Simon Sebag Montefiore on need for accessible scholarly work, the question of accuracy in historical TV shows, films

Simon Sebag Montefiore on need for accessible scholarly work, the question of accuracy in historical TV shows, films

"Yes, the research and writing of history is a labour and a pleasure at the same time. I was always fascinated by history and I read history at Cambridge. I had a eureka moment as a young boy when I read about Stalin and Beria at my English boarding school and wanted to study more, which I did. For a long time, I planned one day to write a history of Stalin in a new way, and it took a while to happen. At the same time, I visited Jerusalem as a young boy from the age of four or five, and the city was a part of my family history. I always wanted to write about that city and the Middle East too. So the eureka moments came when I was very young....

"Anyone can write incomprehensible and over-complicated history, but the art and challenge is to research it properly and handle sophisticated and complex ideas but present them with beautiful writing accessible to all readers. Of course, I try to do this, but it is not easy....

"[The historian] sits in his office for hours on end as the candles burn low, he goes on trips to exotic places, he toils for months in dingy archives, his beard becomes long and grey and his eyes bleary... It is all true and there are some days when I cannot work. Wasting time is essential for all writers, I think. So is daydreaming. And travel for stimulation and adventure. All essential."