Enrichment Guest Lecturers
Longer voyages that include three or more days at sea feature enrichment lectures from a distinguished guest host. These worldly ambassadors are drawn from diverse walks of life — authors, journalists, naturalists, professors and other specialists, and topics may range from politics to the environment, from tribal customs to ancient history. As you sail through the Red Sea, you may hear about the latest discoveries in the Valley of the Kings from a leading Egyptologist, or listen to tales of epic Polynesian migrations on a voyage across the South Pacific, stimulating discussions designed for people who place value on learning and personal growth.
Patrick Allitt, Ph. D., Historian
Patrick Allitt is a graduate of Oxford (1977) who studied American history at the University of California, Berkeley (Ph.D. 1986) and has been a professor at Emory University in Atlanta since 1988
Daniel Agatino, Ph. D., Entertainment Professional, TV Commentator
Daniel Agatino holds a Ph.D. in Communication and a Juris Doctorate of law. He is an experienced entertainment professional who works on both sides of the industry as a lawyer and media personality. Dan is a guest commentator on CNN’s sister network, TruTV and has appeared numerous times on various interview programs
Martin Aronson, Civil Trial Lawyer
Martin Aronson is a litigator in Boston with vast experience as a civil trial lawyer, having tried countless cases before juries in Massachusetts. He is a graduate of Dartmouth College and Boston College Law School. He was managing partner of a Boston firm, White, Inker, Aronson, PC, until 2001.
Rodney Baldwin, Historian, Major NZ Army (Retired)
Major Rodney Baldwin served in the New Zealand Army for 15 years, resigning in 1978 to pursue a career in business. He was an artillery officer in South Viet Nam, serving with three Australian Artillery Regiments, and as a forward fire controller with two Australian Infantry Battalions, and an American Armoured Cavalry Regiment.
Stephen M. Bauer, Colonel US Army (Retd.), Author
Colonel Stephen M. Bauer served longer as a Military Social Aide than anyone in the history of the White House. Under Presidents Nixon, Ford, and Carter, he was responsible for supervising the conduct of numerous social and ceremonial functions for the First Family. He later served under Presidents Reagan and Bush.
R Jay Becker, Bridge Expert
R Jay Becker became a Life Master in 1968, and has won one major National Championship, and countless other major wins at the regional level. He has 8400 master points.
David Bilsland, Chef, Silversea Culinary Trainer
Chef David was educated in classical French cooking at Thames Valley University, completing advanced Chef Diplomas in both Cuisine and Patisserie. He then began his professional culinary career in some of the top establishments in the UK, including the Waldorf Hotel, Langans Brasserie and Stringfellows.
James Bradley, Best-selling Author
James Bradley is the New York Times best-selling author of Flags of Our Fathers, Flyboys and The Imperial Cruise. He is a son of John Bradley, who raised the flag on Iwo Jima. The Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph of that event is the world’s most reproduced photo. Clint Eastwood told the father-son story in his movie, Flags of Our Fathers.
Robert Brier, Ph. D., Leading Egyptologist, Philosophy Professor
Professor Bob Brier received his Ph.D from the University of North Carolina. He is not only one of the nation’s leading Egyptologists, but a brilliant lecturer and storyteller. He is professor of philosophy at the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University and the author of several books.
Bill Bryson, Best-selling Author
Bill Bryson is a best-selling author whose books have sold more than ten million copies and been translated into over 45 languages. His science book A Short History of Nearly Everything won the Aventis Prize of the Royal Society and the European Union's Descartes Prize, the EU's highest literary award.
Henry Bradsher, Journalist, Intelligence Expert
Henry has won American national prizes in two different careers, in journalism during more than two decades as a foreign correspondent and later in intelligence work. After serving overseas as a U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, Henry reported for The Associated Press from India for five years and then was AP bureau chief in Moscow for 4-1/2 years.
Verla Brown, Guest Lecturer and Artist
Verla Brown is an accomplished lecturer and artist who has been specializing in art appreciation lectures and art workshops around the world. Verla’s preferred art medium is oriental brush painting, and she is well known for her “People Around The World” collection.
Eric Burns, Emmy Award-winning Author and Journalist
As an Emmy Award-winning NBC News correspondent, Eric Burns was named one of the best writers in the history of broadcast journalism. As an author, two of his books have been proclaimed the “Best of the Best” by the American Library Association, making him the only non-academic ever to win the award twice.
