T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 371

Copy of printed page-proof showing T.E.Lawrence's corrections. C H A P T E R I The story which follows was written out in Paris during the Peace Conference, from notes jotted daily on the march, strengthened by several ... in Cairo. Afterwards, in the autumn of 1919, this first draft and some of the notes were lost. It is only now, nearly ... to reproduce the tale, so far as perhaps no one but myself in detail's army had thought of writing down at the time what we hoped, what we tried. So it was built again with heavy remem...nce in London in the winter of 1919-20. My surviving notes. The record of events is not dull in me and perhaps for actual minutes crept in - record in detail: of numbers - but the outlines and significance of things had lost edge in the haze of new interests. Dates and places are correct, so far as my notes preserved them; but the personal names are not. Since we--ed the adventure some of those who worked with me have buried themselves in the shelter grave of public duty. Free use has been made of their names. Others still venture themselves, and have kept their secrecy. Sometimes one man carries various names. This may hide individuality and make the book a ... of rationalise purposes, rather than a group of living people: but ones good is told of a man, and again evil, and some would not thank me for either blame or praise. This isolated picture throwing the main light upon myself is unfair to my British colleagues. Especially I am most sorry that I have not told what the non-con...tioned of us did. They were inarticulate, but wonderful, especially when it is taken into account that they had not the motive, the ... vision of the end, which sustained the officers. Unfortunately my concern was limited to this end, and the book is just a ... progression of Arab ... from Mecca to Damascus. It is intended to rationalise the ... ... how everyone here saw how natural the ... was and how inevitable, how little dependent on direction or brain, how much ... on the ... and sustained of the Arab ... It was an Arab war traced, and led by Arabs for an Arab aim in Arabia. My proper share was a minor one, but because of a fluent pen, a ... speech, and a certain ... of brain, I took upon myself, as free responsible, author ... I describe it, a ... primacy. In reality -- ... I never had any office among the Arabs: was never in charge of the British mission ... them. Wilson, Joyce, ... were all over my head. I ... myself that Darnay, so young, not that they had more heart or mind in the work. I am not to ... Wilson, Joyce, Newcombe, Darnay, Davenport, Buxton. I did my best. Wilson, Joyce, Maynard, Ross, Scott, Winterton, Lloyd, Bremner, Stirling, Young, Bowers, Wenderson, Williams, Gilman, Garland, Wordie, Siddons, Goslett, Stent, Dowsett, Leeson, Hornby, Peake, Scott-... , Ramsey, Brodie, Jollan, Duneo, Leecon, Norbury, Feake, Scott-Moncrieff, Greenthwaite, Vide, Purnell, Roos, Clayton, Bright, McIndoe, Greenhill, Crisenthwaite, Wade, Pownett. 243