The Cauldron
At your speed≈ 10½ hrs
Pages529
Audiobook≈ 17½ hrs
Every reading time on the site updates to your pace. Page counts are an estimate, so treat the hours as a good guide, not a stopwatch.
529 pages works out to roughly 159,000 words. At an average 250 words a minute that is 10½ hrs — a week or more of evenings.
No Worth-it score yet. Too new to score — fewer than 10 readers have rated it on Hardcover so far. How the score works →
How long does it take to read The Cauldron?
The Cauldron is 529 pages, or roughly 159,000 words. How long that takes depends on how fast you read:
| Your pace | Words per minute | Time to finish |
|---|---|---|
| Slow | 175 | 15 hrs |
| Average | 250 | 10½ hrs |
| Fast | 400 | 6½ hrs |
Estimated at about 300 words per page. Most adults read between 200 and 300 words a minute — set your own pace and every time on the site adjusts. Prefer to listen? At a typical narration pace of 150 words a minute the audiobook runs about 17½ hrs — an estimate from the word count, since narrators vary.
Common questions
- How long does it take to read The Cauldron?
- About 10½ hrs at an average reading speed of 250 words per minute. The Cauldron runs 529 pages, roughly 159,000 words — so at a slower 175 wpm it is nearer 15 hrs, and at 400 wpm closer to 6½ hrs.
- How many pages is The Cauldron?
- 529 pages, which is about 159,000 words and 10½ hrs of reading. Editions vary, and only Google Books lists a page count for it, so treat it as approximate.
- Is The Cauldron worth reading?
- What we can tell you for certain is the cost: 529 pages and about 10½ hrs of your time, or 6½ hrs if you read quickly. Whether that is worth it depends on the hours you have.
- How long is The Cauldron audiobook?
- About 17½ hrs, estimated from the 159,000 words at a typical narration pace of 150 words a minute. Real editions vary by narrator, usually by well under an hour.
From the publisher
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER • An essential guide to the making of the modern Middle East from 1900 to the present: a spellbinding history by the New York Times bestselling author of Jerusalem and The Romanovs "Superb. . . .…
The Cauldron is a triumph of blood-and-thunder narrative history.” —The Wall Street Journal Renowned historian Simon Sebag Montefiore wades into the ideological battles and geopolitical tensions of the Middle East with a comprehensive and nuanced chronicle that situates the region in the context of its last one hundred and twenty-five years. Few understand the real history of the Middle East; fewer still understand its variety and cosmopolitanism, its complexity and interconnectedness. The Cauldron is a fresh and unique survey of the region in all its diversity. Taking the reader on a spectacular journey from the Ottoman sultanate to the Trump presidency, from Morocco to Iran, this is a dazzling panorama of faith and fanaticism, creativity and tolerance, dictatorship and democracy brought to life by an extraordinary cast of kings, warriors, poets, terrorists, and peacemakers. With his signature style of voice-driven history that made Jerusalem a national bestseller, Montefiore reveals a stunning portrait of the world we have inherited and interrogates the prevailing historical narratives. This is the essential story of how the Middle East of 1900 led to the Middle East of today—and tomorrow.
Readers also loved
528 pages · not widely rated yet
622 pages · 4.47★ on Hardcover
1458 pages · 4.23★ on Hardcover