Simon Sebag MontefioreEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

Last week I had the privilege of sitting down with one of the foremost historians of our time, Simon Sebag Montefiore. As I write this, his work has never felt more urgent. “We’re in a new world of counterhistory,” he said recently. “A new world of counterhistory where neither historical facts nor present-time facts matter if they don’t fit the ideological orthodoxy.” It is “our responsibility as historians,” he said, “to stand up and be unafraid to contradict conventional wisdom, surging conspiracies, witch hunts, purity tests, pile-ons that are used to crush debate . . . and to say persuasively, ‘This is what happened.’ ” And that is what he does in his brilliant new book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. But don’t worry. This is Sebag. I promise you this is not some serious, dry textbook. There is a chapter in his book called “Fat Fucker” (which was the CIA’s code name for King Farouk of Egypt). You will learn in his pages that a Palestine Liberation Organization terrorist was married to a Miss Universe. That Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and President John F. Kennedy were both johns at Madame Claude’s Parisian brothel. And that Saddam Hussein was raised by an uncle who wrote a pamphlet titled “Three Whom God Should Not Have Created: Persians, Jews, and Flies.” Okay, maybe that last one was predictable. Sebag has said that this book is the hardest he has ever written, and is a subject that only someone “bonkers” would tackle. Bonkers or brilliant or both: You’ll decide. Sebag is, of course, the author of over a dozen other books such as Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar, The Romanovs, and Catherine the Great & Potemkin, which are essential to understanding power, politics, revolution, dictatorships, and above all, human nature. I asked him how he makes sense of the fight within Islam itself, why we’re so fixated on this region, whether the Middle East’s plight is the product of Western intervention or the choices of its own leaders, how the Gulf States came to ally with Israel and Iran with China and Russia, who is winning the current war, and much more. I am so thrilled to share the conversation I had with him—live—in NYC. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While The Remnant has played host to many remarkable historians over the years, few have taken us on a more incredible ride than Simon Sebag Montefiore. As such, we’re proud to bestow on Simon our newly formed, not-really-endowed chair of Middle Eastern history. Tune in to hear Simon and Jonah Goldberg rove across time and space, covering Iran, Saudi Arabia, the 1979 revolution, the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Israel, antisemitism, moral hysteria, Western obsession with Jerusalem, colonialism, nationalism, ethnicity, modernization, Islam, historical perspective, and, most importantly of all, the proper pronunciation of Turkey. Show Notes: — Simon Sebag Montefiore - The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East — Jerusalem: The Biography — Jonah’s last book, Suicide of the West — James Scott - Seeing Like a State: How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed — Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn: The Intelligent American’s Guide to Europe The Remnant is a production of ⁠The Dispatch⁠ , a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a nonpartisan perspective. To access all of The Dispatch ’s offerings—including the Saturday Ruminant , audio versions of all our articles and newsletters, and Jonah’s twice-weekly G-File — ⁠click here⁠ . Instructions on how to set up your members-only feed can be found here , and if you’d like to remove all ads from your podcast experience, consider becoming a premium Dispatch member ⁠by clicking here⁠ . Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Let’s whisper it,” said historian Simon Sebag Montefiore. “The Trump blockade is working.” It can be hard to parse the state of play in the Middle East amid escalating rhetoric, but history gives us the necessary perspective to call balls and strikes in the present day. Today, the author of The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East joins School of War to discuss the forces that created the modern Middle East, why he thinks Trump’s strategy in Iran is working, and the growing rivalry between Israel and Turkey. “There is a real danger that Erdoğan will talk himself into a war with Israel,” he warns. 05:22 — The Middle East Is Not Monochrome 09:49 — Four Eras of the Modern Middle East 11:45 — The Problem With Nation-States 18:30 — Why 1979 Changed the Middle East 25:22 — Can Iran’s Revolution Survive Regime Change? 34:28 — Iran, Hormuz, and the Nuclear Question 39:57 — Could Iran’s Regime Reach a Breaking Point? 