Seven Pillars of WisdomSeven Pillars of Wisdom
Score Classic
What it's about
T. E. Lawrence was a young British archaeologist and intelligence officer when, during the First World War, he joined the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. He tells the story of the campaign: living and fighting alongside Prince Faisal and the Bedouin tribes, the daring capture of the port of Aqaba, raids on the desert railway, his capture and abuse at Deraa, and the march on Damascus.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and is the basis for the film Lawrence of Arabia. It's a strange, epic, haunted book.
You'll love it if you liked
A Peace to End All Peace
Goodbye to All That
The Sheltering SkyGood to know
It's very long and dense, with detailed military passages. There's torture and sexual assault.
By the numbers
- Readers29 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller30 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #190 of the 198 history books we rank
- #712 of the 762 classics we rank
- #2504 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Adventurous
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Quick answers
Is Seven Pillars of Wisdom worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and is the basis for the film Lawrence of Arabia. It ranks #2,504 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 58.5 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Seven Pillars of Wisdom about?
T. E. Lawrence was a young British archaeologist and intelligence officer when, during the First World War, he joined the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. He tells the story of the campaign: living and fighting alongside Prince Faisal and the Bedouin tribes, the daring capture of the port of Aqaba, raids on the desert railway, his capture and abuse at Deraa, and the march on Damascus.
How long does it take to read Seven Pillars of Wisdom?
About 37 hours (1475 pages), or about 11 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Seven Pillars of Wisdom?
If you liked it, try A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin, Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves or The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles.