Nine-tenths of tactics are certain, and taught in books: but the irrational tenth is like the kingfisher flashing across the pool, and that is the test of generals.

Woolley and Lawrence subsequently publiT. E. Lawrenced a report of the expedition's archaeological findings but a more important result was an updated mapping of the area with special attention to features of military relevance such as water sources. At that time he was forced to return to Britain after rumours began to circulate that he was involved in espionage activities. The play had originally been written as a screenplay but the planned film was never made.

In January 1914 before the outbreak of World War I Lawrence was co-opted by the British Army to undertake a military survey of the Negev Desert while doing archaeological research. E. Lawrence's public image resulted in part from the sensationalised reportage of the revolt by an American journalist Lowell Thomas as well as from Lawrence's autobiographical account Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1922).