NEWSLETTER March 2017 THE HISTORY THAT SHAPED US
Dear Traveller, Welcome to our spring newsletter, with all the latest happenings at Historical Trips, including new tours and study days. As I write this, our first tour of the year, Mirrors of the Unseen, is currently visiting Persepolis in the company of the brilliant historian and travel writer, Jason Elliot, whose knowledge of Iran and its people is without equal. We have several new projects in the planning stage with Jason, so do keep an eye out. Among the many highlights in this newsletter are previews of nine of the tours we are running in 2018. I am very excited by Nigel Jones’ history of Italian Fascism, which should prove a brilliant companion to our Face of Evil tour. Elsewhere, Operation Sea Lion, the story of the Nazi plans to invade the UK, should be of interest to anyone who’s been watching SS-GB. Could the Nazis have succeeded? Find out! There
are many more tours to come, including some chosen by you in our recent customer poll, and we will let you know as and when they are finalised. We are also announcing two new study days — one at Dover Castle with Dr Marc Morris, who explains everything you ever wanted to know about castles, and one at the Imperial War Museum with Nigel Jones, who explores the turbulent events of 1917. Personally, I am about to head off on a recce for our Secret Army tour, led by Guy Walters. Travelling from Brussels to Spain, we retrace the route of Allied escapers as they fled over the Pyrenees. These tales will be familiar to many, immortalised as they were by the BBC in series like Secret Army and ‘Allo ‘Allo. I am tour managing this in the autumn so do join us as it’s going to be fantastic.
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10 Days that Shook the World
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We are really looking forward to running our tour programme this year, and I very much hope to catch up with you in 2017.
Michael Ivey Director, Historical Trips
What’s Inside March Into History.................... pg.2 Alternative Histories.................. pg.3 Study Days................................... pg.4 Books From Our Guides........... pg.5 Tours By Month.......................... pg.6 Sneak Peek at 2018..................... pg.8
The Russian Revolution
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Immediately afterwards, I am joining our group in Crete as we retrace the footsteps of Patrick Leigh Fermor and his colleague Stanley Moss on their route from their abduction of German General Kreipe to their eventual escape to Egypt by motor launch. Spring in Crete, exploring its beaches and the beautiful slopes of Mount Ida, in the great company of SOE historian Rod Bailey, with some fantastic food and wine thrown in. Perfect!
Due to overwhelming interest, we’ve decided to bring back our Russian Revolution tour for 2018. Head to our back page, A Sneak Peek at 2018, for more details on the new departure. 1st – 8th May 2018 See our website for more information
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HISTORICAL TRIPS NEWSLETTER
March 2017
Timeline
March Into History
March has always proved a time of great change, and not just when it comes to the seasons...
As is often the case throughout history, many of the events of Marches past have been part of wider goings-on. Join us on tour, and delve in.
March 15th, 44 B.C. Julius Caesar is assassinated in Rome’s Senate Chamber by Brutus and co-conspirators March 5th, 1770 The Boston Massacre occurs at the hand of British soldiers, who open fire on rowdy civilians March 10th, 1876 Alexander Graham Bell makes the world’s first telephone call to his assistant, Thomas Watson
10 Days that Shook the World
March 8th, 1917 The February Revolution (so named for Russia’s use of the Julian calendar) begins with riots in Petrograd, now St. Petersburg March 21st, 1918 The Second Battle of the Somme begins, creating another 500,000 casualties on both sides
The Russian Revolution Join noted historian Neil Faulkner on our centenary tour, examining the last days of Imperial Russia and the first days of revolution. Delve deep into the realities of this little-understood period of history, going beyond the polemics of politicians and propagandists. One hundred years on, walk away with an understanding of the real history and tragedy of Russia’s great, epoch-defining, world-shaking revolution. 30th May – 6th June | £2,795
March 12th, 1938 The Nazis invade Austria, thus marking the beginning of Germany’s planned Anschluss March 13th, 1943 A plot by German army officers to to kill Hitler fails as a planted bomb fails to explode March 24th, 1944 220 British and Commonwealth officers make their Great Escape from Stalag Luft III POW camp March 16th, 1968 American soldiers murder 504 Vietnamese civilians in the My Lai Massacre March 12th, 1999 Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic join NATO less than ten years after exchanging Communist rule for democracy
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Secret Army
The War Walk
The Great Belgian and French Escapes
A Journey Along the Western Front
“Listen very carefully... I shall say this only once”. Behind the humour of the BBC’s popular sitcom ‘Allo ‘Allo lies the fascinating true story of the Allied Escape lines. Alongside Secret War expert Guy Walters, we discover safe houses, explore the foothills of the Pyrenees, and retrace the mountain route taken by those evading capture by the Nazis. 2nd – 7th October, 2017 | £1,995
Our tour of the battlefields of Ypres and the Somme packs a personal punch for Guide Lecturer Nigel Jones — his father served on the staff of Field Marshal Haig, and his uncle was killed near Ypres aged just eighteen. Join him for a reflective journey, examining the lives of generals, poets, and ordinary soldiers alike as we walk the hallowed ground. 8th – 13th October, 2017 | £1,495
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HISTORICAL TRIPS NEWSLETTER
March 2017
From Operation Sea Lion to World Capital Germania A look at alternative histories There’s been an awful lot of talk about the phenomenon of ‘alternative facts’ in the news lately, but what about ‘alternative histories?’ Both might sound like oxymorons, but while we can’t speak for the former, the latter can be a fascinating means of pondering what the world might look like had past plans failed, succeeded, or taken a different turn.
successful. In the imagined Britain of SS-GB, Winston Churchill has been executed, a bomb-ravaged Buckingham Palace is emblazoned with swastikas, and the people live in fear of the brutal SS.
One such event is Operation Sea Lion, or Unternehmen Seelöwe, the proposed Nazi invasion of England, and one of the great ‘might have been’s of history. Of course, it was stopped in its tracks before coming to fruition — but what if it hadn’t been? This is the question that new BBC drama SS-GB aims to answer, taking up the thread of this alternative timeline and weaving it into a chilling vision of how the post-war world could have looked had the operation been
Beginning in Kent, the planned invasion’s epicentre, we join renowned military historian Professor Gary Sheffield in taking a close look at the course of events as they might have played out. Tour RAF bases, castles, and secret locations in pursuit of the truth...
novel The Man in the High Castle also meditates on this hellish outcome. But back in 1937, there were two men utterly convinced of Germany’s place as the future centre of the world...
“As world capital Berlin By the time the But how realistic is this vision? will only be comparable Second World War Could the Nazis was raging across with Ancient Egypt, really have been Europe, Hitler and Babylon, and Rome! What architect Albert successful in their attempt to invade is London, what is Paris Speer were already the UK? As luck deep into their compared to that!” would have it, the plans for ‘World Werner Jochmann: Adolf Hitler people at the BBC Capital Germania’, aren’t the only in which Berlin ones with a penchant for imagining what would be seen as a new Rome. We might have been — you can discover the consider these grandiose plans on our truth on our 2018 Operation Sea Lion Berlin at War tour this October — join tour, which examines what could have WWII expert Roger Moorhouse for a happened on that day in 1940 had the chilling look at the bigger picture as it odds been in the German army’s favour. might have been. Join us in October 2017 for Berlin at War and April 2018 for Operation Sea Lion — give us a call on 01722 713820 to book your place.
Of course, this fascination with an alternate reality in which World War II ended with an Axis victory is certainly nothing new — Philip K. Dick’s 1962
Bespoke Tours Allow us to help tailor-make your perfect tour. You decide on the destination, the duration, and the guests — we do the rest.
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Whether you’re part of a club, society, or school or university alumni association, Historical Trips can put together a perfect tour for you, matching a bespoke itinerary with one of our great Guide Lecturers.
fine wine, delicious food and fabulous accommodation on the cards, it promises to be a historical treat. If it’s an idea that appeals to you, why not get in touch today and start tailoring your next tour?
We are delighted to be running another tour next year (our fourth) for London club, Brooks’s — on it, we retrace the calamitous events that led to the Fall of France in 1940. Accompanied by leading historian James Holland, and with
To find out more, get in touch with us by email on info@historicaltrips.com, or give one of our friendly team a call on 01722 713820 to discuss what we can do.
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HISTORICAL TRIPS NEWSLETTER
March 2017
Study Days We’ve discovered a great many things this year, and one of them is that our guests’ appetite for bite-sized history knows no bounds: that’s why we’ve introduced two brand new study days, as well as reinstating some favourites.
Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace with Dr Suzannah Lipscomb
Agent Garbo and Bletchley Park
Dr Suzannah Lipscomb, a former curator at Hampton Court Palace, leads a full day’s tour at this incredible palace of pleasure, ‘the English Versailles’. Over its course, we trace the stories of Henry’s last four wives through their association with the palace, and take a close look at the nature of court in the time of this infamous monarch. Dr Suzannah Lipscomb is a historian, author, broadcaster, and academic based at New College of the Humanities 19th May | £150
Join Jason Webster as he tells the fascinating story of ‘Agent Garbo’, the most extraordinary double agent of the Second World War. He played a crucial role in safeguarding D-Day and ending the war, and was awarded both a German Iron Cross and a British MBE, thus securing his reputation as the greatest double agent in history. Jason Webster is a historian, author, and frequent contributor to national newspapers 29th September | £125
Everything You Need to Know About Castles with Dr Marc Morris
1917: The Watershed of the Great War with Nigel Jones
What is a castle? And how do they differ from the forms of fortification that preceded and followed them? On this in-depth study day, set in the picturesque environs of Dover Castle, we answer these questions with the expert guidance of Dr Marc Morris, presenter of the acclaimed television series Castle, and author of the accompanying volume. Dr Marc Morris is a historian specialising in the Middle Ages, and has taught at the Universities of London and Oxford. 8th September | £125
1917 was the year that dictated the shape of the Great War’s post-conflict world. With Russia crashing out of the conflict and into Communist revolution, and the USA joining the Allies, the war’s outcome suddenly became clear. Join historian Nigel Jones and author John Taylor in taking a comprehensive look at the year that changed everything. Nigel Jones is a co-founder of Historical Trips and guides many of our Western Front tours. 20th October | £125
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with Jason Webster
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HISTORICAL TRIPS NEWSLETTER
March 2017
Books From Our Guide Lecturers With such a fine group of expert guides, it’s easy to forget that they lead double lives as academics, working historians, and authors, too... Here is our pick of the bunch, each with a link to an exciting upcoming tour.
Mussolini
The War Walk
Nicholas Farrell
Nigel Jones
The Women Who Flew for Hitler Clare Mulley
In this hard-hitting volume, Nick Farrell paints a picture of Il Duce very different to the one with which most of us are familiar — that of a brilliant journalist, shrewd political thinker and master tactician. Controversial, opinionated, and highly spirited, this is a truly remarkable insight into the character of the Italian dictator.
A compelling blend of history and travel writing, peppered with moving personal anecdotes from the conflict’s last surviving veterans, The War Walk is the detailed account of Jones’ pilgrimage to the battlefields of the Western Front, where his father served, and his uncle was killed aged just eighteen.
One was an Aryan poster girl who flew into Berlin-under-siege to save Hitler; the other, a brilliant aeronautical engineer who agreed to provide the transport for the famous Valkyrie assassination plot. Clare Mulley gets to the heart of their searing rivalry, and of a shared passion for flying that bordered on addiction, in this fascinating text.
Catch up with Nick on our 2018 Mafia tour — keep an eye on our website for the full details, to be announced soon.
Nigel will be leading our War Walk tour later this year, and a special 1918 anniversary tour in 2018.
Clare will be leading our Churchill’s Warriors: Women of SOE tour in September 2017.
