Barry Unsworth's new novel is a thriller set in 1914 as the Western nations are making a grab for political power and oil in the Middle East. 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. 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 in Iraq's rich oil fields.
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