Oct 22

Has America Abandoned Ukraine? With Michael McFaul

Donald Trump’s growing accommodation of Vladimir Putin has raised a stark question: has the US abandoned Ukraine? Conor Boyle speaks to Michael McFaul, former US ambassador to Russia and author of Autocrats vs. Democrats, about what Trump’s approach means for Ukraine, America’s d ... Show More

26m 59s

Oct 20

What Must Burnham Sacrifice To Make Britain Grow? With Michael Gove

Few figures in modern British politics have operated as close to the centre of power as Michael Gove. Over more than a decade in government, he has held some of the most senior offices of state – including Education Secretary, Justice Secretary and Secretary of State for Levellin ... Show More

1h 33m

Oct 18

Why Are People Having Fewer Children Than They Want? With Camilla Cavendish

In England and Wales, the total fertility rate fell to 1.39 children per woman in 2025. More than half of the world’s countries and areas are now below the level at which a population replaces itself without migration. Yet those numbers cannot tell us whether people are freely ch ... Show More

44m 31s

Jun 2025

Faisal I of Iraq: The Making of a King

King Faisal I of Iraq was born in the age of the Ottoman Empire. A key figure in the Arab revolt, his patience, curiosity and diplomacy endeared him to many, including the man who would come to be known as Lawrence of Arabia. But in hindsight, did Faisal drive Arab nationalism or ... Show More

36m 32s

Mar 2023

38. Sykes-Picot: Carving up the Middle-East

3 characters. 2 nations. 1 disastrous deal. The Sykes-Picot agreement is often blamed as the cause for much of the unrest in the Middle-East today, but what was it exactly? Listen as William and Anita are joined by James Barr to discuss this historic agreement to carve up the Mid ... Show More

1 h

Mar 2023

39. Lawrence of Arabia and the Arab Revolt

Often understood through Peter O’Toole’s iconic display, who really was Lawrence of Arabia? His role in the First World War and the Arab Revolt had a defining effect on the Middle-East. Listen as William and Anita are joined by Anthony Sattin to discuss his life. LRB Empire offe ... Show More

59m 30s

Jun 2015

Jordan: Redrawing the Middle East

How did World War One change the face of the Middle East? And, how did this seismic and controversial period shape the century to follow?

49m 53s

Jan 2020

The Birth of the Modern Middle East, with Ted Widmer

At the end of World War I, colonial powers carved up the Ottoman Empire and the reverberations are still being felt today. Historian Ted Widmer discusses the circumstances that led to this fateful episode and why Woodrow Wilson wasn't able to extend his principle of "self-determi ... Show More

30m 14s

Apr 2024

These Times Live: War and Peace in the Middle East

From Houthi ship attacks to the spectre of Iranian aggression, the Middle East seems set to become the next front for violent conflict. Could the turbulent history of the region tell us something about what its future holds? Join These Times’ Tom McTague and Helen Thompson for th ... Show More

48m 38s

Apr 2014

Rise and Fall of Arab Nationalism

Tracing the history of the modern Arab world through some of the great political dreams that have shaped it, from the 19th Century to the Arab Spring. In part two of The Making of the Arab World, Egyptian author Tarek Osman explores the rise and fall of Arab nationalism.

27m 1s

Jan 2018

Who Created ISIS?

Christopher Davidson discusses his book, Shadow Wars: The Secret Struggle for the Middle East. We talk about American and British covert operations in the Middle East, both historically and in contemporary conflicts. We focus particularly on Western support for fundamentalist Isl ... Show More

1h 2m

The Making Of The Modern Middle East: La...