Journal of the Society for Army Historical Research 99/397

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ARMY HISTORICAL RESEARCH

commanding and planning operations in Gallipoli and Palestine and on the Western Front. Drawing on interviews and papers still held by Lawrence’s descendants, Harris puts flesh on the bones of a man who was a successful commander, staff officer, financier and businessman. The biography employs a chronological approach to Lawrence’s life, moving from his school days at Harrow, through his experiences of soldiering in India and South Africa, to his decision to leave the British army in 1903. Finally, the book deals with his service in the First World War and his post-war financial and business career. Yet, as Harris makes clear throughout, Lawrence’s life was more than just his army and business careers. He was a dedicated son, husband and father, whose family life was marked by tragedy—three of his nephews and both of his sons were killed during the First World War. Harris does not shy away from revealing the human cost of war, and acknowledges the impact these events had on Lawrence, his wife and other members of the family. The personal relationships that punctuated Lawrence’s career are clearly detailed by Harris, particularly his relations with his nephew-in-law, Guy Dawnay, and his final chief, Douglas Haig. Historians of the First World War will find much of interest in Harris’ unpacking of the relationship between Lawrence and Haig. Characterised by some as a relationship riven by resentment, anger, and mistrust—stemming from Haig’s appointment to command 17th Lancers instead of Lawrence in 1901—Harris reveals their relationship to be one driven by respect and amity (pp. 37–40). While some initial tension did exist, Lawrence very much set the conditions of the working relationship. As Harris remarks, ‘[t]here were few in the British army who would have challenged Haig in this way but it was illustrative of the confidence Lawrence possessed and his determination to forge an effective working relationship’ (p. 98). With Lawrence as chief of staff, a new broom swept through General Headquarters in the final year of the war. Fresh faces were brought in, including Travers Clarke, Edgar Cox, and Dawnay, constituting a dynamic new command team with fresh ideas. It is perhaps little wonder then that Haig deemed Lawrence ‘the man who won the war’ (p. 9). The biography is well illustrated throughout with photographs, some drawn from the family’s archive, showing Lawrence at work and play. It also contains useful biographical notes on the key protagonists in Lawrence’s story. However, for a man with such a fulsome and diverse career, the biography is surprisingly slim—only 168 pages of prose. At times, particularly when discussing Lawrence’s experiences during the Second Anglo-Boer War and the Palestine campaign further context would have been beneficial: the account of the latter consists of just six pages. There were also some instances of repetition and editorial lapses and minor errors in the footnotes. However, these do not detract from this interesting and valuable account of a man who has waited too long for the recognition he deserves. A IMÉE F OX King’s College London