomas Edward
Speaker 1: Lawrence is the one the public knew. He first became
Speaker 1: famous in his own lifetime thanks to a popular lecture
Speaker 1: series about his contributions during World War One. He later
Speaker 1: had a full length feature film made about him that
Speaker 1: went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture. Maybe
Speaker 1: you've heard of it, Lawrence of Arabia. He was a
Speaker 1: hero who made sacrifices and put himself through hardship, all
Speaker 1: in the name of Arab sovereignty and for the love
Speaker 1: of his fellow soldiers. The second Thomas Edward Lawrence is
Speaker 1: the one that he personally chose to present to the world.
Speaker 1: He wrote an autobiography that was well received by the public.
Speaker 1: In it, he exaggerated somewhat about his accomplishments, but he
Speaker 1: was also honest about the nuances behind his motivations for
Speaker 1: fighting in the Middle East. To begin with this, Thomas
Speaker 1: Edward was friends with George Bernard Shaw and advised Winston
Speaker 1: Churchill briefly. Perhaps the least known Thomas Edward Lawrence is
Speaker 1: the real one. This one grew up somewhat ashamed of
Speaker 1: his unwed parents and acted out against his mom because
Speaker 1: of it. He might have been queer, maybe even asexual,
Speaker 1: but he never declared his interests one way or another.
Speaker 1: He had big hopes and dreams for himself, and even
Speaker 1: though he accomplished so much, he didn't necessarily feel as
Speaker 1: though he lived up to his goals. This Thomas Edward
Speaker 1: was only truly known by one person himself, if at all.
Speaker 1: Of course, in reality, all of these different Lawrences are
Speaker 1: the same person. They're all the famous Lawrence of Arabia.
Speaker 1: But being so famous, with so many people, even himself
Speaker 1: interpreting and translating his story for the world, there were
Speaker 1: so many different versions of T. E. Lawrence. Most of
Speaker 1: us know him as the swashbuckling hero from the famous
Speaker 1: nineteen sixty two film. The striking image of his face
Speaker 1: outfitted with a white head covering against the desolate Wadi
Speaker 1: Rum desert might be the first thing you imagine when
Speaker 1: you hear Lawrence of Arabia. Even six decades after the
Speaker 1: movie's premiere and almost a century after the man's death,
Speaker 1: Lawrence of Arabia as a character remains prominent in our culture.
Speaker 1: His image persists in collective memory, even if we've forgotten
Speaker 1: why he was in Arabia to begin with, or whether
Speaker 1: or not he was even a real person. So who
Speaker 1: was Lawrence of Arabia? Who was the real man behind
Speaker 1: the hero? Behind every great man, every name widely known
Speaker 1: and recognized, is the real person? Full of flaws, nuances
Speaker 1: and mortality? In this episode, we'll explore the real man
Speaker 1: and the real history behind the famous Lawrence of Arabia.
Speaker 1: T e. Lawrence. If it's possible to know the real
Speaker 1: man at all, I'm Dana Schwartz and this is noble Blood.
Speaker 1: Like a few other great figures we've covered on Noble Blood,
Speaker 1: Lawrence was not actually destined from birth to become an
Speaker 1: important historical actor. In fact, quite the opposite. Lawrence was
Speaker 1: the illegitimate son of Thomas Chapman, a minor Irish noble
Speaker 1: with the title of Baronet of Kilawa Castle in County Westmouth, Ireland,
Speaker 1: and Sarah Junior, the governess of Thomas's daughters with his
Speaker 1: first wife. Thomas never claimed his baronetcy in Ireland and
Speaker 1: instead left his first family and lived out of wedlock
Speaker 1: with Sarah and the five boys they would have together.
Speaker 1: Te Lawrence was their second child, born in eighteen eighty eight,
Speaker 1: and of his siblings, Lawrence was the most mischievous and
Speaker 1: strong willed, traits that would benefit him later in life.
