Simon Sebag Montefiore in Conversation: The Cauldron and the Making of the Middle East

Overview

The modern Middle East was forged in the collapse of empires, the ambitions of kings, the fervor of revolutionaries, and a century of promises made and broken. How much of its turbulent present can be understood through the extraordinary personalities, rivalries, and decisions that shaped its past?

Renowned historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of Jerusalem and The Romanovs, joins us for a sweeping, revelatory exploration of the modern Middle East, drawn from his bestselling new book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East.

Spanning more than a century of history, from the twilight of the Ottoman Empire to the geopolitical upheavals of today, Montefiore brings to life a region of dazzling cultural richness, fierce political ambition, and profound contradictions. Moving from Morocco to Iran, and from the palaces of kings and shahs to the corridors of revolutionary power, he introduces the rulers, rebels, visionaries, and ideologues whose ambitions and miscalculations helped shape the modern world. With a gift for storytelling and an eye for the telling human detail that General David Petraeus calls “masterful,” Montefiore challenges familiar narratives, illuminating not only the conflicts that have defined the region but also its remarkable traditions of cosmopolitanism, creativity, and coexistence.

As upheaval in the Middle East once again reshapes the global order, Montefiore cuts through the headlines and competing narratives to reveal the history, personalities, and power struggles behind today’s crises. Don’t miss an illuminating conversation about how the region arrived at this moment, and what its past can tell us about what comes next.