Author Visit: Ben Macintyre on “The Siege”

The Senior History Society hosted a talk by leading author and historian Ben Macintyre on 26 January.

As engaging a speaker as his page-turning books are to read, he held an audience of 70–80 pupils from SPS and SPGS enthralled as he recounted the 1980 siege of the Iranian Embassy in London. It was also a skilled evocation and analysis of the broader context and impact on how the legend of the SAS was created (the rescue was groundbreakingly broadcast on live TV), on shaping Margaret Thatcher’s premiership (only 6 months old at the time), and on the emergence of Islamic radicalism and the impact of Ayatollah Khomeini’s regime on Arabs both within Iran and across the Middle East.

During a lively Q&A, pupils drew out further insights into Ben’s research methods, his approach to historical storytelling, and the particular challenges of oral history.

The Senior History Society meets weekly and offers a popular forum for pupils to present or lead discussions on historical topics of their choice, alongside occasional visits from external speakers. Upcoming events include a pupil talk on what productions of Swan Lake can reveal about Russian and Soviet history, and a visit from a Cambridge professor to speak on a religious controversy of the 1630s.