Philip Walker is an historian and a retired archaeologist who spent many years working for English Heritage. He has travelled in Libya, Palestine, Morocco, Xinjiang (the Muslim far west of China), and other parts of Central Asia. He lives in Cambridge and this is his first book.
After another round of books on T. E. Lawrence 'of Arabia' published on the war's centennial, it seems scarcely credible that anything new can be said on the subject. But Philip Walker has discovered an astonishing wealth of new material in private collections. The 'Forgotten Few' peers beneath the Lawrence legend to reveal the seamy underbelly of the Arab Revolt. * Sean McMeekin, Professor of History, Bard College, New York * An excellent and fascinating complement to Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom. It reveals the hidden stories of his brothers-in-arms and what they achieved during the Arab Revolt. * Lawrence James, English Historian and Writer * This excellent account of those who underpinned the fighters in the Arab Revolt reminds us of the hardships and challenges of war in early twentieth century Arabia. By looking behind the lines Walker shows us the real scale of Lawrences achievement and the achievements of those who supported him. * Sir Mark Allen, ex-Foreign Service * A gripping account of the Arab Revolt as seen through the eyes of the men on the ground in Jidda. Walker has uncovered remarkable new documentation and photographs that shed valuable new light on the Great War in Arabia. An outstanding book for the centenary of the Revolt. * Eugene Rogan, Director of the Middle East Centre, St Antony's College, Oxford *