T. E. Lawrence

Contents lists

1888-1910

1911

1912

1913

1914

1915-16

1917-18

1919-20

1921

1922

1923

1924

1925

1926

1927

1928

1929

1930

1931

1932

1933

1934

1935

Updated June 2012

T. E. Lawrence to Bruce Rogers

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8/1/30

Dear B. R.

Here are 7 and 8: passed after a check. You will observe that I have nearly reached finality in these two chapters. The eleventh-hour changes are minute.

The variability of tense, in the description of the palace of Alcinous, I put down to a convention. The poet got wrought up and embarked on the 'historic present.' Many bad writers (and some good) do.

Yes, please send me the original MS. and I will then copy you some more books and pass them in. I have several more ready to fair-copy.

Yours

T.E.S.

I don't quite know how my copyrights stand - or are they all the firm's? There was once talk of publishing the text as an ordinary book in England. I'd agree, if you did it as one of yours; but I should be sorry if it were done commercially. Have you any views? My shield and safety lies in its being a B-R book: if it comes out - here in England - on its merits as a translation, then I would carry the can.

America of course doesn't matter (in this respect only, I hasten to say!) but England is an annoying little gossip-shop. I enclose you one of my arguments. Do you think the firm would agree to refrain from commercial-publishing in England without my consent?

T.E.S.

I hope the Liverpool Post's description of your black-and-white reputation will make you laugh!

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T. E. Lawrence chronology

1888 16 August: born at Tremadoc, Wales

1896-1907: City of Oxford High School for Boys

1907-9: Jesus College, Oxford, B.A., 1st Class Hons, 1909

1910-14: Magdalen College, Oxford (Senior Demy), while working at the British Museum's excavations at Carchemish

1915-16: Military Intelligence Dept, Cairo

1916-18: Liaison Officer with the Arab Revolt

1919: Attended the Paris Peace Conference

1919-22: wrote Seven Pillars of Wisdom

1921-2: Adviser on Arab Affairs to Winston Churchill at the Colonial Office

1922 August: Enlisted in the Ranks of the RAF

1923 January: discharged from the RAF

1923 March: enlisted in the Tank Corps

1923: translated a French novel, The Forest Giant

1924-6: prepared the subscribers' abridgement of Seven Pillars of Wisdom

1927-8: stationed at Karachi, then Miranshah

1927 March: Revolt in the Desert, an abridgement of Seven Pillars, published

1928: completed The Mint, began translating Homer's Odyssey

1929-33: stationed at Plymouth

1931: started working on RAF boats

1932: his translation of the Odyssey published

1933-5: attached to MAEE, Felixstowe

1935 February: retired from the RAF

1935 19 May: died from injuries received in a motor-cycle crash on 13 May

1935 21 May: buried at Moreton, Dorset