Reviews for Sir Francis Drake

The average rating for Sir Francis Drake based on 2 reviews is 2.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2017-09-21 00:00:00 Sean Otoole I really wanted to like this book. It's about a fascinating character, written by one of my favorite authors--a personal friend of Lawrence's. And I did like parts: the beginning and the end when Graves talked about Lawrence's early life and his life after the WWI campaign with the Arabs. The middle sagged and I found myself skimming over the blow by blow descriptions of (it felt like) nearly every raid or battle that Lawrence engaged in with the Arab uprising. The writing and history were as dry as the desert setting with only an occasional oasis of passion or insight into the major players. I wanted to know what motivated and inspired Lawrence and his Arab friends and foes. What I got was narrative that sounded like it came from field reports. I like biography and read a lot of it. I think Graves' version of Lawrence's life suffers from his personal friendship. I felt he held back.

Review # 2 was written on 2020-05-06 00:00:00 Matthew Daluz Reco from NYRB's "Isolation Reading" reader's feature: "I am now reading the only authorized autobiography of T.E. Lawrence, Lawrence and the Arabs by Robert Graves...I cannot think of a better time to be alone in the Arabian desert." 'Tom M. But see Faith Justice's comments, So, probably not. Darn it.