Lawrence James

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Lawrence James is a British writer and historian. He has written several works of popular history about the British Empire, and has been widely praised for his narrative skill, scholarship and readability.

[edit] Life and career

Lawrence James was born in Bath and went to Milton Junior and Weston-super-Mare Grammar Schools. He continued his education at the University of York, where he studied History and English. He then completed a research degree at Merton College, Oxford.

He pursued a teaching career latterly as Head of History at Sedbergh School before deciding to become a full-time writer in 1985. In the early 1990s, he published biographies of British imperial adventurers like Lawrence of Arabia and Viscount Allenby. The book on TE Lawrence was the subject of controversy among Lawrence enthusiasts, generally because of James' efforts to demythologize his mythical subject and more specifically because of his casting doubt on Lawrence's story of homosexual rape and torture at the hands of the Turks in November 1917, previously seen as a critical event in Lawrence's life, but detailed only in Lawrence's own book, Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Unlike Jeremy Wilson, another biographer of Lawrence, James draws substantially on the diaries and correspondence of Lawrence's friends and colleagues to create a more personal portrait of his subject. His biography is notable for its balanced approach to Lawrence's actions and motives, acknowledging the flaws and inconsistencies in his character without losing sight of Lawrence's admirable qualities.

James then followed up with a pair of epic blockbusters. The Rise and Fall of the British Empire (1994) and Raj: The Making and Unmaking of British India (1997) were both well-written, wide-angle panoramas of empire, and both were well received by the press and the public. However, some have criticised James for conclusions at odds with his detailed analysis of the economic and social impact of empire, possibly indicating a desire, perhaps unintentional, to present the effect of British influence in India in a positive light. Historians recognise that the British Empire had an impact on India, but there is disagreement as to whether this impact was largely positive or negative. It is thus the apparent favouring by James of the positive side of the case which causes controversy.

James is also respected as a military historian, and he has published several accounts of imperial campaigns.

James often writes articles for the Daily Mail, the Times, and Literary Review. He also appears regularly on television.

Lawrence James lives in Priorwell, Scotland with his wife Mary, a teacher and former headmistress of St Leonards School. He has two sons. Compiled by James and John Oliver.