Petra, the "rose-red city" carved out of rock in the mountains of southern Jordan, is one of the most extraordinary survivors of the ancient world. Created by the Nabataeans, a people whose origins still remain mysterious, Petra boasts monuments to rival those of classical Greece and Rome. Indeed, the achievements of its builders were all the more impressive because this was a city created in one of the most barren places on earth. Jane Taylor's glorious photographs do full justice to the city, as does her lucid text, which charts the history of Petra as well as its rich store of archaeological sites. Today, Petra is a major tourist attraction, and those who plan to visit, if only from the comfort of their armchairs, could find no better guide than Jane Taylor.