Douglas Haig: From the The Black Prince Somme to Victory
The Temptation of Elizabeth Tudor
Prof. Gary Sheffield
Michael Jones
Elizabeth Norton
From the Somme to Victory is not Professor Sheffield’s first foray into assessing the character of Douglas Haig, but it is perhaps his most remarkable. Drawing on new scholarship and previously undiscovered private letters, it paints a comprehensive portrait of “the single most controversial general in British history”.
Edward of Woodstock has been known by many monikers: for Jean Froissart he was ‘the flower of all chivalry’; for the Chandos Herald, ‘the embodiment of all valour’; for Michael Jones, in this impressive text, he is ‘the Black Prince’. Get to know the heir of Edward III in all his guises in this accomplished volume.
In the wake of Henry VIII’s death, his 14-year-old daughter Elizabeth finds herself embroiled in controversy. The Seymour Scandal, as it would come to be known, would lead to the creation of the Virgin Queen, a process chronicled in great depth in this extraordinary account of the early Elizabethan years.
Gary will be guiding two First World War trips in conjunction with The Telegraph in 2017, as well as our Operation Sea Lion tour in 2018.
Michael will be leading our joint History & Wine tour Châteaux of the Loire this autumn, in conjunction with Wine Guide Lys Hall.
Elizabeth will be leading our Elizabeth I tour in 2018 — keep an eye on our website for the full details, to be announced soon.
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HISTORICAL TRIPS NEWSLETTER
March 2017
Tours By Month April
October
KIDNAPPING A GENERAL
SECRET ARMY
4th – 10th April | Dr Roderick Bailey Tales of immense courage and daring subterfuge, played out against Crete’s sun-baked landscape.
2nd – 7th Oct | Guy Walters True stories of daring, popularised in Secret Army and ‘Allo ‘Allo, set against the backdrop of the Pyrenees.
Crete and Patrick Leigh Fermor
The Great Belgian & French Escapes
Greece | £2,275 | Availability
Belgium & France | £1,995 | Availability
May
September
THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION
THE LOIRE CHÂTEAUX
31st May – 7th Jun | Dr Neil Faulkner A thorough exploration of the last days of Imperial Russia, and of the revolutions that triggered popular revolt worldwide.
3rd – 9th Sep | Dr Michael Jones The royal residences and historic châteaux of the Loire Valley form the backdrop to our oenological odyssey.
10 Days that Shook the World
Russia | £2,795 | Last few spaces, book now!
June THE FACE OF EVIL
History & Wine
France | £2,445 | Availability
THE MAKING OF A TYRANT
THE WAR WALK
11th – 17th Sep | Dr Suzannah Lipscomb Follow in the footsteps of the man who continues to horrify and fascinate us in equal measure — King Henry VIII.
8th – 13th Oct | Nigel Jones Hear stories of generals, poets, and ordinary soldiers alike as we walk the hallowed ground of the Western Front.
Conspiracy, Heresy & Treason
The Third Reich
10th – 18th Jun | Nigel Jones Trace the rise and fall of the Third Reich, from its beginnings in the beer halls of Munich to its end in Berlin-under-seige. Germany | £2,495 | Availability
UK | £2,795 | Last few spaces, book now!
A Journey Along the Western Front
Belgium & France | £1,495 | Availability
CHURCHILL’S WARRIORS
BROTHERS IN ARMS
28th Sep – 2nd Oct | Clare Mulley Meet the women of Churchill’s Special Operations Executive, and learn of their extraordinary acts of bravery.
14th – 21st Oct | Jason Webster Go further than the sites to the very root of the Spanish Civil War and all its complexities, triumphs, and tragedies.
The Women of SOE
UK & France | £1,495 | Availability
The Spanish Civil War
Spain | £2,495 | Last few spaces, book now!
July LIFE & DEATH IN OCCUPIED POLAND The Final Solution
1st – 8th Jul | Roger Moorhouse Follow the entire course of events, from the opening shots of the war at Gdańsk to the liberation of the death camps. Poland | £1,995 | Last few spaces, book now!
