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Journal of the T. E. Lawrence Society 
ISSN 0963-1747

Vol. VII, No. 2, Spring 1998

Edited by Philip Kerrigan

Claire Keith: 'The Lowell Thomas Papers, Part I' (6-68)

Contemporary poster

Hand-coloured slide from the Thomas travelogues

When Ronald Storrs introduced Lawrence to Lowell Thomas in Jerusalem in 1917, it marked the beginning of an association between a leader of the Arab Revolt and a notable American journalist.

After the war, Thomas turned the material he had accumulated into a series of romanticised talks. The Travelogues, as they were called, were first presented in New York and later in London, where they proved highly popular .

During the performances in London, Lawrence met Thomas and provided him with additional material. Although Thomas's presentation contained embellishments, Lawrence felt disinclined to criticise it publicly. He seems to have been captivated, like many others, by the dramatic spectacle. His alter ego, however, was horrified. This ambivalence affected his relationship with Lowell Thomas.

Professor Claire Keith's article makes extensive use of the Lowell Thomas archives at Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York.

D. G. Heslop: 'Railways of the Near East: after Lawrence in Arabia' (69-78)

The chaos caused by military operations during the Arab Revolt left the railway line between Damascus and Medina in a parlous state. In the aftermath of war, the task of restoring communications rested with the Allies. Reconnaissance parties were organised to survey the line, to report on the damage and to estimate the cost for its restoration.

Major D. G. Heslop was in charge of a reconnaissance and he wrote of his experiences in this article, one of a series entitled 'Railways of the Near East', published by The Railway Magazine in 1934.