Speaker 1: During his time in the Middle East, what originally took
Speaker 1: Lawrence to Arabia was actually an interest in archaeology, a
Speaker 1: fascination that blossomed in his teenaged years while he was
Speaker 1: living in Oxford. Biking around Oxford and the surrounding countryside,
Speaker 1: Lawrence and his friend would collect archaeological artifacts. They would
Speaker 1: then submit their findings, typically glass fragments or rubbings of
Speaker 1: medieval tombs, to the Ashmolean Museum. Lawrence took his archaeologically
Speaker 1: driven cycling to the next level when he was in
Speaker 1: college at Oxford University, when he toured France by bike
Speaker 1: to research medieval castles. Continuing to venture further from home
Speaker 1: and into the region that he would later become almost
Speaker 1: synonymous with, Lawrence then undertook a three month walking tour
Speaker 1: of Syria studying Crusader castles. Just like everyone here at
Speaker 1: Noble Blood, Lawrence was a bit obsessed with the Middle Ages,
Speaker 1: as evidenced by his various tours across the Mediterranean, as
Speaker 1: well as his extensive knowledge of medieval clothing. For that
Speaker 1: reason alone, we have to love him a little bit.
Speaker 1: Lawrence became a working archaeologist in nineteen ten when a
Speaker 1: keeper at the Ashmolean Museum named D. G. Hogarth, who
Speaker 1: had noticed Lawrence's aptitude back when he was just a
Speaker 1: teenager biking around Oxfordshire, hired him to join a dig
Speaker 1: in northern Syria. Once hired, Lawrence participated in digs in
Speaker 1: this area of Northern Syria as well as in Egypt
Speaker 1: for four years. During this time, he developed a working
Speaker 1: knowledge of the Arabic language, as well as a cursory
Speaker 1: understanding of Middle Eastern political dynamics and how foreign actors
Speaker 1: tried to sway locals. The knowledge of Arab politics and
Speaker 1: the Arabic language that Lawrence gained working in the region
Speaker 1: was what set him up for the job that would
Speaker 1: launch his career as a British archaeologist. Lawrence fell into
Speaker 1: the population of people that the British Empire utilized as
Speaker 1: informal international spies. Collecting intel was of paramount importance on
Speaker 1: the eve of World War I, as the Ottoman Empire,
Speaker 1: over six centuries old at this point, was disintegrating. Just
Speaker 1: as the power dynamics in Europe were tenuously kept in
Speaker 1: balance during the early twentieth century, so too were the
Speaker 1: dynamics of colonial holdings in the Middle East. Britain in particular,
Speaker 1: was wary of Russia and Germany, threatening the quote jewel
Speaker 1: of the Empire, India, as well as their Egyptian colony,
Speaker 1: which included all important access to the Suez Canal. So,
Speaker 1: with the Ottoman Empire, which at least in theory controlled
Speaker 1: the majority of the Middle East, waning in power, the
Speaker 1: British looked to gather intel on the local tribes inhabiting
Speaker 1: the region and the efforts by other European names to
Speaker 1: shore up power in the vacuum. Lawrence first formally entered
Speaker 1: this thinly veiled line of work just months before the
Speaker 1: outbreak of World War One, when he joined a British
Speaker 1: team surveying the Sinai Peninsula. This endeavor was ostensibly to
Speaker 1: look for archaeological signs of the Israelites' exile in the
Speaker 1: desert after fleeing Egypt, but in reality the British military
Speaker 1: wanted to chart the region in anticipation of potential military
Speaker 1: maneuvers against the Ottomans. But Lawrence wouldn't be long for
Speaker 1: this project. Once the team traversed the peninsula and reached
Speaker 1: the city of Akaba on the tip of the Red Sea,
Speaker 1: he was kicked out of town by the project's Turkish
Speaker 1: supervisors for disobeying rules. As evidence by being kicked out
Speaker 1: of this survey project, being an agent of the British
Speaker 1: Empire proved somewhat difficult for the independently minded Lawrence, but
Speaker 1: that project was just the beginning of his work with
Speaker 1: and for the British government. Naturally, the outbreak of World
Speaker 1: War I drew Lawrence into service, and it was due
Speaker 1: to his service that Te Lawrence would become Lawrence of Arabia.
Speaker 1: But even in this time of war, when patriotism surged
Speaker 1: and people banded together under their imperial and national flags,
Speaker 1: he struggled to reconcile his beliefs and convictions with those
Speaker 1: of his imperial employer. While most accounts of World War
Speaker 1: One focus on the Eastern and western fronts of the
Speaker 1: war in Europe, the Eastern, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern theater
Speaker 1: of war was just as important, particularly to the British Empire.
