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Land of Marvels

A Novel

By Barry Unsworth

(1)

| Others | 9780385520072

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Book Description

Barry Unsworth, a writer with an “almost magical capacity for literary time travel” (New York Times Book Review) has the extraordinary ability to re-create the past and make it relevant to contemporary readers. In Land of Marvels, a thriller set in 1914, he brings to life the schemeContinue

Barry Unsworth, a writer with an “almost magical capacity for literary time travel” (New York Times Book Review) has the extraordinary ability to re-create the past and make it relevant to contemporary readers. In Land of Marvels, a thriller set in 1914, he brings to life the schemes and double-dealings of Western nations grappling for a foothold in Mesopotamia (now Iraq) in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire.

Somerville, a British archaeologist, is excavating a long-buried Assyrian palace. The site lies directly in the path of a new railroad to Baghdad, and he watches nervously as the construction progresses, threatening to destroy his discovery. The expedition party includes Somerville’s beautiful, bored wife, Edith; Patricia, a smart young graduate student; and Jehar, an Arab man-of-all-duties whose subservient manner belies his intelligence and ambitions. Posing as an archaeologist, an American geologist from an oil company arrives one day and insinuates himself into the group. But he’s not the only one working undercover to stake a claim on Iraq’s rich oil fields.

Historical fiction at its finest, Land of Marvels opens a window on the past and reveals its lasting impact.

Critics

  • Digging for victory

    Reading this novel is like watching an Olympic athlete about to win the gold: the seamless flow of action, the mastery of technique, seemingly effortless yet demanding attention and eliciting admiration as an end in itself. Not that Barry Unsworth's ... (read full critics)

    guardian.co.uk published on Fri, 24 Sep 2010

  • Land Of Marvels

    Comments ( -) Add to My Stories Questions of empire dominate Barry Unsworth's new novel. John Somerville is an amateur archaeologist directing a self-financed dig in the Mesopotamian desert in 1914. He unearths an image of a hawk-headed guardian remi ... (read full critics)

    dailymail published on Tue, 21 Sep 2010

1 Review

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  • 2/14 - I bought this because it was at a time (end of Ottoman Empire) and place (I THOUGHT - Turkey…) and by an author I liked. It was interesting as 'history'; not so sure in terms of anything else but - I did get a good character development and some thought afterward on power and intention. NOT ... (continue)

    2/14 - I bought this because it was at a time (end of Ottoman Empire) and place (I THOUGHT - Turkey…) and by an author I liked. It was interesting as 'history'; not so sure in terms of anything else but - I did get a good character development and some thought afterward on power and intention. NOT what I expected though but how bad is that?

    Is this helpful?

    Psc said on Mar 28, 2011 | Add your feedback

Book Details

  • Rating:
    (1)
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  • English Books
  • Others 304 Pages
  • ISBN-10: 0385520077
  • ISBN-13: 9780385520072
  • Publisher: Nan A. Talese
  • Pub date: Jan 06, 2009
  • Dimensions: 1361 mm x 968 mm x 181 mm Just how big is that?
  • Also available as: eBook
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Prices Change currency & sellers

ISBN Edition List Sale Seller
9780385520072 Others $26.00 $20.80 bn.com
-- $11.99 ebooks.com
$26.00 $18.48 The Book Depository
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