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HISTORICAL TRIPS NEWSLETTER
March 2017
Why Historical Trips? Over to our guests... October
Top-notch guides
BERLIN AT WAR
Destroyed and Rebuilt in a Century
20th – 23rd Oct | Roger Moorhouse Hear of chilling fantasy and grim reality in wartime Berlin — from ‘World Capital Germania’ to the Berliners’ own bunkers. Germany | £1,495 | Availability
November BRITAIN’S GREATEST BATTLE Imphal & Kohima
10th – 19th Nov | James Holland In the hills and jungles of north-east India, Britain and its allies beat back Japan’s advance in a tide-turning battle.
“Simply first class all round! I came home having learnt so much and feeling really happy and that the time on this trip was well spent.” Churchill’s Warriors “The tour was every bit as good as we had anticipated, perhaps even better. Informative, interesting and really enjoyable.” Brothers in Arms
10 10 Neil Faulkner
“Very knowledgeable, very organized, great voice to listen to, very engaged, nice to everybody, ready to discuss any subject, any time.”
Find out why Neil has been awarded a perfect 10 on our Russian Revolution tour
(Nearly) a perfect 10
India | £3,495 | Availability
9.9 10 The Face of Evil
“To describe this trip as very good simply does not to it justice. Every aspect was first class from the itinerary to the hotels and food.”
Find out why The Face of Evil is our highest-rated tour: book your place and join us in June
“Hosted by expert historians, this tour was delivered in style. It is difficult to see how it could be bettered.” The Face of Evil “I am very happy and consider myself to be very privileged to have been on one of your historical trips. The accommodation, food, locations transport and tour guides are second to none.” The Making of a Tyrant
Where in the world can you see yourself next year? Whether your dream destination is Israel’s crusader castles or India’s colonial cities, the châteaux of the Loire or the slopes of the Pyrenees, we can take you there. For availability and information on any of our tours, keep an eye on our website www.historicaltrips.com. Then when the time comes to book your place on tour, give us a call on 01722 713820, or email us at info@historicaltrips.com.
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HISTORICAL TRIPS NEWSLETTER
March 2017
Sneak Peek at 2018 We like to give our guests the opportunity to start thinking about their next Historical Trip as soon as possible — as such, these 2018 tours are all ready to book — simply give us a call on 01722 713820 to register your interest.
Operation Sea Lion
The Russian Revolution City of Dreams
The Nazi Invasion of Britain, 1940 10 Days that Shook the World
A History of Vienna
Consider what could have been on our counterfactual tour, examining the Nazi invasion that nearly was. 13th – 15th April, 2018
Uncover the truth behind one of the most debated, most controversial, and most misrepresented events in history. 1st – 8th May, 2018
A comprehensive historical tour of one of Europe’s greatest cities, from the Habsburgs to the Cold War. 1st – 5th June, 2018
The Face of Evil
The Languedoc
Virginia
The Rise & Fall of the Third Reich
Cathars, Templars, Troubadours & Crusaders
The Old Dominion
From Munich’s beer halls to the Nuremberg trials, join us as we delve into the darkest episodes of German history. 9th – 17th June, 2018
Explore a turbulent past and marvel at Romanesque and Gothic architecture, nestled in wildly varying landscapes. 3rd – 10th September, 2018
Colonisation, revolution, slavery and civil war — discover all this and so much more on our enthralling tour. 15th – 25th September, 2018
Duce!
Brothers in Arms
Jordan
The Rise & Fall of Italian Fascism
The Spanish Civil War
Gain a penetrating insight into Mussolini the man, his regime, and his doctrine, still echoing in contemporary Europe. 1st – 9th October, 2018
Trace the story of the Spanish Civil War across the major cities of Madrid, Barcelona and Toledo. 13th – 20th October, 2018
Romans, Crusaders & Lawrence of Arabia
HISTORICAL
TRIPS
Discover the history of Jordan, featuring the arrival of the Romans, captivating Crusader battles, and T.E. Lawrence. 22nd – 31st October, 2018
The Clock Tower, Oakridge Office Park, Southampton Road, Whaddon, Salisbury, SP5 3HT Call: 01722 713820 • Email: info@historicaltrips.com • www.historicaltrips.com
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