Speaker 1: With the outbreak of war and the Ottomans officially entering
Speaker 1: the war on the side of Germany and Austria Hungary,
Speaker 1: protecting the Suez Canal became a matter of massive military
Speaker 1: importance for the Brits. In taking on the Ottoman Turks,
Speaker 1: the British appeared to adhere to the old phrase the
Speaker 1: enemy of my enemy is my friend. At this time,
Speaker 1: there was a growing movement of Arab nationalism sweeping across
Speaker 1: portions of the Ottoman Empire, unified under the rule of
Speaker 1: Sharif Hussain, the Emir or Prince of Mecca, a conglomerate
Speaker 1: of Middle Eastern Arabs, was amassing, looking to carve out
Speaker 1: from the Ottoman Empire a Muslim Arab sovereign nation. Once
Speaker 1: World War One broke out. It was actually Sharif Hussain
Speaker 1: who quickly approached the British about an alliance. He would
Speaker 1: lead Arab soldiers against the Ottoman if the British committed
Speaker 1: to the creation of an autonomous Arab state after the war.
Speaker 1: The British took a long time to respond to this offer.
Speaker 1: They weren't thrilled about committing to an Arab state in
Speaker 1: the region, but they really needed whatever support they could
Speaker 1: get against the Turks, eventually needing to save face after
Speaker 1: a disastrous Gallipoli campaign. The British accepted the terms tentatively,
Speaker 1: and Sharif Hussain launched the Arab Revolt officially in June
Speaker 1: nineteen sixteen. From that point on, the British attempted to
Speaker 1: aid the Arabs against the Turks by providing advice, weapons,
Speaker 1: and men, but struggled to provide that support without undermining
Speaker 1: their own long term goals in the region. When they
Speaker 1: agreed to support the Arabs, they hadn't mentioned that they
Speaker 1: had already made an agreement with France called the Sykes
Speaker 1: Picot Agreement that essentially carved up the Ottoman Empire, leaving
Speaker 1: pieces for the French and the English and almost nothing
Speaker 1: for the Arab state. Hence the difficulty in supporting the
Speaker 1: Arab revolt wholeheartedly. It was in that context, the outbreak
Speaker 1: of the Arab Revolt and the British efforts to channel
Speaker 1: and control the movement that t E Lawrence evolved into
Speaker 1: Lawrence of Arabia. In the early years of the war,
Speaker 1: while the British were still negotiating with Sharif Hussain in
Speaker 1: Mecca t E. Lawrence was stationed in Cairo working for
Speaker 1: the Arab Bureau, making maps and writing military bulletins. The
Speaker 1: Arab Bureau, led by Lawrence's mentor, the man who had
Speaker 1: actually discovered him back as a young boy, the archaeologist D. G. Hogarth,
Speaker 1: was an arm of the British Army. The purpose of
Speaker 1: the Arab Bureau was to collect, elect and distribute intel
Speaker 1: and propaganda throughout the Arab world during the war. As such,
Speaker 1: through his work at the Bureau, Lawrence was tapped into
Speaker 1: the ongoing battle against the Turks. He was also aware
Speaker 1: of the struggle of the Arab people to establish their
Speaker 1: own state in the aftermath of the Ottoman Empire's disintegration
Speaker 1: in nineteen sixteen, after the Arab Revolt launched, things weren't
Speaker 1: looking too good for the British and the Arabs. The
Speaker 1: British had been routed at the city of Kut south
Speaker 1: of Baghdad, and the Arab Army had been unable to
Speaker 1: take Medina, the second holiest site in Islam and in
Speaker 1: Ottoman stronghold. In order to bolster British and Arab efforts, Lawrence,
Speaker 1: who had been to the Middle East before and had
Speaker 1: some command of the language, was deemed the best person
Speaker 1: to undertake a fact finding mission for British intelligen Jens.
