ABOUT THE LECTURE

The House of War is a sweeping narrative of over 1000 years of confrontation and conflict between the armies of Christendom and those of the Caliphate. Although the headlines, regarding the epic battles and sieges described in the book, are of Christians versus Muslims, the unifying narrative in The House of War reveals a much more complex story of the parallel intra-faith rivalry between Catholics, Greek Orthodox and Protestants, and Arab and Turkish Sunni Muslims, and Persian Shia. In explaining and illuminating this complicated environment, in a readable and accessible manner, the House of War also helps readers better to understand the complexity of the modern Middle East

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Lieutenant General (Retired) Sir Simon Mayall KBE CB

Commissioned into the British Army in 1979 after reading Modern History at Balliol College, Oxford, Sir Simon enjoyed a distinguished career spanning Germany, the Balkans, and the Middle East, holding senior roles including Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Operations) and Defence Senior Adviser Middle East. He was knighted in 2014 and retired in 2015.

Since leaving the Army, Sir Simon has combined his passion for history with deep regional expertise, becoming a sought-after commentator on Middle Eastern affairs. He has authored two acclaimed books: Soldier in the Sand (2020), a personal history of the modern Middle East, and The House of War (2024), examining 1,300 years of confrontation between Christendom and the Caliphate through ten defining sieges and battles.

As an ex-soldier, light aircraft, and glider pilot, Tony has practical experience of both the military and aviation. He brings his talks alive with animated presentations and artwork, which enable the audience to understand what took place, enhanced by having visited many battlefield sites.