The making of the modern Middle East

Gideon Rachman speaks to historian and author Simon Sebag Montefiore about his new book, The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East. They discuss the forces that shaped the region, from the Ottoman Empire and Ataturk to the ongoing tensions between the US, Israel and Iran. Gideon and Simon examine the region's complexities and interconnectedness and whether lessons from the past can offer a glimpse into the future. CLIP: British Pathé Join us at the FT Weekend Festival on Saturday, September 5 at Kenwood House Gardens in London and spend the day with FT journalists and leading voices across business, politics, economics, culture and the arts. FT podcast listeners can save 10% off tickets with the code FTPODCAST. Click on this link to find out more. Follow Gideon on Bluesky or X @gideonrachman.bsky.social, @gideonrachman Want more? Free links:Israeli settlers besiege Palestinian homesThe exodus from IsraelEgypt deploys jets to UAE as Iran war strains Arab alliancesFar-right Israeli minister advocates killing ‘30 to 40’ Gazans each nightIsrael moves to give police powers in occupied West BankFar-right Israeli minister advocates killing ‘30 to 40’ Gazans each night Subscribe to The Rachman Review wherever you get your podcasts  Presented by Gideon Rachman. Produced by Clare Williamson. Sound design is by Breen Turner. Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.