Covering a vast timeline, this book explores the rich and complex history of Iraq, beginning with the legendary reign of Gilgamesh around 2900 BC and culminating in the significant political upheaval of the 1958 coup. It delves into the cultural, political, and social developments that shaped the region over five millennia, offering insights into its ancient civilizations, empires, and pivotal moments that influenced Iraq's historical trajectory.
The White Rhino Hotel is a sweeping saga of love and revenge, of greed and loyalty, of pioneers struggling for a new life amidst the beauty and wildness of the African bush in the years immediately after World War I
The master of the exotic adventure novel returns with a tale of romance, vengeance and intrigue. The story begins in 1920s Paris, where Shanghai Station's Russian count, Alexander Karlov, and Viktor Polyak, the Soviet agent who killed Karlov's parents and abducted his twin sister Katerina, hunt each other through grand hotels, sewers, fashion houses and embassy parties. Soon after, Katerina sets sail with Alexander for Shanghai on the China Star. On board, Alexander is charmed by Laila Hammond, a Ceylonese woman of mixed blood, who is married to a sick English tea planter. Polyak and his agents pursue them as the ship stops in Egypt. On the night train from Alexandria to Cairo, Karlov and Laila begin the passionate affair that threatens to destroy them. The young count continues to the mountainous tea country of Ceylon with Laila, where he is hunted in the jungle by Polyak's most dangerous assassin, while Katerina sails to Shanghai, under the protection of Hak Lee, the brutal gangster who is her brother's partner. Following her to his home in exile, Alexander confronts his enemy as violence, greed and romance come together in the most exotic and exciting city in the world.
Traces the history of the African safari in fact and fiction, and tells the stories of Europeans who made Africa their home