Speaker 1: He traveled to the coast of the Arabian Peninsula, also
Speaker 1: known as the Hijas, so that he could meet and
Speaker 1: evaluate Sharif Houssain's sons. The hope was that one of
Speaker 1: them could be the quote prophet, the galvanizing figurehead to
Speaker 1: lead the Arab army to victory. Traversing the Red Sea
Speaker 1: on a boat and then the desert on camelback, Lawrence
Speaker 1: met each of the sons and concluded that Sharif Hussain's
Speaker 1: son Faisal was the man for the job. Once he
Speaker 1: met with Fasil in the desert of the Hijas, there
Speaker 1: was no going back for Lawrence. He had dipped his
Speaker 1: toe into the Arab revolt and felt compelled to dive
Speaker 1: headfirst back into it. As an advisor to Prince Fasial,
Speaker 1: Lawrence was sympathetic to the Arab cause and felt he
Speaker 1: had all of the qualities needed to spearhead British involvement
Speaker 1: in the movement. Lawrence believed honestly in Arab nationalism, but
Speaker 1: as an agent of the British Empire, he was supposed
Speaker 1: to be advocating for strategies that ultimately benefited the British.
Speaker 1: This internal tension would plague him for the rest of
Speaker 1: his time in the Middle East. How could he encourage
Speaker 1: the Arab army to fight and capture territory that they
Speaker 1: would not be allowed to control after the war. Nevertheless,
Speaker 1: he pushed these contradictions aside and let himself be moved
Speaker 1: into action. Now stationed at Faisal's side, Lawrence started getting
Speaker 1: first hand experience living and fighting in the desert alongside
Speaker 1: the majority of the other soldiers Bedouin tribesmen. The Arab
Speaker 1: Bedouin tribes are nomadic herdsmen who know the Wadi Rum
Speaker 1: desert like the backs of their hands. The Arab revolt
Speaker 1: had been relying on these Bedouin tribespeople for about half
Speaker 1: of their soldiers, but they had trouble controlling them untrained
Speaker 1: and highly mobile groups. They didn't adhere to the commands
Speaker 1: that the British military issued. Lawrence, a genius at appraising
Speaker 1: the situation in front of him, realized that exactly what
Speaker 1: made the Bedouins so difficult to wrangle might actually be
Speaker 1: their strength. Instead of trying to force these nomadic people
Speaker 1: to go against their nature and custom, Lawrence realized they
Speaker 1: were the perfect soldiers for gorilla warfare. They could descend
Speaker 1: upon the Turks when and where they least expected them,
Speaker 1: exact violence, and then vanish back into the desert. In reality,
Speaker 1: the Bedouin tribes had been fighting with each other in
Speaker 1: these types of gorilla raids for centuries, so Lawrence wasn't
Speaker 1: inventing a novel type of warfare. He was just the
Speaker 1: first brit to recognize the utility of that custom. These
Speaker 1: pinprick raids, as Lawrence them, would distract and ultimately weaken
Speaker 1: the Ottomans, thereby allowing the Arab revolt to gain momentum
Speaker 1: and have a fighting chance at succeeding. Lawrence recommended to
Speaker 1: Faisal that they harnessed their manpower for these guerrilla raids,
Speaker 1: specifically targeting the Hijaz railroad running from Ottoman Syria to Medina.
Speaker 1: This way, the Arab army would not only disrupt lines
Speaker 1: of transportation and communication between the Turks last outpost in
Speaker 1: Arabia and their territory further north, but they would also
Speaker 1: force the Ottomans to divert their resources away from fighting
Speaker 1: and towards repairing the railway. In March nineteen seventeen, the
Speaker 1: first explosive device that Lawrence planted derailed an Ottoman train,
Speaker 1: which the Bedouin tribesmen thoroughly looted, and they destroyed a
Speaker 1: portion of the railway. The success of this relatively simple
Speaker 1: tactic pleased Fasal, and the Arab army proceeded to go
Speaker 1: all in on Lawrence's guerrilla tactics for the rest of
Speaker 1: the war. Lawrence and his allies would lay bombs along
Speaker 1: the Hjaz railway and target trains carrying military supplies. This
Speaker 1: strategy proved incredibly effective, harnessing the power of the Bedouins
Speaker 1: and disrupting the Ottoman war machine in the Middle East.
