David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants

The Turks simply had not thought that
their opponent would be crazy enough to
come at them from the desert.
Sir Reginald Wingate called
Lawrence’s men an “untrained rabble.”
He saw the Turks as the overwhelming
favorites. But can you see how strange
that was? Having lots of soldiers and
weapons and resources—as the Turks
did—is an advantage. But it makes you
immobile and puts you on the defensive.
Meanwhile, movement, endurance,
individual intelligence, knowledge of the
country, and courage—which
Lawrence’s men had in abundance—
allowed them to do the impossible,
namely, attack Aqaba from the east, a
strategy so audacious that the Turks