TE LAWRENCE LETTERS TO HENRY WILLIAMSON

Lawrence apologises for not coming to see him because of lack of time off from the R.A.F. He has just read Siegfried Sassoon’s ‘Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man’ which was published that year and writes “If you see Sassoon to speak to, tell him that his book (novel) pleased me: but I’d lose it all for his worst poem”.

He also refers to Remarque’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” which was published in 1929. He describes it as “the screaming of a feeble man…It will not last as long as Tarka, except as a document.” He adds for Williamson “Do not distress yourself about ‘lasting’: not even our bones do that…”

With the original envelope in Lawrence’s hand

Provenance: Property from the library of a Dorset Gentleman.

Bibliography: TE Lawrence correspondence with Henry Williamson, Russell Hill Press, 2000; Genius of Friendship, ‘T.E. Lawrence’ by Henry Williamson p.27

After T.E. Lawrence wrote to Henry Williamson from India in January 1928 about his book Tarka the Otter which had been published in 1927, the two men began a correspondence and friendship which lasted until Lawrence’s death. They were both very unusual, sensitive men who Williamson himself described as having twin psyches. Their letters were frank, honest and very illuminating and most of their friendship was conducted through their correspondence (they only met twice and very briefly). We have nine of these important letters from T.E. Lawrence to Williamson which date between August 1928 and December 1934, thus documenting most of their relationship. Lawrence died on 19th May 1935.