The Enduring Flame — Nigel Tranter

Angus Guthrie, Scottish sailor and undercover oil-prospector, gets more than he bargained for when he agrees to accompany an archaeological expedition into the forbidden heart of the Arabian desert. The group must overcome the suspicions and superstitions of a region untouched by the modern age and unwilling to bow down to it. In the end they turn to a group of outlaws, and in doing so become outlaws themselves. Above all, they must face the gruelling challange of the desert as they traverse a sea of burning sand in search of the legendary lost city of Wabar and the mysterious Enduring Flame of Duweila. 'One of Scotland's most prolific and respected writers' The Times