Invitation to an evening with Niall Ferguson

Hosted by yours truly: my first event with The Times

There are writers and thinkers whose work I keep track of, ones I try never to miss - and then there’s Niall Ferguson. He is in a class of his own, an historian whose analysis of politics and economics - ours, America’s, China’s - runs deeper than anyone else. I am thrilled that my first event I host in my new role at The Times will be an on-stage conversation with him in June. I’d be even more thrilled if you’d join us.

I’m not sure that any other writer is better informed about the events shaping our times. Niall knows several Trump administration figures (he once introduced me to Steve Bannon). He has sparred with JD Vance; he has met Zelensky and has been to Ukraine pretty much every year since 2010. He was advising Friedrich Merz about German rearmament before his stunning switcheroo. He travels regularly to China and his take on how Xi will handle the tariff wars will be fascinating. When it comes to genuinely global contacts, in seeing and giving the whole-world picture, I’m not sure any writer comes a close second.

The Times is now starting to do more of these events so writers can meet readers (and each other). This used to be my favourite part of my job at The Spectator. It’s at the Cadogan Hall at 6.15pm on Wed 4 June: click here to sign up. And if you read me on Substack (it’s very niche and there’s only a few of us) then do come and say hi!