Alastair Bruce of Crionaich, OBE Author, Broadcaster, Historian
Alastair Bruce is the Royal, Constitutional and Religious Commentator for Sky News, the UK’s premier 24hr satellite news channel.
Dr. Norman Caisse, Astronomer
Norman Caisse’s richly illustrated presentations will take us on a fascinating journey from our own Solar System, through the Milky Way galaxy, and on to the edge of the known Universe.
Jay Christofferson, Marine Biologist
Jay P. Christofferson earned his Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from the University of Utah in 1961, a master's degree in 1964 and Ph.D. in 1970 in zoology from the University of Hawai'i.
Ying Compestine, Author, Asian Cuisine and Culture Expert
A national authority on Asian culture and cuisine, award-winning author and former food editor for Martha Stewart’s Whole Living magazine, Ying Chang Compestine is the author of four cookbooks, including Ying's Best One-Dish Meals, Cooking with Green Tea and Secrets from a Healthy Asian Kitchen.
Laurel Corona, Ph.D., Author and Historian
Laurel Corona has combined her love of writing and teaching for more than three decades. She has taught in the San Diego area since 1975, working first at SDSU then at UCSD, and is currently a professor of Humanities at San Diego City College.
Dr. Peter Crimes, Geologist, Geographer
Dr. Peter Crimes recently retired as Director of the Geography and Geology Honours Department of Liverpool University, which is the largest and one of the most prestigious Earth Science Departments in the European Community.
Marlin Darrah, Film-maker
Marlin Darrah is perhaps the world’s most traveled film-maker. The award-winning executive director of the production company International Film & Video has produced programs in than 140 countries worldwide, yielding more than 70 documentary and travel-adventure programs to date.
Morton Dean, Author, Journalist, Former TV News Anchor
As a correspondent for CBS News and ABC News Mort covered many historic, headline-making stories around the world. He covered the Vietnam War with distinction. Among his other datelines: Cambodia, Thailand, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Great Britain, El Salvador, Peru, Dominican Republic, Jordan, Kuwait, Somalia, Turkey, and Cuba.
Maurice Dodson, Major General NZ Army (Retd.)
Maurice Dodson is a New Zealander who received his military education at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Australia. He graduatedinto the New Zealand Infantry in 1965and served as a Platoon Commander with NZ Infantry in Malaysia and in Vietnam. In Vietnam he was awarded the Military Cross for gallantry.
Dr. Mark H. Elovitz, World Affairs Expert
World class expertise coupled with high class presentation combine to make Dr. Elovitz a first class world affairs commentator. For the past decade, Dr. E. -as he is known to his well-traveled, well-educated and upscale audiences - has been presenting World Affairs Hot Spot lectures to international acclaim.
Lewis Falb, Ph.D. Drama Professor
Lewis W. Falb is a retired college professor and academic administrator. He served as Senior Director of the Division of Arts, Sciences, and Humanities at New York University’s School of Continuing Education. Before that he was Associate Dean of the New School for Social Research as well as Director of Programs in Humanities and Theater.
Lyn Farmer, Wine Expert and Food Writer
A widely published wine and food writer and Senior Editor of The Wine News magazine, Lyn Farmer has been honoured with the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Writing on Wine and Spirits.
Lowell Fox, Comedy Historian
Lowell Fox, creator of the Classic Comedians series, has been referred to as having “an encyclopedic knowledge of 1950's TV comedy and footage to back it all up!” His subjects include legendary comics Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Jackie Gleason and others accompanied by scores of historical photos and the best samples of their humor.
Linda Ferreri, Art Historian and Author
Linda Ferreri is both an art historian and a lawyer. Widely travelled in the Mediterranean, she is a graduate of Duke University and New York University. Later entering the legal profession, she served as general counsel of The J. Paul Getty Trust in Los Angeles and subsequently as vice president and general counsel of Christie's in New York.
Howard Franklin, Royal Historian, Designer
Howard Franklin is an accomplished and highly respected speaker on British Heritage, the Stately Homes and Gardens of Britain, and the British Monarchy and their Royal Palaces.
Michael Freedland, Journalist, Broadcaster and Author
Michael Freedland says he is more of a story-teller than a lecturer. His usual style is to sit on a stool and talk. “I think it is presumptuous for me to say I am lecturing on the subjects I have chosen".