Speaker 1: With each passing day riding through the desert with various
Speaker 1: Bedouin tribes, Lawrence ingratiated himself further into the Arab Army.
Speaker 1: The clearest sign of this was his adoption of customary
Speaker 1: Arab clothing that would become synonymous with his image later
Speaker 1: in life. White robes with a white head covering, perfect
Speaker 1: for sun protection in the desert. But Lawrence did more
Speaker 1: than just try to look the part. He also walked
Speaker 1: the walk in his commitment to on the ground participation
Speaker 1: in military engagements. The most famous skirmish that he participated
Speaker 1: in was the nineteen seventeen Battle of Akaba, which was
Speaker 1: then held by the Turks. With a group of roughly
Speaker 1: five hundred Bedouin tribesmen, Lawrence treked across Wadi Rum and
Speaker 1: approached Akaba from land, which, despite Wadi Rum's beauty, was
Speaker 1: an incredibly treacherous and exhausting undertaking. Once they reached the
Speaker 1: mountains just outside Akaba, Lawrence and his fellow soldiers descended
Speaker 1: suddenly from the mountains, catching the Turks by surprise and
Speaker 1: easily capturing the port city with just a few Arab casualties.
Speaker 1: Lawrence hadn't actually received approval for this campaign, so he
Speaker 1: was lucky that this win provided the British Army with
Speaker 1: a much needed port through which they could send supplies
Speaker 1: into the region. That fact allowed Lawrence, in his capacity
Speaker 1: as a British officer, to justify this otherwise unauthorized campaign
Speaker 1: into northern Arabia. This quote battle, which was really more
Speaker 1: of a guerrilla attack, also demonstrated the strength of Arab
Speaker 1: forces and galvanized the army from that city. Facial Lawrence
Speaker 1: and the army of Bedouin tribesmen leaned into their momentum
Speaker 1: and mobilized towards Damascus in Ottoman Syria. As the caravan
Speaker 1: marched north, Lawrence led the way, regularly planting bombs on
Speaker 1: the railway and battling with Ottoman soldiers. It was this
Speaker 1: type of dedication to the war, Lawrence's commitment to the
Speaker 1: cause that later led to his heroic status. That isn't
Speaker 1: to say that Lawrence was entirely noble in all of
Speaker 1: his conduct in battle. Like during what came to be
Speaker 1: known as the Taughas Massacre, Lawrence was, by his own
Speaker 1: a mission unnecessarily brutal against his enemies. Lawrence himself actually
Speaker 1: struggled for years with his conduct following the war, but
Speaker 1: when Lawrence described the episode years later, his language reflects
Speaker 1: how much he identified with his Arab compatriots and their
Speaker 1: anguish at years under the Ottoman regime. Finally, in the
Speaker 1: fall of nineteen eighteen, after slowly fighting and marching their
Speaker 1: way through the desert, the Arab army arrived in Damascus,
Speaker 1: and the Ottoman army quickly surrendered and vacated the city.
Speaker 1: Lawrence and his comrades had reached the city before the
Speaker 1: British had, and they strung up the flag of the
Speaker 1: Arab Revolt to claim it. Despite knowing that the British
Speaker 1: government fully intended not to allow the Arabs to rule
Speaker 1: the region, Lawrence helped Prince Faisal set up a provisional
Speaker 1: government in the city. He leaned into his allegiance to
Speaker 1: the Arabs he had fought along side, as opposed to
Speaker 1: the British army that technically employed him. They had done it.
Speaker 1: The Arab Revolt had taken a major city from the
Speaker 1: Ottomans and claimed control before any European powers could. Not
Speaker 1: only had T. E. Lawrence traversed the deserts of the
Speaker 1: Middle East, but he had been instrumental in getting the
Speaker 1: Arab revolt this far. He saw this moment as the
Speaker 1: beginning of a sovereign Arab nation, but unfortunately this was
Speaker 1: as far as this movement would go, and it was
Speaker 1: also essentially the end of T. E. Lawrence's career in
Speaker 1: military and politics. But it was just the beginning of
Speaker 1: the rise of the almost mythological hero Lawrence of Arabia.
