British officer Thomas Edward Lawrence, known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, forever joined the pantheon of insurgency and counterinsurgency thinkers with his efforts as a military liaison during the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) against the dominion of the Ottoman Empire. Lawrence published his account as Seven Pillars of Wisdom: A Triumph, part travelogue and part insurgency “how-to” manual. An Arabic speaker, Lawrence actually had limited formal officer training, but he was an avid reader of military theory. The man was certainly a larger than life character whose successes had an outsized impact on the history of World War I and the Middle East.

Part of what makes Lawrence’s experiences so influential is the extent to which this Western officer adopted the culture, habit, and even dress of his Arab counterparts. Lawrence was long accustomed to focusing on the “counterinsurgency” side of irregular warfare, and through his eyes Western military thinkers could glimpse the life of an insurgent. One contemporary who encountered Lawrence described his unique qualities: “This man is different from the rest of the Englishmen whom we have seen so far, [in] that he listens attentively to the political organization of the Arabs and his questions show a depth in the subject, which is not present except with one who has in it a pleasure and a passion.” Not content simply to conclude his assessment of the Arabs’ fighting prowess and return to the British ranks, Lawrence remained with the rebel forces and effectively became an insurgent. Despite his role as a British emissary, Lawrence became as dedicated to the Arab nationalist cause as the Arab insurgents, committing himself to the goal of realizing an Arab nation even when the British government reneged on its promises to the insurgents.