Ed Gilbertson, Motorsports Expert
Ed Gilbertson is a lifelong motorsports enthusiast who has owned many significant Italian and British sports cars, as well as American and British motorcycles. He has been actively involved in concours judging for 34 years and is a noted authority on judging procedure, proper preservation, and correct restoration.
Martyn Green, Travel Writer, Photographer
Martyn Green has been travelling since the day he joined the Royal Air Force as a technical apprentice aged sixteen. Now a travel writer and photographer with the International Press Association, he has lectured about ships’ destinations on seven world cruises and on numerous shorter voyages on six continents – seven, including Antarctica.
Captain Richard Hayman, Mariner and Author
An adventurer who has sailed the seven seas and dozens of rivers in various vessels – from sea schooners in the Pacific to kayaks in the Amazon to icebreakers in Antarctica – Captain Richard Hayman is a true world explorer.
Larry Herson, Ph.D., World Affairs Expert
Dr. Lawrence Herson is Professor Emeritus and former Dean at The Ohio State University. Educated at Northwestern and Yale, Dr. Herson has an undergraduate degree in Science and three graduate degrees: Asian Philosophy, World Religions (including Islam, Buddhism and Hinduism) and Political Science.
Denise Heywood, Author, Journalist and Photographer
Denise Heywood is an author, journalist and photographer, who has lectured at universities throughout Britain, as well as in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and Europe. Most recently she returned from Cambodia, where she worked as a journalist for three years.
Brian Hoey, Author, Broadcaster and Monarchy Expert
Brian Hoey is an author and broadcaster who has written 26 books about the British Royal Family including the official biography of HRH The Princess Royal and the official history of the Royal Yacht Britannia. He also wrote the first guide to Buckingham Palace when it opened to the public in 1993.
Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman, Historian
Elizabeth Cobbs Hoffman is the Dwight E. Stanford Professor of History at San Diego State University. She is the author of The Rich Neighbor Policy: Kaiser and Rockefeller in Brazil (Yale 1992) and All You Need is Love: The Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s (Harvard 2000).
David Horner, Historian
Professor David Horner is one of Australia’s leading historians. Currently Professor of Australian Defence History at the Australian National University, he is Australia’s premier military historian with an international reputation for military history and strategic analysis, although his expertise also ranges across Australian and international history.
Carol Howland, Journalist, Vietnam Expert
Carol Howland is the author of three books on Vietnamese culture and history: Dragons on the Roof -- A Year in Vietnam, Hanoi of a Thousand Years and Secrets of Hoi An -- Vietnam's Ancient Port, published in Hanoi. She has also written a guidebook, Globetrotter Travel Guide to Vietnam, now in its sixth edition.
Sharon Hudgins, Author, Food Expert
Sharon Hudgins is an award-winning author and food/travel writer who has also worked as a university professor, lecturer on international tours, book and magazine editor, newspaper and magazine food columnist, freelance journalist, filmmaker, and photographer.
Terry Hughes, Award-winning Producer, Director
Terry Hughes was Head of BBC TV Variety during what has been described as the "golden years", overseeing production of such shows as Morecambe & Wise and The Two Ronnies. In the US, he directed hit shows such as The Golden Girls.
Philip Hurst, Historian, World Affairs Expert
Former Deputy Director of The Australian Institute of International Affairs in Canberra and Counsel at The World Bank, Philip Hurst is a prominent Anglo-Australian international and constitutional lawyer, lecturer and writer.
Georgeanne Irvine, Author, Conservationist
San Diego native Georgeanne Irvine has devoted more than three decades of her career to raising awareness about animals and wildlife conservation. By day, she is associate director of communications/development for the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park, where she has worked for more than 33 years.
Jean-Pierre Isbouts, Ph. D., Art Historian, Musicologist
Art historian and musicologist Dr. Jean-Pierre Isbouts is Humanities Professor at Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, an award-winning filmmaker, and the author of numerous publications on the art history and archaeology of the Mediterranean.
Andrew Johnson, Author, Cultural Observer
Andrew Johnson is an international corporate executive with a high reputation for leading change in a multi-cultural environment. He worked in the international travel industry followed by 20 years in the auto clubs, including Chief Executive, coordinating the activities of the clubs in 38 European markets.
Bernard Kalb, Veteran Journalist, Media Critic and Author
Bernard Kalb is a veteran journalist, media critic and author. He was the founding anchor and a panelist on the weekly CNN program Reliable Sources for a decade. He traveled the globe for more than three decades as a correspondent covering world affairs for CBS News, NBC News and The New York Times.
