{"product_id":"1519885","title":"Land of Marvels by Barry Unsworth","description":"In 1914, an English archaeologist called Somerville is fulfilling a lifelong dream: to direct an excavation in the desert of Mesopotamia. Yet forces beyond his control threaten his work. The Great War is looming, and various interest groups Turkish, German, English and American - are vying for control over the land and its strategic and economic prizes. The Germans are securing trade routes with a new railway; a major in the Royal Engineers is working undercover, secretly mapping for the British the areas rich in oil; the Bedouin Jehar takes what he can from his new paymasters. The greatest idealist is Somerville, whose intention is to discover and preserve the land s ancient treasures. As he weaves these stories together in a powerful narrative, Unsworth provides a brilliant commentary on imperial ambition in the Middle East, and an acute historical perspective on the land that became modern Iraq. This 2009 Hutchinson Paperback is in \u003cb\u003e good condition\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN: 9780091926182 SKU: 1519885 \u003ci\u003eNote: Any image shown is from a stock photo and is not the actual book.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Hutchinson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48528133619989,"sku":"1519885","price":15.5,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0023\/2695\/4036\/files\/1519885.jpg?v=1725874467","url":"https:\/\/bookhaven.live\/products\/1519885","provider":"Book Haven","version":"1.0","type":"link"}