Speaker 1: Not long after the Arab army took Damascus, the Ottoman
Speaker 1: Empire would collapse, Germany would surrender, and World War One
Speaker 1: would be over. While the end of a brutal war
Speaker 1: was an occasion for celebration, the real work of the
Speaker 1: Arab revolt now began. Delegations from across the world descended
Speaker 1: on Paris for the Paris Peace Conference of nineteen nineteen
Speaker 1: and nineteen twenty, intent on helping Fasial and his father,
Speaker 1: leader of the movement, Scharif Hussain, make their claim for
Speaker 1: Arab sovereignty in the New World Order. Lawrence attended the
Speaker 1: conference as a member of Faisal's delegation. He sought to
Speaker 1: use his rank in the British government and his relationships
Speaker 1: with British officers to help convince them of the need
Speaker 1: for Arab sovereignty. Unfortunately, Lawrence was no match for the
Speaker 1: power of colonialism. Coming out of the conference, there was
Speaker 1: to be no independent Arab state. Instead, Britain and France
Speaker 1: held mandates to manage portions of these regions, including the
Speaker 1: land that the Arab Revolt had claimed. While this was
Speaker 1: certainly a loss for Lawrence, the conference was not wholly bad.
Speaker 1: It was at the Peace Conference that he first started
Speaker 1: writing about his time fighting in Arabia and with the
Speaker 1: Bedouin tribes. Over the next several years, Lawrence would write
Speaker 1: and rewrite his autobiographical book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom.
Speaker 1: Lawrence did embellish certain portions of his story, but he
Speaker 1: also captured his thoughts and emotions regarding his time in
Speaker 1: the desert. He acknowledged that his motivations behind his work
Speaker 1: in Arabia were complicated. Part of him wanted to participate
Speaker 1: in a national movement, while another part wanted to win
Speaker 1: the war for Britain. By the time his autobiography came
Speaker 1: out in nineteen twenty two, Lawrence was already actually a
Speaker 1: household name, both in England and in America. For that,
Speaker 1: we can thank Lowell Thomas, an American broadcaster and photographer.
Speaker 1: At the very end of World War One, Thomas traveled
Speaker 1: to the Middle East, where he took photographs of the war,
Speaker 1: the people, and of course, t e Lawrence. Upon Thomas's
Speaker 1: return to the States, he produced a popular lecture series
Speaker 1: entitled With Allenby in Palestine that focused on British General
Speaker 1: Allenby's campaign in the region. Thomas realized that audiences were
Speaker 1: specifically drawn to images of Lawrence in his Arabic robes,
Speaker 1: so when the production transferred to London in nineteen twenty,
Speaker 1: Thomas refocused the production on both Allenby and Lawrence, and
Speaker 1: changed the title of the series too, with allenb in
Speaker 1: Palestine and Lawrence in Arabia. It was Lowell Thomas's production
Speaker 1: that changed T. Lawrence into Lawrence of Arabia in the
Speaker 1: public imagination. The later publication of Lawrence's autobiography, and eventually
Speaker 1: the Oscar winning movie only cemented T. E. Lawrence as
Speaker 1: the daring, swashbuckling hero of the Middle East. I want
Speaker 1: to clarify something that while this episode focuses on Lawrence
Speaker 1: of Arabia, he was not the sole reason that the
Speaker 1: Arab Revolt succeeded, nor was he the only person to
Speaker 1: have contributed to the success of the Arab Revolt. To
Speaker 1: say that he was is to ignore the contributions of
Speaker 1: many British military officials and the even more important contributions
Speaker 1: of the Arab tribespeople who fought for their own sovereignty. T. E.
Speaker 1: Lawrence is certainly a key figure in this important era
Speaker 1: of history and a fascinating person. T. E. Lawrence was
Speaker 1: certainly a key player during this era and a fascinating person,
Speaker 1: but his importance in the Arab Revolt has been heightened
Speaker 1: by the creation of the character Lawrence of Arabia and
Speaker 1: the appeal of his striking imagery. Additionally, I want to
Speaker 1: make clear the idea and the appeal of the man
Speaker 1: Lawrence of Arabia very much relies on Orientalist tropes about
Speaker 1: the Middle East being an exotic, erotic and savage place
Speaker 1: and accessible only through the vantage point of a white protagonist.