44:42 — Why Iran’s Regime Is Built for War 50:46 — Trump, Soleimani, and the 12-Day War 52:28 — Can the Iran Blockade Work? 54:23 — Israel’s Post–October 7 Grand Strategy 1:04:56 — Israel, Turkey, and Erdoğan’s Neo-Ottoman Ambitions This episode of School of War is brought to you by Maven Smart System, the builder platform for the American warfighter, fielded across the force and live on the frontline today. Learn more at palantir.com . This episode of School of War is also brought to you by Stratolaunch, a leading pure-play hypersonics company. Stratolaunch helps the U.S. and its allies move new hypersonic technologies from concept to capability, faster and cheaper. Learn more about how Stratolaunch is accelerating the future of hypersonics at Stratolaunch.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An influential group of Israeli historians have argued for decades that the country was forged in violence - that the original displacement of 700,000 Palestinians was not an accident of chaos, but deliberate ethnic cleansing. This viewpoint deeply challenges Israel’s founding narrative as a desperate underdog seeking fairness and peace. In this episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored, two opposing titans of historical and political debat - Simon Sebag Montefiore (author of 'The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East') and international relations scholar Avi Shlaim - discuss their opposing worldviews and how they continue to shape today's conflicts, from the events of October 7th to the escalating war involving Iran. Plus, as President Trump threatens an “economic D-Day” and both sides talk up the return to all-out war, we break down the latest developments in Tehran and across the Middle East, also joined by Tehran University’s Professor Mohammad Marandi. (00:00:00) Introduction (00:01:54) Professor Marandi on Iran America’s implementation of economic hardship on Iran (00:08:37) Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz (00:19:55) The Iranian regime’s support for terrorist organisations (00:22:07) The 25th anniversary of 9/11 (00:29:10) Simon Sebag Montefiore joins Piers to discuss his latest book on Middle East (00:38:23) The Israeli government’s increasingly violent rhetoric and anti-semitism (00:45:58) The Two-state solution (00:51:57) Simon Sebag’s new historian categorisation and critique of the Israeli government (00:56:13) IR Scholar Avi Shlaim reacts to Piers’ interview with Simon Sebag (00:59:10) Piers asks Avi Shlaim about the criticism of the Israeli government being stifled (01:05:01) How many Israeli locals actually support the government vs those against it? (01:08:42) Categorising Israeli activity in Gaza as a Genocide (01:11:43) Avi Shlaim on Netanyahu’s war in Iran Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict really at the center of the Middle East? In Part 2 of Dan’s conversation with historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Cauldron, they trace how the balance of power in the Middle East shifted after 9/11, from Iran’s rise and its network of proxies to the emergence of Israel, Iran and Turkey as the region’s dominant military powers. They also ask whether the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has obscured a much larger struggle for power across the region, and what history can tell us about the possibility of peace. Purchase a copy of Simon’s book The Cauldron here . Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22. —- This episode is sponsored by The Israel Democracy Institute: For resources on Israel's upcoming election and to learn more about IDI, visit elections.idi.org.il/2026 . This episode is sponsored by Citizen Cafe: Schedule your free intro session with Citizen Cafe today. Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going. Become a Subscriber - Inside Call me Back ___ In this episode: - How the Iraq War empowered Iran - Iran’s proxy empire and October 7 - The rise of the Middle East’s non-Arab powers - The surprising parallels between Turkey and Israel - Why does the West focus so intensely on Israel? - Beyond the one-state vs. two-state debate - Is the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a regional sideshow? - Can the Middle East choose “honey” over blood? ___ More Ark Media: Want to join Ark Media ? Check out our careers page for new openings . Explore Israel Votes Listen to Ark News Daily Listen to For Heaven's Sake Listen to What’s Your Number? Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal Instagram | Ark Media | Dan X | Dan Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel Get in touch Credits:

How much of the Middle East’s history was actually shaped by the West? The story most of us learned about who created the modern Middle East is incomplete. Dan is joined by historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Cauldron , who argues that we give Western powers too much credit and the people of the region too little agency. In Part I of their conversation, they trace the forces that shaped the region, from the Ottoman legacy and the rise of nationalism to the Iranian Revolution and Islamism. Purchase a copy of Simon’s book The Cauldron here . Get your tickets to a live taping of Call me Back at the Streicker Center in NYC on October 22. —- This episode is sponsored by RootOne. Help the Jewish teen in your life experience Israel for themselves. Visit RootOne.org to learn more. Call Me Back is made possible by our subscribers. If these conversations are where you turn to understand Israel and the Jewish world, consider joining them. It's what keeps this show going. Become a Subscriber - Inside Call me Back ___ In this episode: - Who really made the modern Middle East? - The myth of empire as a Western phenomenon - How the Middle East lost its diversity - Did the nation-state fail the Middle East? - Why Iran’s 1979 revolution changed everything - How Khomeini turned Islamism into a regional force ___ More Ark Media: Want to join Ark Media ? Check out our careers page for new openings . Explore Israel Votes Listen to Ark News Daily Listen to For Heaven's Sake Listen to What’s Your Number? Newsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav Eyal Instagram | Ark Media | Dan X | Dan Dan Senor & Saul Singer’s book, The Genius of Israel Get in touch Credits: Ilan Benatar, Beth Pearlman, Brittany Cohen, Ava Weiner, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Yuval Semo

In a recent episode of History with Jackson , historian Simon Sebag Montefiore sheds light on his new book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East . His insights unravel the complexities and historical narratives that shape the region today. Grab a copy of the Cauldron head to https://uk.bookshop.org/a/14692/9781399634892 Keep up to date with Simon head to Instagram https://www.instagram.com/simonsebag_montefiore?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsi=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw== X: https://x.com/simonmontefiore?s=20 If you want to get in touch with History with Jackson email: jackson@historywithjackson.co.uk To support History with Jackson to carry on creating content subscribe to History with Jackson+ on Apple Podcasts or support us on our Patreon ! To catch up on everything to do with History with Jackson head to www.HistorywithJackson.co.uk Follow us on Facebook at @HistorywithJackson Follow us on Instagram at @HistorywithJackson Follow us on X/Twitter at @HistorywJackson Follow us on TikTok at @HistorywithJackson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we return to Simon Sebag Montefiore’s tour de force, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. Jason and Sebag divide the continuation of their discussion into two parts: 1) An analysis of what makes the Middle East a ‘Cauldron’ and what has the region’s role in 20th and 21st century global history been as an exporter of disorder or importer and then processor of the global disorder happening around it; 2) Our attempt to order the disorder with a lightening round where I ask Sebag impossibly big questions: first about big themes on civilization, religion, and history and then about how to fix the Middle East. The crux of the episode is: What makes the Middle East unique as a region? Is it its geography, relation to religion, legacy of empires, connection to oil resources, or being the fulcrum where Asia, Europe, and Africa meet? Sebag thinks it is all of the above, Jason thinks it is its culture and lack of institutional legacy and public spiritedness.. he discussed this in the bonus bit for Mega Orderers.. They also delve into the role of Pakistan, America, Russia, and Britain in the Middle Eastern region and how part of the region’s uniqueness is how it sucks in other powers for ideological, religious, and oil reasons. To get the bonus content associated with this two-part episode, i.e. Jason views on the role of culture and institutions in making the Middle East a Cauldron, join our Mega Orderers Club at disordershow.com/club When you log in there after joining you will get Jason’s micro episode for members of the Mega-Orderers Club only on A CULTURAL CRITIQUE OF WHERE THE DISORDER of the Middle east COMES FROM—as he debate’s the establishment on the region’s uniquely dysfunctional culture and institutional legacies of greed of clan and faction and whether the Middle East is in fact unique or just like everywhere else when it comes to its a profound absence of public spiritedness. Producer: George McDonagh Subscribe to our Substack - https://natoandtheged.substack.com/ Disorder on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow Show Notes Links: To get the book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cauldron-Making-Modern-Middle-East/dp/1399634895/ As for what is happening with Iran and the economic D-Day: https://thehill.com/policy/international/6045556-iran-warns-middle-east-us-economic-war/ How the US and Middle East allies flipped the oil script on Iran: https://edition.cnn.com/2026/08/22/business/oil-strait-of-hormuz-iran To get the bonus content associated with part 2, i.e. the rule of culture and institutions in making the Middle East a Cauldron, join our Mega Orderers Club at disordershow.com/club Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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How did we get the modern Middle East? Who shaped it and does the term even make sense in our current era? Seth Thévoz speaks to Simon Sebag Montefiore author of The Cauldron: the Making of the Modern Middle East about how the region has been changed over time and what key players led us to what we know today. • Buy Simon’s’s book The Cauldron: the Making of the Modern Middle East from our affiliate bookshop and you’ll help fund The Bunker by earning us a small commission for every sale. Bookshop.org’s fees help support independent bookshops too. • Back us on Patreon – www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Produced by: Managing Editor Jacob Jarvis and James Liddell. Audio production: Jade Bailey. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. Music by Kenny Dickinson. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. www.podmasters.co.uk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to be Jewish in Britain? What happens when centuries of hard-won belonging is suddenly called into question by destabilizing events? In this conversation on history and identity, we sit down with bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore to trace the extraordinary story of British Jewry: from the arrival of Jews with William the Conqueror in 1066, through medieval blood libels and expulsion, to emancipation, empire, Zionism, civil rights and integration, and on to the modern crisis facing British Jews after October 7. We explore how British Jews became one of the most integrated and successful Jewish communities in the world, and why many now feel that a golden age is ending. Montefiore brings the sweep of history to the conversation, while confronting one of the most urgent questions facing Jews in the West today: Can liberal societies still protect Jewish belonging in moments of deep social fracture? -- This episode is sponsored by "The Frozen Chosen," Haviv’s supportive Minnesota community. It is dedicated to the memory of Tchelet Fishbein, who was murdered on October 7 at Kibbutz Beeri. She was 18 years old. Tchelet lived in Kibbutz Urim and worked as a babysitter in nearby Kibbutz Be’eri along the border with Gaza. When Hamas invaded Be’eri, she and her boyfriend Dor Rieder, 23, both sought refuge in the home’s safe room. In a different home, 500 meters away, her mother, brother, 94-year-old grandmother, and the grandmother’s caregiver took shelter inside a bunker. What we know about Tchelet is not only how she died, but how she lived — with an instinct to protect others. In the midst of terror, she warned others to stay safe. Her first impulse was care, responsibility, connection. In the midst of the turmoil, Fishbein relayed an urgent message from the kibbutz’s group chat to her family, cautioning them: “Hamas terrorists disguised as IDF soldiers are knocking on doors. Please do not open the doors. Protect your lives. Share." From their bunker, her relatives witnessed neighboring homes being stormed and razed. Fortunately, they all emerged unscathed. But Tchelet and her boyfriend Dor were kidnapped by Hamas and murdered en route to Gaza. She was beloved by many. Tchelet and her mom were an important part of a layered support system for others, including lone soldiers near and dear to our Minnesota community. As the family noted, there are more stories than we will ever be able to tell. Even if we spend a lifetime speaking names and preserving memories, there will always be voices interrupted, dreams unfinished, and lives whose full beauty we will never fully know. May Tchelet Fishbein’s memory be a blessing. And may we honor her — and all those whose stories remain unfinished — through the continuous work of being together and truly hearing each other." -- If you like what we do here, please consider joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/c/AskHavivAnything or our Substack at https://havivgur.substack.com/. You can also Buy Me a Coffee at buymeacoffee.com/havivrettiggur. It helps us keep the lights on. Patreon and Substack are also the platforms where you can ask the questions that guide the topics we cover on the podcast, join our great discussions where listeners share news and valuable resources, and take part in our monthly livestreams where Haviv answers your questions live. If you would like to sponsor an episode, please email us at haviv@askhavivanything.com⁠. Musical intro by Adam Ben Amitai.

