While the world celebrated Robert E. Peary's successful expedition to the North Pole in 1909, a 17-year-old British lad prepared for another big adventure.
Thomas Edward Lawrence set out on a walking tour of Syria, Palestine and Turkey that summer. The Oxford University student covered more than a thousand miles in a matter of months. Toiling under the blazing sun, he collected information for his thesis on the region's medieval castles.
His thirst for adventure has served him well – and it has also served the Allies well in the Great War. Lawrence led the successful Arab uprising against the Ottoman Empire, a staunch German ally.
Lawrence's adventure started in 1910, when he got his history degree and won a research fellowship for travel. He headed to Syria and took part in an archaeological expedition.
Through his involvement with that expedition and others in the region he grew familiar with the language and customs of the Arab people, who had lived under Turkish rule for centuries.
Lawrence leads Arab revolt
When war broke out, British authorities assigned him to the British Military Intelligence Service in Cairo. He spent more than a year there, processing intelligence information.
In 1916, he joined forces with Feisal, son of Sherif Hussein of Mecca, and launched a full-scale revolt of Arab tribes against the Turks.
Wearing a plain white keffiyeh, Lawrence led Arab forces in guerrilla attacks against Germany's Ottoman ally. He proved to be a superb tactician.
Under his leadership, Arab forces attacked Turkish communications and supply routes, preventing Turkish troops from fighting against regular Allied forces under the command of General Sir Edmund Allenby.
Lawrence chose not to stage a frontal assault on the Ottoman stronghold in Medina. Instead, his men attacked the railway that supplied the garrison. That forced the Ottomans to devote valuable resources to defending the railway and repairing the damage.
In July of last year, Lawrence coordinated an attack against the vital port city of Aqaba. The port was heavily defended on the Red Sea side but not from the rear because the Sinai desert was considered impossible to cross. That is precisely the area from which Lawrence's forces attacked. The strategy was a sound one as his forces were victorious.
Lawence's men gradually made their way north while the Ottoman army grew weaker by the day. Just a few weeks ago, Lawrence and Feisal entered Damascus triumphantly, just ahead of the British army.
Despite his many successes in the Great War, Lawrence has paid a price. He has been wounded several times, suffering dozens of bullet and shrapnel wounds. He even spent some time in captivity. A year ago, he was captured and tortured by the Turks before managing to escape.
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