Simon Sebag Montefiore’s bestselling narrative histories have transported readers to Tsarist Russia and Ancient Jerusalem. In his latest book, the 1,000-page epic The World: A Family History, he offers a gripping account of human civilization told through the families that have shaped our collective past.
From the Caesars and Khans to the Churchills, Castros and Kennedies, he uncovers global history on a surprisingly intimate scale, linking grand themes of war, migration, religion, plague and technology to the people at the centre of the human drama.
In this spellbinding event, chaired by V&A East director Gus Casely-Hayford, he shares some of their remarkable stories.