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Third English and first published edition, fifth impression, Cambridge issue. INSCRIBED, 'To my old friend The Rev E. W. Cox in loving memory of the author [.] S Lawrence Jan. 1. 1936', by Lawrence's mother, Sarah (1861-1959) to the clergyman and schoolmaster E. W. Cox, who was a friend and neighbour of the Lawrence family, and who taught Lawrence and his three eldest brothers at Oxford High School. Quarto (257 x 190mm), pp. 672; frontispiece and 47 photogravure plates by John Swain & Son after Augustus John, Eric Kennington, Lawrence, and others, 4 folding maps printed by The Chiswick Press, Ltd in red and black and bound to throw clear, 7 illustrations in the text of which 3 full-page; some variable, generally light spotting; original brown buckram gilt by A. W. Bain & Co., Ltd, upper board blocked in gilt with text and crossed sword design, spine lettered gilt, top edges brown, others uncut, original beige dust wrapper lettered in black, not price-clipped; spine and wrappers slightly marked, extremities slightly rubbed and creased, short tears and chips at edges, otherwise a very good copy of the uncommon dust wrapper. Custom-built slipcase. Seven Pillars of Wisdom was first printed in 1922 in an edition of eight copies for Lawrence's use, of which only six survive. It was followed by the 'Subscriber's' or 'Cranwell' edition in 1926, published privately in an edition of c. 211 copies and, as Lawrence wrote to the bookseller Henry Sotheran Ltd on 24 April 1925, 'this thing is being given only to my friends and their friends. No copies are for sale.' Finally, after Lawrence's death in May 1935, it was published in a trade edition by Jonathan Cape in July 1935. Such was the book's popularity that the first impression of 60,000 copies was quickly exhausted and second, third and fourth impressions were printed in August 1935, and then this fifth impression in September 1935. Due to high demand, the fifth and sixth impressions were printed at the Alden Press, Oxford and the University Press, Cambridge (as here). The recipient of this copy contributed a memoir of T. E. Lawrence as a schoolboy to T.E. Lawrence by his Friends, and a memoir of Lawrence's brother Frank to The Home Letters of T.E. Lawrence and his Brothers, and remained in contact with Sarah Lawrence until her death in 1959. O'Brien A042. Seller Inventory # 103106
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