Speaker 1: It's an easy narrative but also a fundamentally exploitative one
Speaker 1: to imagine this well educated Englishman harnessing the power of
Speaker 1: the previously untamable Erab people who fell in love with
Speaker 1: them in the process. I think there's a way not
Speaker 1: to singularly idolize T. Lawrence while also recognizing his major
Speaker 1: contributions to the Middle Eastern theater during World War One
Speaker 1: and the creation of his public persona. Now back to
Speaker 1: Lawrence's post war life. He briefly served in the Colonial
Speaker 1: Office as an advisor to Winston Churchill, but he hated
Speaker 1: being stuck behind the desk doing bureaucratic work, so in
Speaker 1: nineteen twenty two, Lawrence joined the Royal Air Force, where
Speaker 1: he served at various bases across the British Empire for
Speaker 1: the next decade. Just two months after leaving military service
Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty five, Lawrence was partaking in one of
Speaker 1: his favorite hobbies, driving his motorcycle. Unfortunately, on that day,
Speaker 1: Lawrence didn't see two young boys riding their bikes on
Speaker 1: a dip of the road ahead of him, and he
Speaker 1: belatedly swerved to avoid hitting them with his motorcycle. In
Speaker 1: doing so, Lawrence was thrown from his bike and gravely
Speaker 1: injured six days later, at the age of forty six,
Speaker 1: T E. Lawrence. While Lawrence's premature death brought an end
Speaker 1: to his adventures, it was only the beginning of his
Speaker 1: life as the world renowned Lawrence of Arabia, figure of
Speaker 1: myth That's the story of the man behind the Hero.
Speaker 1: T E. Lawrence, But stick around after a brief sponsor
Speaker 1: break to hear how Lawrence of Arabia contributed to safety
Speaker 1: laws in the UK. According to historian Michael Korda, up
Speaker 1: until Princess Diana's death, perhaps no other vehicular accident had
Speaker 1: received as much scrutiny as Te Lawrence's motorcycle crash. Immediately
Speaker 1: after Lawrence's death, an inquest was opened. The inquest didn't
Speaker 1: provide people much clarity, unfortunately, as it only illuded, eminated
Speaker 1: in consistencies in testimony, and led to a multitude of
Speaker 1: theories around the death. In fact, some people even believed
Speaker 1: that the famous World War I veteran was assassinated by
Speaker 1: either a domestic or foreign agent, a claim which has
Speaker 1: never actually been credibly substantiated. Not everyone saw Lawrence's death
Speaker 1: as something to investigate for salacious reasons, though one man
Speaker 1: was prompted by the unfortunate death to do some good.
Speaker 1: When t Lawrence was hospitalized after the accident, he was
Speaker 1: attended to by neurosurgeon Hugh Cairns, one of six surgeons
Speaker 1: who attempted to save Lawrence's life to no avail. After
Speaker 1: Lawrence's death, Cairns started researching those who died in motorcycle accidents.
Speaker 1: He looked specifically at those who received head injuries as
Speaker 1: a result of the accident, like Laurence had when he
Speaker 1: flew over his handlebards. Karns's research revealed just how deadly
Speaker 1: motorcycle crashes could be when head trauma happened. These findings
Speaker 1: ultimately influenced UK law against mandatory helmet safety. Nowadays, it's
Speaker 1: uncommon to see people riding motorcycles without helmets unless they
Speaker 1: have an adrenaline addiction or a death wish. So next
Speaker 1: time you hear about a motorcycle accident with no casualties
Speaker 1: because the rider was wearing a helmet, you can thank
Speaker 1: Lawrence of Arabia. Noble Blood is a production of iHeartRadio
Speaker 1: and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey. Noble Blood is
Speaker 1: hosted by me Dana Schwartz, with additional writing and research
Speaker 1: by Hannah Johnston, Hannahswick, Courtney Sender, Amy Hit and Julia Milani.
Speaker 1: The show is edited and produced by Jesse Funk, with
Speaker 1: supervising producerrima Ill Kali and executive producers Aaron Manke, Trevor Young,
Speaker 1: and Matt Frederick. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the
Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your
Speaker 1: favorite shows.