Reed Kaestner, Award-winning Photographer
For the past 30 years, Reed Kaestner has been taking photographs that have graced the covers of inflight magazines, appeared on billboards, been used in thousands of brochures, books, and advertisments around the world, and recently an image of his was seen 6,000,000 times in one day!
Dr. Herb Keyser, Author, World Traveler, Music Expert
Dr. Herb Keyser is a man of many talents - doctor, author, traveler, lecturer, musician. He was co-chairman of the Ob-Gyn department at one of the largest hospitals on Long Island. He also served as a Lt. Colonel in the United States Army Medical Corps during the war in Vietnam.
Pat Kramer, Author, Photographer
A researcher, photographer, author, and professional speaker, Pat Kramer has designed a dynamic series of picture- and sound-filled presentations for our cruise.
Sue Krisman, Writer, Broadcaster, Music Expert
Sue Krisman is a writer who was born in Portsmouth, England, as was her hero Charles Dickens. She grew up there with a great love for the sea and for books and writing. She became Creative Writing Fellow at Reading University in England.
Dr. Jerry Labriola, Forensic Pathologist
After his first exposure to forensic pathology while serving in the U.S. Navy, Dr. Jerry Labriola practiced medicine for 35 years and was an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut Medical School. A Yale graduate and former Chief of Staff at a major teaching hospital, he also served as state senator.
Brian Latell, Ph.D., Latin America, Caribbean Expert
Brian Latell has been a Latin America and Caribbean specialist for more than four decades. During his 35 years of service in the CIA and the National Intelligence Council he advised White House and other ranking American officials and members of Congress on Latin American developments
Dr. George Losey, Marine Biologist
A Professor of Zoology and Marine Biology at the University of Hawaii, Mark received his Ph.D. at Scripps Institution of Oceanography and has studied the behavior and ecology of marine animals throughout the world.
Gerald Lucas, Geologist
Gerry Lucas has traveled the world and lectured extensively on cruise ships. He is a senior lecturer at a British university teaching and researching topics in geology, satellite image analysis and geographical information systems
Dr. Anthony P. Maingot, Caribbean Expert
Anthony P. Maingot is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Florida International University in Miami. He has also taught at Yale University where he was Director of the Antilles Research Program and at the University of the West Indies, Trinidad.
Philip Martin, Ph.D., Economist
Philip Martin earned a Ph.D. in Labor and Agricultural Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1975. He is Professor of Agricultural and Resource Economics at the University of California-Davis and chair of the University of California's Comparative Immigration and Integration Program.
The Revd. Richard Martin, Historian, Theologian
The Reverend Richard Martin obtained his Master of Arts degree in Modern History from St. John's College, Oxford, after school in London, and went on to teach History and English for ten years at Harrow School. He was ordained as an Anglican priest in 1985 and became Chaplain and Head of Theology at Magdalen College School, Oxford.
Dr. Rosanne Martorella, Cultural and Political History Expert
Dr. Rosanne Martorella has been a Professor of Sociology at William Paterson University, and popular speaker. Her lectures focus on the relationship between art and society, detailing the cultural and political history of a country.
Greg Mattson, Ph.D Diplomat, Historian
Greg Mattson is a retired Senior Foreign Service Officer and PhD historian. His overseas postings totaled some 25 years as a political officer and senior manager of five US embassies.
Terence McKnight, Rear Admiral, US Navy (Retired)
Rear Admiral Terence E. McKnight, USN (RET), graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in May 1978. He completed his master's degree in International Relations at Salve Regina University in May 1998. He also graduated from the U.S. Army War College in 1994 and attended the National Security Seminar at Syracuse University in 2001.
Bill Miller, "Mr. Ocean Liner"
Bill Miller is considered an international authority on the subject of ocean liners & cruise ships. This includes those great ships of the past, those “floating palaces,” as well as the current generation of cruise ships, the “floating resorts”. Called “Mr. Ocean Liner,” he has written over 65 books on the subject:
Eric Moody, Retired British Airways Captain, Aviation Expert
Eric Moody started his career in 1965 where he flew long-haul airplanes for BOAC and its successors British Airways. He flew for nearly 32 years. He obtained a Command in 1976 and retired in 1996 as a Senior Boeing 747 Captain having flown a total of 17,000 career hours.
