A New History of Our Future, with Peter Frankopan

Peter Frankopan is the leading historian who transformed how many of us understand the history of the world with his bestselling book The Silk Roads. Frankopan has long argued that our understanding of history is too focussed on Europe which leads us to mistakenly believe we are living through uniquely turbulent times. Yes in 2026 borders are being challenged, alliances are fracturing and new technologies are transforming the way we live. Yet look back across history and many of today’s shocks begin to seem strikingly familiar.

Take Donald Trump's desire to buy Greenland. It sounds extraordinary, but Frankopan argues that much of the modern United States was created through purchases, annexations and territorial deals. In 1845, Texas was annexed from Mexico making it the 28th U.S. State. And in 1867, The United States bought Alaska from Russia for a sum of $7.2 million. Often what looks like a break with the past instead has historical connections if you look in the right places. And by understanding the past we're able to see where we're heading in the future.

By popular demand, Peter Frankopan returns to Intelligence Squared live at the Barbican this January to reveal the seven historical forces shaping today's world. From Trump’s territorial ambitions and Russia’s war in Ukraine to China’s growing global influence, artificial intelligence and the battle for critical resources, he will draw on his extraordinary depth of knowledge to make sense of the present moment.

Join us live at the Barbican Hall and ask your questions in the audience Q&A.

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