The Nabataean Arabs, one of the most remarkable peoples of the ancient world, are today known only for their hauntingly beautiful rock-carved capital - Petra. Here, in the wild and grand landscapes of southern Jordan they created some of the most prodigious works of man - an entire city hewn out of the mountains. Although their civilization was ignored and almost lost for 1500 years, the Nabataeans were famous in their day and their power extended over great areas of the Biblical Middle East. Though seen most clearly at Petra, vivid traces of Nabataean creativity and control also appear in...

'It's coming up to twenty-four hours since the boy stepped down from the big passenger liner - it must be, he reckons foggily - because morning has come around once more with the awful irrevocability of time destined to lead nowhere in this worrying new situation. His temporary minder on board - last spotted heading for the bar some while before the lumbering process of docking got underway - seems to have vanished for good. Where does that leave him now? All on his own in a new country: that's where it leaves him. He is just nine years old.' An eloquently written novel tracing the social...