Using James Barr's recent book Lords of the Desert as a starting point, Alex von Tunzelmann and James Barr will discuss how, in the decades after the Second World War, Britain and the United States competed for influence in the Middle East.

Alex von Tunzelmann read Modern History at University College, Oxford, and now lives in London. She is the author of four books and writes drama for film and television. She writes the occasional column Reel History at The Guardian.

James Barr has worked in politics, at the Daily Telegraph, in the City, at the British Embassy in Paris, and is currently a visiting fellow at King's College, London. He read modern history at Oxford has travelled widely in the Middle East. His previous book, A Line in the Sand, is also available from Simon & Schuster