Putin seems determined 'to make Russia great again' His motivations are difficult to understand but listening to historian Simon Sebag Montefiore might go some way to explaining his think ng. Simon Sebag Montefiore explains the mythic status of this eighteenth century Russian statesman, and military leader Grigory Potemkin. In this conversation recorded in London in 2000 Simon Sebag Montefiore tells David Freeman about practical politics in 18th century Russia and how Potemkin made his way in society with the help of the love of Catherine the Great. Their relationship has been told in films but the way Simon tells the story is probably more gripping and unbelievable. Simon told the story in full in his the books, Prince of Princes, and Catherine the Great and Potemkin, The Imperial Love Affair. Interesting to hear Simon say that Putin read this book and what he learned has informed his political views. This lead to the invasion of Ukraine and a significant incident when Russian troops broke into the crypt of the cathedral in Kherson and removed the bones of Grigory Potemkin. This is history to remember. Putin uses this history to justify his actions.

Increased speculation on a hostage/ceasefire deal, a disturbing account of alleged IDF misconduct in Gaza and the fallout of two shocking attacks on synagogues in Montreal and Melbourne. Plus: a conversation that ranges from Damascus to Limerick and all points in between with historian Simon Sebag Montefiore. Finally Yonit and Jonathan salute a French heroine - and decry the Syrian prisoner who never was. Join our Patreon community - a special Christmas bonus episode coming up this Tuesday! Find us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, Linkedin, YouTube, X) 💛 Become a friend of the pod: Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon 🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.lovable.app/ 📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/ X: https://x.com/unholypod Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social 🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W 🎙️ THE HOSTS Yonit Levi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/ X: https://x.com/LeviYonit LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/ Jonathan Freedland Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social 📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Increased speculation on a hostage/ceasefire deal, a disturbing account of alleged IDF misconduct in Gaza and the fallout of two shocking attacks on synagogues in Montreal and Melbourne. Plus: a conversation that ranges from Damascus to Limerick and all points in between with historian Simon Sebag Montefiore. Finally Yonit and Jonathan salute a French heroine - and decry the Syrian prisoner who never was. Join our Patreon community - a special Christmas bonus episode coming up this Tuesday! Find us on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, Linkedin, YouTube, X) See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re thrilled to bring our Conflicted Community an interview with a guest who we all at Conflicted are great fans of – British historian Simon Sebag Montefiore! Simon is an award winning historian of bestsellers including Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar, Young Stalin, The Romanovs and his most recent work, The World: A Family History. But today we are here to talk with him about the newly updated version of his 2011 book, Jerusalem: The Biography. At the one year anniversary of October 7th, there has never been a better time to discuss the pivotal place of the city of Jerusalem in the story of Israel, Palestine and the current conflict. Thomas, Aimen and Simon discuss the contested nature of the city’s history from antiquity to the modern day – and where the city lives in the imaginarium of each of their religious faiths – Islam, Christianity and Judaism. To listen to more episodes like this one, you’ll need to subscribe to the Conflicted Community. And don’t forget, subscribers can also join our Conflicted Community chatroom, where you can interact with fellow dearest listeners, discuss episodes past and future, get exclusive messages from Thomas and Aimen, ask future Q&A questions and so much more. All the information you need to sign up is on this link: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/ Go to https://surfshark.com/CONFLICTEDPOD and enter the code CONFLICTEDPOD for an extra four months free. Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What does the world look like today? What can explain the many wars currently taking place around the globe? Will conflicts like the one in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinians ever end? How dangerous is the Russian war against Ukraine? To answer these questions, Pedro Pinto interviews Simon Sebag Montefiore in this episode of “It’s Not That Simple”, a podcast by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation. In this episode, Montefiore discusses his latest book The World: A Family History of Humanity , a world history written with the grit of a biography, which uses family, the one thing all humans have in common, to tell the story of humanity, and examines how the current “world disorder” is just the end of “what we thought was the way the world normally worked”, describing this “new disorder” as a “multiplayer computer game” in which an array of continental powers and aspiring superpowers are challenging the United States. Montefiore also addresses Hamas's attack on Israel on October 7th and the war in Gaza, stating that the only way out is a "two-state solution", each with new leaderships. The bestselling author of history and novels, awarded several prizes for his previous books, including Jerusalem: The Biography , Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar and The Romanovs , then expresses his concerns about the danger of nuclear proliferation, before considering the Russian invasion Ukraine and why the West must help the latter in fighting of the former. Finally, Montefiore delves into what might happen if Donald Trump is once again elected President of the United States in the 2024 election, in a conversation well worth listening to. More on this topic Montefiore’s essay in The Atlantic on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Montefiore’s interview on CNN Portugal Montefiore discussing his book The World: A Family History of Humanity at The Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center in New York An interview with Montefiore on The World: A Family History of Humanity Montefiore on “ The Power of Family Dynasties ” An interview with Montefiore about his book Jerusalem: The Biography Catherine the Great and Potemkin, Simon Sebag Montefiore, 2001 Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar, Simon Sebag Montefiore, 2003 Young Stalin, Simon Sebag Montefiore, 2007 Monsters: History's Most Evil Men and Women, Simon Sebag Montefiore, 2008 Jerusalem: The Biography, Simon Sebag Montefiore, 2011 Titans of History, Simon Sebag Montefiore, 2012 The Romanovs 1613–1918, Simon Sebag Montefiore, 2016 The World: A Family History of Humanity, Simon Sebag Montefiore, 2022

The war intensifies with Israel’s ground incursion into Gaza, a Palestinian death toll now estimated to be above 8,000 and still no word on the 240 Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Yonit and Jonathan discuss Benjamin Netanyahu’s tweeted – and then deleted - attempt to divert the blame for Israel’s vulnerability on 7 October to others, the increasing US pressure on Israel over its conduct of the war and the phenomenal volunteer movement that has reshaped Israeli civil society in a matter of weeks. Plus: they talk to Muli Segev, the man behind Eretz Nehederet, the acclaimed TV satire show which has become essential viewing for Israelis, even at a time of war – and to award-winning historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, on why “decolonisation” theory gets the Israel-Palestine conflict so badly wrong. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 💛 Become a friend of the pod: Patreon: https://bit.ly/UnholyPatreon 🌐 Our website: https://unholy-podcast.lovable.app/ 📺 FOLLOW UNHOLY YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGlvtS7As7WHh7YtmU5SMUQ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unholypodcast/ X: https://x.com/unholypod Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/unholypod.bsky.social 🎧 LISTEN TO UNHOLY Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/il/podcast/unholy-two-jews-on-the-news/id1548441108 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2m2UnLfiAyOehtF1bsv98W 🎙️ THE HOSTS Yonit Levi Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonitleviofficial/ X: https://x.com/LeviYonit LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonit-levi/ Jonathan Freedland Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathanfreedland/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jonathanfreedland.bsky.social 📩 Contact: unholy@unholy-media.com 🔗 All links: https://linktr.ee/unholypod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us Fan Mail This interview was recorded live at Blossom Book House, Bangalore. Many years ago I saw a TV commercial that stuck with me. It showed a montage—sepia tinted portraits of older couples, with rather interesting last names: Alois and Klara Hitler Beso Jughashvili and Ekaterine Geladze (Josef Stalin’s parents) Andruta and Marie Ceausescu (parents of Nikolai Ceausescu, the genocidal leader of Romania.) And a few similar others. And then the punchline “If only these people had heard of Trojan condoms.” This commercial spoke a truth—that families are involved and responsible for the good ones and the monsters alike. We have heard much of the campaigns and conquests and cruelties of world leaders and we have read stories of incidents that might have influenced their growing years. But history is rather quiet on the roles their mothers played. Yes, what about Mom? How did Mom mess with their heads? The most definitive record of this truth—that is the family’s role in history—is