24 August 2026
The Middle East has forever been the source of religions, prize of empires, spark-wheel of conflicts, well of radicalism, and the epicentre of our tumultuous world. No other region has such a hold on our imagination or such a propensity to unleash mayhem. Yet few know its real history; fewer still understand its variety and cosmopolitanism, its complexity and interconnectedness. Author of the new book The Cauldron Simon Sebag Montefiore, joins UnHerd for a masterclass on the vexed region, from 1900 up to the present day. Join the best-selling historian on a spectacular journey from the Ottoman sultanate to the Trump presidency, asking: why is the Middle East so misunderstood?
Stay for an audience Q&A and book signing.