The Middle East Institute is pleased to invite you to the launch of The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East, the newest work from internationally bestselling author and historian Simon Sebag Montefiore.
Spanning 125 years, from the final decades of Ottoman rule to the Trump presidency, The Cauldron traces how empires, revolutions, and wars shaped the region we know today. From Morocco to Iran, Montefiore weaves together stories of kings, revolutionaries, and peacemakers whose decisions continue to define Middle Eastern politics.
Join us for a conversation with the author, moderated by MEI Vice President for Policy Dr. Ken Pollack, on the forces that forged the modern region, and what the past can tell us about its future.
Copies of The Cauldron will be available for purchase, followed by a book signing with the author.
Speakers
Simon Sebag Montefiore is the bestselling author of Jerusalem: The Biography, The Romanovs, and The World: A Family History. His books have been translated into 48 languages and have won numerous awards, including the Costa Biography Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
Dr. Ken Pollack (Moderator) is Vice President for Policy at the Middle East Institute. Dr. Pollack began his career as a Persian Gulf military analyst at the CIA and served twice on the National Security Council, first as Director for Near East and South Asian affairs and then as Director for Persian Gulf affairs.
Ambassador (ret.) Stuart Jones (Opening Remarks) joined MEI as its 18th president in January 2025. Prior to MEI, he served for three decades as a US Foreign Service Officer in the Department of State. His tours included US Ambassador to Iraq (2014-17), during the height of the ISIS crisis, and US Ambassador to Jordan (2011-14). Other foreign tours included Turkey, Egypt, El Salvador, and Colombia. He retired as the Senior Bureau Officer (SBO) for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs, in 2017.
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