Simon Sebag Montefiore

So we simply have to challenge these orthodoxies and challenge them aggressively rather than doing what we've done for the last 25 years, which is abandon them for the reason that we felt that these people were somehow virtuous.

So we simply have to challenge these orthodoxies and challenge them aggressively rather than doing what we've done for the last 25 years, which is abandon them for the reason that we felt that these people were somehow virtuous.

When I was brought up, and I know I'm speaking to at least a partly Jewish audience here, my mother was always most concerned about me eating properly and sleeping. And every time I tried to write a big book, I went to my mother and said, How am I going to write it? And I did with this book. I did with my later books, too. And I went to him. I said, I've signed up to write a history of Jerusalem.

When I was brought up, and I know I'm speaking to at least a partly Jewish audience here, my mother was always most concerned about me eating properly and sleeping. And every time I tried to write a big book, I went to my mother and said, How am I going to write it? And I did with this book. I did with my later books, too. And I went to him. I said, I've signed up to write a history of Jerusalem.

When I was brought up, and I know I'm speaking to at least a partly Jewish audience here, my mother was always most concerned about me eating properly and sleeping. And every time I tried to write a big book, I went to my mother and said, How am I going to write it? And I did with this book. I did with my later books, too. And I went to him. I said, I've signed up to write a history of Jerusalem.

And I want it to, I don't just want it to be a Jewish history. I don't just want it to be a Zionist history. I want it to be an Arab history, a Christian history, a Maronite history, a Georgian church history, Armenian, everything. All of those peoples, Babylonians, Ottomans. And my mother looked at me for a while back, for a while, and she said, but you need your sleep.

And I want it to, I don't just want it to be a Jewish history. I don't just want it to be a Zionist history. I want it to be an Arab history, a Christian history, a Maronite history, a Georgian church history, Armenian, everything. All of those peoples, Babylonians, Ottomans. And my mother looked at me for a while back, for a while, and she said, but you need your sleep.

And I want it to, I don't just want it to be a Jewish history. I don't just want it to be a Zionist history. I want it to be an Arab history, a Christian history, a Maronite history, a Georgian church history, Armenian, everything. All of those peoples, Babylonians, Ottomans. And my mother looked at me for a while back, for a while, and she said, but you need your sleep.

I mean, you're never going to be able to write this book. And I said, well, what shall I do then? And she said, Simon, give the money back and don't write the book. But I did write it, and she lived to see me write this book. And it's extremely difficult. But the moment, I guess, and what keeps me up is the conundrums and the dilemmas of the democracies at the moment.

I mean, you're never going to be able to write this book. And I said, well, what shall I do then? And she said, Simon, give the money back and don't write the book. But I did write it, and she lived to see me write this book. And it's extremely difficult. But the moment, I guess, and what keeps me up is the conundrums and the dilemmas of the democracies at the moment.

I mean, you're never going to be able to write this book. And I said, well, what shall I do then? And she said, Simon, give the money back and don't write the book. But I did write it, and she lived to see me write this book. And it's extremely difficult. But the moment, I guess, and what keeps me up is the conundrums and the dilemmas of the democracies at the moment.

Because to go back to what you were saying, This isn't the 30s. This isn't 1914 either. History doesn't repeat itself. Even despite Hegel and Marx's great joke about it, history plays out as tragedy and then as comedy or farce. But actually, history doesn't follow linears or lovely parabolas History exists in spurts and spasms and contingencies, and history rebounds. One commandeers its story.

Because to go back to what you were saying, This isn't the 30s. This isn't 1914 either. History doesn't repeat itself. Even despite Hegel and Marx's great joke about it, history plays out as tragedy and then as comedy or farce. But actually, history doesn't follow linears or lovely parabolas History exists in spurts and spasms and contingencies, and history rebounds. One commandeers its story.

Because to go back to what you were saying, This isn't the 30s. This isn't 1914 either. History doesn't repeat itself. Even despite Hegel and Marx's great joke about it, history plays out as tragedy and then as comedy or farce. But actually, history doesn't follow linears or lovely parabolas History exists in spurts and spasms and contingencies, and history rebounds. One commandeers its story.

It ricochets. It flies around and comes back and hits you. So there are no rules in history, which is why historians never, and CIA agents, never predict the great events of history, whether it's the 7th of October or the fall of the Shah or whatever. But... What keeps me awake is one is the dilemma of the West, the battle of the systems that we are now fighting. And that is what we are.

It ricochets. It flies around and comes back and hits you. So there are no rules in history, which is why historians never, and CIA agents, never predict the great events of history, whether it's the 7th of October or the fall of the Shah or whatever. But... What keeps me awake is one is the dilemma of the West, the battle of the systems that we are now fighting. And that is what we are.

It ricochets. It flies around and comes back and hits you. So there are no rules in history, which is why historians never, and CIA agents, never predict the great events of history, whether it's the 7th of October or the fall of the Shah or whatever. But... What keeps me awake is one is the dilemma of the West, the battle of the systems that we are now fighting. And that is what we are.

And in that sense, it is like the 30s when you had democracies versus totalitarianism. But it's also like 1914 where you had the two camps, the two armed camps, or the Cold War. So in all these cases, and there are many, many other examples of this, we are now in a battle of systems. And our system needs to win.

And in that sense, it is like the 30s when you had democracies versus totalitarianism. But it's also like 1914 where you had the two camps, the two armed camps, or the Cold War. So in all these cases, and there are many, many other examples of this, we are now in a battle of systems. And our system needs to win.

And in that sense, it is like the 30s when you had democracies versus totalitarianism. But it's also like 1914 where you had the two camps, the two armed camps, or the Cold War. So in all these cases, and there are many, many other examples of this, we are now in a battle of systems. And our system needs to win.