Syria by Warwick Ball is one of those rare books that delivers what it promises: a historical and architectural guide to Syria. It is written with good humour, enthusiasm and clarity, and includes photos of sites mentioned.

It’s also one of the reasons I haven’t had books to review, here. I’ve been working my way through Syria, trying to visualise and mentally map the journey across time and space.

The book is not about contemporary political and social Syria. It is the bleached bones of history, the country’s architectural skeleton. It invites the reader to share the romance that can be woven over the remnants.