Barry Unsworth: 'Land of Marvels'
In "Land of Marvels," a thriller set in 1914, Unsworth 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. Barry Unsworth won the Booker Prize for "Sacred Hunger," was a Booker finalist for "Pascali's Island" and "Morality Play," and was long-listed for the Booker Prize for "The Ruby in Her Navel."