Simon Montefiore

Dec 13, 2024 | airmail.news | Simon Montefiore

The rise and fall of the House of Assad is the story of Syria and the Arab world over the past century. At its most fundamental it is about a family and power. At its height, the Assads resembled a royal family, courted by American and British leaders, praised for their wisdom, authenticity, anti-Western radicalism and glamour by Western academics, activists and progressives — and even Vogue magazine.

Dec 9, 2024 | standard.co.uk | Simon Montefiore

Syrian nationals who fled to the UK since the civil war began in 2011 have said they are planning to return home, while jubilant demonstrators gathered in Piccadilly Circus, central London last weekend to celebrate the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, chanting and waving Syrian flags. The Assad regime was notorious for its extreme cruelty and routine use of torture and state killing, as well as its savage attempts to suppress campaigners for democracy and freedom.

Dec 9, 2024 | thetimes.com | Simon Montefiore

The rise and fall of the House of Assad is the story of Syria and the Arab world over the past century. At its most fundamental it is about a family and power. At its height, the Assads resembled a royal family, courted by American and British leaders, praised for their wisdom, authenticity, anti-western radicalism and glamour by western academics, activists and progressives — and even Vogue magazine.

Dec 8, 2024 | thefp.com | Simon Montefiore

In Qardaha, in the Alawite lands of Latakia on the Mediterranean, stands the sumptuous and pristine marble mausoleum worthy of an Arab monarch. It is here the founder of the brutal Assad dynasty, Hafez al-Assad, is buried in magnificence. Assad was not the original family name. Hafez’s father was a powerful character known as Ali Sulayman al-Wahhish—the al-Wahhish meaning the wild beast—for his strength. He had eleven children; Hafez was his ninth child.

Oct 28, 2024 | ft.com | Simon Montefiore

“God forgive me,” said Augustus the Strong, elector of Saxony and king of Poland, as he lay dying, “my entire life was one sin.” Augustus...