New York: Doubleday, (2009) dj. Hardcover first edition - A thriller by this award winning writer, set in 1914 in a world on the brink of war, one in which "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. . .. Posing as an archaeologist, an American geologist from an oil company arrives one day and insinuates himself into the group. But heÕs not the only one working undercover to stake a claim on IraqÕs rich oil fields. " 287 pp. ISBN: 978-0385520072.