Avi Shlaim was born in Baghdad and grew up in Israel. He is now a professor of international relations at St Antony's College, Oxford. His books include the critically acclaimed The Iron Wall and he writes regularly for the Guardian, Middle East Eye, and other outlets.
Neil Shah is an Audie Award-nominated narrator and AudioFile Earphones Award winner who has recorded over one hundred audiobooks. A classically trained actor with an MFA from the Old Globe/University of San Diego program, Neil has appeared off-Broadway and on regional stages, as well as in film and television.