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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:    Despina Gakopoulos            (617) 457-5502
                pr@roadscholar.org
Road Scholar Welcomes History Enthusiasts on an Eight-day Learning Adventure in Cambridge and Moscow for an Inside Look at the Cold War

BOSTON, March XX, 2008 - From Cambridge, England, to Moscow, Russia, from the “Cambridge Five” to Gary Powers to the recently murdered Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, trace the trail of diplomacy and intrigue from the height of the Cold War to the global chess match with Russia today. On August 14 – 23, 2008, Road Scholar will take enthusiasts behind the Iron Curtain to experience a one-time summit into the workings of the Cold War.

Road Scholars will explore the history of the Cold War and its manifestations to examine British and American-Russian relationships throughout its duration and beyond. They will follow the path of the infamous Cambridge Five in England and Russia and delve into recent events that suggest the Cold War has new dimensions in today’s Russia.

Highlights of the week include in-depth briefings by intelligence professionals (from both sides of the Cold War) who are knowledgeable about the "inside details" of operations. Study leader Nigel West, author of VENONA and other respected books on security, intelligence and espionage, leads the program and takes Road Scholars behind the curtain of Cold War intelligence and espionage.

Road Scholars will learn firsthand about the KGB's roundup of U.S. agents in Russia, including America's great spy, Adolf Tolkachev. They will also hear about the more recent death of Alexander Litvinenko from a Russian consultant to the BBC’s Panorama program.

Participants will explore Cold War materials from the collection at the Churchill Archives Centre and go behind the scenes at Bletchley Park, where code breakers decrypted and interpreted Axis messages and broke the German Enigma Code during World War II.

Hidden spy sites in Cambridge come to light on a guided “spy walk” around central Cambridge and follow in the footsteps of the notorious spies at Trinity, St. John’s and King’s College. The adventure continues in Moscow — Dan Mulvenna, a former Western counterintelligence officer and lecturer at the Counterintelligence Centre in Washington, D.C., leads an exploration of spy sites in the Moscow, along with a retired senior KGB officer.

By special arrangement, Road Scholar travelers will take a privately guided visit to the FSB (former KGB) Museum. The program concludes with an opportunity to mingle with retired KGB officers at a reception in Moscow.

“The Cold War holds an important place in history and scholars will analyze this period for years to come,” says James Moses, president and CEO of Road Scholar and Elderhostel. “We are excited to offer the summit this year with the opportunity to hear from renowned experts and insiders – we look forward to welcoming history enthusiasts on this Road Scholar adventure.”

Noted study leaders and speakers include:

Nigel West, renowned military historian specializing in intelligence and security issues. West is also the author of Counterfeit; Crown Jewels: The Secrets at the Heart of the KGB’s Archives, and VENONA: The Cold War’s Greatest Secret.

Dan Mulvenna lectures on counterintelligence and counterterrorism at the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies, Washington, D.C. In this capacity he provides specialized training to a broad range of U.S. agencies.

Mike Sewell is author of The Cold War: Perspectives in History series. Topics covered include the origins of the Cold War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the period of détente, and the end of the Cold War in the 1980s.

Piers Brendon, former Keeper of the Churchill Archives Centre, biographer of Churchill and Eisenhower; author of the acclaimed The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s and Eminent Edwardians. Brendon also serves as a consultant to numerous television documentaries.

A former Pilot in the Royal Air Force, Glenmore Trenear-Harvey is a writer, broadcaster and lecturer on security, intelligence and espionage matters. He is an intelligence analyst for Sky News TV; the associate editor of Eye Spy intelligence magazine and publisher of Intelligence Digest.

Richard Aldrich is author of The Hidden Hand: Britain, America and Cold War Secret Intelligence.

Andrew Lownie is author of John Buchan: The Presbyterian Cavalier and is currently writing a life of Guy Burgess. He is a former journalist for the (London) Times and the Spectator.

Launched in 2004, Road Scholar is an initiative of Elderhostel, www.elderhostel.org, the world’s largest not-for-profit educational travel organization for adults. For more information, visit www.roadscholar.org or call toll free at (800) 466-7762.




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