written by Simon Seabag Montefiore in his book, " The World—A Family History ". Simon’s book opens with the discovery of footprints. In 2013, a storm lashed the coast of eastern England in Norfolk at a village called Happisburg and uncovered these footprints. They found out that these footprints were left behind at least 850,000 years ago by a small group of humans and children— and that is the first evidence of a family. A blurb in Simon’s book says that from the beginning of history through the present, the one thing that humanity has in common is family. The World—A Family History reveals how the family unit has driven history—from the prehistoric homo antecessors of Happisburg to the modern days—the Trump family included. The book has such a huge span. In about 1300 pages it takes us through recorded history as we know it and in a never done before narrative, presents the history of the world through the families that have caused and created history in every corner of the world. This book is nothing short of a modern day epic. To those who have not had the pleasure of reading Simon Sebag Montefiore, let me say that his narrative is not only deep but gripping. And don't let the size of the book fool you. It is unputdownable and call me if it doesn’t go faster than binge-watching Game of Thrones with as much guts, gore and sex. I have been given the honour of bringing to you this prolific and hugely entertaining historian. ABOUT SIMON SEBAG MONTEFIORE Montefiore is the internationally bestselling author of prize-winning books that have been published in 48 languages. Catherine the Great & Potemkin, The Court of the Red Tsar, Young Stalin, Jerusalem: The Biography, and The Romanovs: 1613-1918. He is the author of the Moscow Trilogy of novels: Sashenka, Red Sky at Noon and One Night in Winter. He also wrote Written in History: Letters that Changed the World and Voices of History: Speeches that Changed the World. You can get a special 20% discount at Blossom Book House on Church St in Bangalore. Or you can it order it from them here: The World: A Family History : https://explo.in/3Yy2UxN or better, here: https://explo.in/3XcUP0r . WHAT'S THAT WORD?! Co-host Pranati "Pea" Madhav joins Ramjee Chandran in "What's That Word?!", where they discuss the interesting origins of the word, "CONDOM". WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW? Reach us by mail: theliterarycity@explocity.com or simply, tlc@explocity.com. Or here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theliterarycity Or here: <a href='https://www.instagram.com/expl

This week's guest is the worldwide bestselling historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, and he's joined me to discuss his new book, The World: A Family History . We look into the family and why that is a great lens to look at history, as well as focussing in on a few of the families featured, including Alexander the Great's, the Prophet Mohammed's family, the Romanov family and Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran. We also talk about recent developments in Iran and Ukraine and his musical playlist which is the soundtrack to his book. Links are below. Simon Sebag Montefiore Links The World: A Family History Simon's Playlist on Spotify Simon on Twitter Aspects of History Links Ollie on Twitter Alexander the Great in the Dock - Aspects of History Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

My guest this week is Simon Sebag Montefiore, a dear friend of mine, a famous British historian, novelist, and award-winning author, whose books are published in 48 languages. We talk about books and discuss the unique way he tells history through people's lives and relationships.

Jerusalem is back in the news. Donald Trump announced that the USA is going to recognise it as the capital of Israel. Then again for the last 3000 years it has rarely been out of the news. In this episode we talk to the historian Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of 'Jerusalem: the biography' about this remarkable city. He explains why it is sacred to three religions and why it has so often found itself on the front line of the great conflicts that have shaped the history of the Middle East and the wider world. Audio: Pete Dennis

Historian and novelist Simon Sebag Montefiore joins Paul Smith in the Penguin studio to talk about the final instalment in his Moscow trilogy, Red Sky At Noon. He chooses objects including a machete and a Russian doll as he talks about researching the role of the Russian cavalry in the Second World War, reveals why he loves writing about love, and explains why Donald Trump has a schoolboy crush on Vladimir Putin. #PenguinPodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author of the bestseller, “Jerusalem: The Biography,” Simon Sebag Montefiore speaks of the world's most contested place through the lives of those who created, destroyed, conquered, wrote about and believed in the Holy City of Jerusalem. Series: "Taubman Symposia in Jewish Studies" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 23503]