Winged Bull (Hardcover)

Jeff Pearce

ISBN 10: 1633886999 / ISBN 13: 9781633886995

Published by Prometheus Books, Amherst, 2021

About this Item

Hardcover. In the summer of 1839, HenryLayardjust twenty-two years oldleft England for eastern Europe and distantlands of the Ottoman Empire. He had never set foot in these regions before andwasnt fluent in their languages. But he would experience one dramatic adventureafter another, narrowly escaping death, combatting murderous thieves, ridingwith Bakhtiari warriors in Persia, and going on secret missions for the Britishembassy in Turkey. Layard made some of the most importantarchaeology discoveries ever, uncovering the ruins of Nineveh in 1845, as wellas the lost Assyrian capital of Ashur. Its thanks to his secret efforts thatscores of Yezidi refugees were saved from persecution. When he returned toEngland, his personal account of his finds at Nineveh became a bestseller. Hewent on to witness the famous Charge of the Light Brigade, investigated theIndian Mutiny, and as Britains diplomat, he played a key role in savingIstanbul from destruction and looting during a war. Real-life Indiana Jones meets Lawrenceof Arabia in Winged Bull, the first biography in half acentury to tell the story of Henry Layard and his daring adventures. While youmay not know his name, you likely have seen his work. The winged bulls, lionsand priceless treasures of art and jewellery that he found make up permanentcollections in institutions such as the British Museum, Britains NationalGallery and New Yorks Metropolitan Museum of Art.Layard may have also been the first archaeologist with a conscience.While better known figures either stole their discoveries or bribed their wayinto ruins, Layard sought formal permission from local authorities. His booksand letters draw a picture of a man who deeply respected the lands and cultureshe explored.Using Layards own letters as well as archival materials andnever-before-published documents, author Jeff Pearce captures the life of a manwho was never at rest, whether galloping off with tribal rulers or standing upfor the poor and downtrodden as a British MP. Discover the life of Henry Layardin this gripping tale of astonishing discoveries, swashbuckling exploits, andpolitical intrigue. Lawrence of Arabia meets Indiana Jones in the first biography of archaeologist and adventurer Henry Layard in over 50 years. Shipping may be from our Sydney, NSW warehouse or from our UK or US warehouse, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781633886995

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Winged Bull (Hardcover)
• Publisher: Prometheus Books, Amherst
• Publication Date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1633886999
• ISBN 13: 9781633886995
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

In the summer of 1839, Henry Layard―just twenty-two years old―left England for eastern Europe and distant lands of the Ottoman Empire. He had never set foot in these regions before and wasn’t fluent in their languages. But he would experience one dramatic adventure after another, narrowly escaping death, combatting murderous thieves, riding with Bakhtiari warriors in Persia, and going on secret missions for the British embassy in Turkey. 

Layard made some of the most important archaeology discoveries ever, uncovering the ruins of Nineveh in 1845, as well as the lost Assyrian capital of Ashur. It’s thanks to his secret efforts that scores of Yezidi refugees were saved from persecution. When he returned to England, his personal account of his finds at Nineveh became a bestseller. He went on to witness the famous Charge of the Light Brigade, investigated the Indian Mutiny, and as Britain’s diplomat, he played a key role in saving Istanbul from destruction and looting during a war. 

Real-life Indiana Jones meets Lawrence of Arabia in Winged Bull, the first biography in half a century to tell the story of Henry Layard and his daring adventures. While you may not know his name, you likely have seen his work. The winged bulls, lions and priceless treasures of art and jewellery that he found make up permanent collections in institutions such as the British Museum, Britain’s National Gallery and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Layard may have also been the first “archaeologist with a conscience.” While better known figures either stole their discoveries or bribed their way into ruins, Layard sought formal permission from local authorities. His books and letters draw a picture of a man who deeply respected the lands and cultures he explored.

Using Layard’s own letters as well as archival materials and never-before-published documents, author Jeff Pearce captures the life of a man who was never at rest, whether galloping off with tribal rulers or standing up for the poor and downtrodden as a British MP. Discover the life of Henry Layard in this gripping tale of astonishing discoveries, swashbuckling exploits, and political intrigue.

About the Author

Jeff Pearce (Toronto, CA) has traveled far to get his unusual and compelling stories. He’s interviewed a Kurdish army commander on the Iraqi front near Mosul, and he’s taught journalism in Myanmar. He’s investigated the dangerous realm of street gangs, and he’s tracked down survivors of a war in Africa that changed the world.

Pearce has worked for print and broadcast media operations both in Canada and the UK, and he has contributed Op-Ed pieces to the Toronto Star, the Globe and Mail, and Myanmar’s Irrawaddy among other publications. He is also known for his on-camera contributions to the Haile Selassie documentary, Faces of Africa.