Richard Nurick, Wine Expert
Richard Nurick started in the wine trade in 1959 following Military Service and University. He joined a London Wholesale company selling wines to hotels, clubs and restaurants and was promoted London Sales Director taking particular interest in champagne and the West End of London
Mike O'Brien, Historian, Major General Aus. Army (Retd.)
Major General Mike O'Brien graduated from Australia’s Royal Military College, Duntroon and served as a platoon commander and intelligence officer in the Vietnam War. He later wrote the history of his battalion that was published in 1995 and short-listed for a British military history prize.
Magdalena Paleczny-Zapp, Ph.D., Historian
Dr. Magdalena Paleczny-Zapp is full-time associate professor of international business and management and a chair of the business department at Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Dr. Scott Pearson, International Relations Expert
A Havard Ph.D. economist, Dr. Pearson taught economic development and international trade at Stanford University. Scott has co-authored a dozen books, written numerous articles and won several awards for his research and teaching.
Gerald Pinciss, Ph.D. English Professor
Gerald M. Pinciss is Professor Emeritus of English at Hunter College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He was a Leopold Schepp Fellow at Dartmouth College and received his PhD at Columbia with a William Bayard Cutting dissertation fellowship.
Fred Plotkin, Renaissance Man
Fred Plotkin discovered the concept of "The Renaissance Man" as a small child and has devoted himself to pursuing that ideal as the central role of his life. He is an expert on everything Italian, the person other so-called Italy experts turn to for definitive information.
Diana Preston, Author and Historian
Diana Preston is a writer with a special interest in the history of exploration. Her many books include A Pirate of Exquisite Mind, about the buccaneer William Dampier, who sailed the Indonesian islands in the 17th century and inspired Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, and A First-Rate Tragedy: Robert Falcon Scott and the Race to the South Pole.
Rick Ray, Film-maker
Award-winning cinematographer, writer, editor and director Rick Ray has produced numerous films with titles that include Raise the Bamboo Curtain with Martin Sheen, the highly regarded The Soul of India, and the award-winning film 10 Questions For The Dalai Lama.
Patricia Remler, Art Historian, Author
Patricia Remler is an author, photographer, and art historian. She was the Researcher for four documentaries - the three-part Pyramids, Tombs, and Mummies, the six-part series The Great Egyptians, the one hour Napoleon's Obsession: The Quest for Egypt, and the three-part series Unwrapped, The Mysterious World of Mummies.
Steven Rivellino, Broadway Producer
Steven Rivellino is one of the leading Executive Producers and General Managers in the theatrical and entertainment industries. The former Vice President and General Manager of New York's Radio City Music Hall, his projects span Broadway, Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
Bill Rothschild, Engineer, Space Travel Expert, Ex-USAF
Bill Rothschild has 43 years of experience in the aerospace industry involving project management, systems engineering, and rocket systems development and testing. Bill is currently working as a consultant for both NASA and the U.S. Air Force, after retiring as Boeing’s Director of Engineering Operations for the Space Exploration Division.
Dr. Andrew J. Pierre, International Relations American Foreign Policy Expert
Andrew J. Pierre is a well-known expert in International Relations and American Foreign Policy, who will join the U.S. Institute of Peace in October 2010 to write a book on nuclear non-proliferation. Earlier he taught at the School of Foreign Service of Georgetown University and served as a consultant to the U.S. Departments of State and Defense.
Chris Ritchie, Vice Admiral, Royal Australian Navy (Retd.)
Chris Ritchie retired from the Royal Australian Navy as the Chief of Navy in July 2005. In the course of his career, he qualified as a Principal Warfare Officer and commanded three ships including HMAS Brisbane during the Gulf War of 1991.
Angela Schneider, Historian, Musician
Angela Schneider holds degrees in music and history from the Aachen School of Music and is currently a violist with the Vancouver Symphony. Since 1990, she has been involved in the popular, new field of culinary history, which studies the ways in which food has shaped social, cultural and political history.
Rick Senat, Film Industry Expert
A 40-year film industry veteran, Rick was a Senior Business Affairs Executive for Warner Brothers for 25 years. He has worked with many prominent filmmakers and is associated with several important films including the Harry Potter franchise, Greystoke, Batman and Superman.
Joan Root, Painter/Printmaker and Art Historian
Joan Root is both a painter/printmaker and an art historian. She has taught painting and drawing as well as art history for more than twenty-five years. Formerly based in New York, she now resides in Washington, DC. In New York, she taught at The New York Academy of Art, New York University, The School for Visual Arts, and Stern College.
Jon Sigurdsson, Geologist, Photographer, Iceland Expert
Jon has a degree in Geology from the University of Iceland, and his credentials include: The Science Institute, University of Iceland 1990-1994, various courses about Geology, Mineralogy and Environmental issues in Iceland, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the USA.
Adrian Sindall, Former British Ambassador
Ambassador Adrian Sindall is a former senior British diplomat. During his Foreign Service career Adrian served as British Ambassador to Syria, as British High Commissioner to His Majesty The Sultan of Brunei and as a senior policy advisor on South America, Antarctica and the Falkland Islands.
John Stackhouse, Author, Journalist, Historian
Dr. John G. Stackhouse, Jr. is an award-winning historian and journalist. He holds the Sangwoo Youtong Chee Chair at Regent College, an internationally-recognized graduate school affiliated with one of Canada's premier universities, the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver.
Marlene Strauss, Art Historian
Marlene Barasch-Strauss is an art historian whose lectures are featured regularly at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Mrs. Strauss speaks frequently at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, The Art Institute of Chicago and for many museums and organizations.
Joe Snyder, Former Diplomat and World Affairs Expert
Joe Snyder was a diplomat with the U.S. State Department Foreign Service for thirty years. He served at diplomatic offices in Thailand, Iran, Taiwan, Malaysia and Austria, as well as in Washington.
Andrew Steigman, Former US Ambassador
Andrew L. Steigman, from Bethesda, Maryland, is Associate Dean at the School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, where he works with the undergraduate program and teaches a course on international negotiation.
Richard Tallboys, Former British Ambassador
Richard Tallboys was British Ambassador to Vietnam from 1985 to 1987. He had a long and distinguished diplomatic career, spread across six continents. During his 20 years as a member of Her Majesty’s Diplomatic Service Richard was decorated twice by Queen Elizabeth.
Charles Troy, Musical Theatre Historian
Charles Troy’s B.A. in English is from the University of Michigan, where he wrote the lyrics for an award-winning revue celebrating the school's sesquicentennial. During the time he obtained his M.A. from New York University, he was an early member of Lehman Engel's BMI Musical Theatre Workshop.
Jeff Turner, Aviation Expert, Retired Airline Captain
Jeff Turner spent 34 years in commercial aviation - nine with British Airways and then 25 with Cathay Pacific based in Hong Kong. He retired in 2002 with 16,500 hours on big jets, Boeing 707, Lockheed 10-11and Boeing 747.
Terry Waite, Hostage Negotiator, Humanitarian
As envoy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Terry Waite successfully negotiated the release of hostages in Iran and Libya during the 1980s. In 1987, negotiating the release of hostages in Beirut, Waite was himself taken hostage and held in captivity for 1,763 days.
Captain William Wells, Maritime Historian
Promoted to Captain by the age of 28, William Wells then became a Trinity House licensed pilot in the Port of London operating between Gravesend and London Bridge. During his career as a pilot he also served in the Middle East and the Bahamas where he regularly handled many of the world’s largest ships.
Nigel West, Intelligence Historian
Nigel West is a renowned military historian specializing in intelligence, counterintelligence, and security issues. His many books include At Her Majesty's Secret Service: The Chiefs of Britain's Intelligence Agency, MI6, the Historical Dictionary of World War II Intelligence, and the Historical Dictionary of Ian Fleming’s James Bond.
Stefan White, Travel, Gardening, Wine and Golf Expert
Stefan White is a young-at-heart and healthy 69 year old Englishman, married and recently retired from a successful entrepreneurial business career. His interests include golf, wine, gardening and travel.
Elizabeth Whitin Kiritani, Journalist, Japanese Culture Expert
Elizabeth Whitin Kiritani is a journalist based in Tokyo with a seven-year running, weekly column for the largest newspaper in Japan, the Yomiuri Shimbun, and the recipient of the Nihon Bungei Taisho Award for Journalism for her book “Vanishing Japan".
Colin Williams, Globalisation and World Affairs Specialist
Colin is a graduate of the University of Bristol and a Chartered Accountant who has travelled the world extensively. Working for a number of years with an international firm of accountants and subsequently as a tax consultant he has seen how, in the modern age, globalisation affects the lives of each of us on a daily basis.