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The History and Craft of Spying With Nigel West

Program Number: 19346RJ
Start and End Dates:
1/3/2013 - 1/11/2013; 1/2/2014 - 1/10/2014;
Duration: 8 nights
Location: England, UK:England
Price starting at: $2,297.00 - Price may vary based on date, departure city
Program Type: History & Culture Activity Level: t (see description)
Meals: 15; 7 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 4 Dinners    
Meal Options: Low Fat; Vegetarian; Low Salt; Gluten Free    

Immerse yourself in the world of spies, lies and intelligence with renowned author and intelligence expert Nigel West. Consider the impact of espionage on history from World War I to today’s global conflicts. As a special feature, join theater producer and director Giles Ramsay for a briefing in preparation for a London theater performance. Hear a journalist on "the state of the nation."




Highlights

• Intelligence historian, author and “experts’ expert” Nigel West leads your foray into the world of espionage.
• Spend a full day at Bletchley Park, code name Station X, to learn about code-breaking and the Enigma machine used during WWII.
• Enjoy a London theater performance.



Activity Particulars

Walking up to one mile per day.




Date Specific Information

1-2-2014

Enjoy the latest in hearing technology — listening devices — on this date.



Itinerary Summary

Arrival London, 7 nights; departure.



Overnight flight from U.S.A.
1 night
Arrival London
7 nights
Departure

From the code-breaking of the “Zimmerman Telegram” in World War I to the latest in aerial reconnaissance and unmanned aerial vehicles in use today, survey the history of spying with world-renowned intelligence author Nigel West. Enjoy a full-day field trip to Bletchley Park, the National Codes and Cipher Centre, the historic site of secret British code-breaking activities during WWII. Hear the tales of spies and strategic deception and as a highlight see the Enigma machines, including the rare “Abwehr G312.” Visit the Block B Exhibition Centre and museum which depicts the incredibly complex processes of decryption, see the collection of Churchill memorabilia that captures the spirit of the great man, and uncover spy sites throughout London.




England

It was the seat of an empire on which the sun never set. It has been Merry, Dickensian and Victorian. It has given us common law, Shakespeare, tennis, the Rolls-Royce and the Beatles. England and its people have played an outsize role in shaping world history. It is a country whose past, politics, culture and characters never cease to captivate.
Accommodations
Four-star hotel near London’s West End.

Road Scholar Instructors
These instructors are participating on at least one date of this program. Please note that changes may occur.
Nigel West
Nigel West is a military historian specializing in intelligence and security issues. In 1989, he was voted The Experts' Expert by a panel of spy writers. He is the European Editor of the Washington D.C.-based International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence and a lecturer at the Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies in Alexandria, Va. In 2003, he was awarded the U.S. Association of Former Intelligence Officers’ first Lifetime Literature Achievement Award.
 
Giles Ramsay
Giles Ramsay is a theater producer and director based in London. He has instructed on Road Scholar theater programs since the early 1990’s. Giles also develops new Road Scholar programs using the expertise and connections he’s cultivated as a student at the universities of Cambridge, London and Durham, a writer, director and producer of theater and an international drama advocate. Giles enjoys working with up-and-coming writers and directors and is founder of charity Developing Artists.
 
Meals and Lodgings
   Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel.
  London, England, UK:England 7 nights
 Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel.
Type: Four-Star Hotel
  Description: Located close to West End.
  Contact info: 130 Tottenham Court Road
London.,  W1T 5AY UK:England
phone: +44 20 7388 4131
web: www.radissonedwardian.com
  Room amenities: Air-conditioning. Direct dial telephone with personal phone numbers. Satellite TV, hairdryer, mini bar, in room safe, iron and trouser press, and tea and coffee making facilities. Complimentary wireless Internet access. US 110v sockets.
  Facility amenities: Restaurant, bar, business centre, fitness room and complimentary wireless Internet access.
  Smoking allowed: No
  Elevators available: Yes
  Additional nights prior:  For additional pre and post program accommodations, please contact Road Scholar Travel Services at (800) 241-1404 or via email to travelinfo@roadscholar.org
  Check in time: 2:00 PM
  Additional nights after:  For additional pre and post program accommodations, please contact Road Scholar Travel Services at (800) 241-1404 or via email to travelinfo@roadscholar.org
  Check out time: 11:00 AM


Travel Details
  Start of Program:
A light lunch is served in the hotel. Welcome meeting is at 5:00pm in the hotel. You will be staying at Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel. that night.
  End of Program:
After breakfast on departure day. You will be staying at Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel. the night before.
  Required documents:
The Road Scholar Health & Safety Form is required. Passport.
  Parking availability:
N/A.
Transportation (For Independent Travelers)
  Train or bus availability: As above.
To Start of Program
  Location:  London, England
  Nearest city or town:  London.
  Nearest airport:  London Heathrow and Gatwick.
  Transportation to site: Program Only Participants (POP) will be transferred on group arrival days so long as they complete the Participant Information Form found within the program materials and are arriving/departing on the group travel dates. Nearest underground is Warren Street-adjacent to the hotel on the Victoria and Northern lines. Take the Heathrow Express to Paddington and a taxi from there. The Heathrow Express is a fast and frequent train service from Heathrow terminals to Paddington. Trains run every 15 minutes and the journey time from Heathrow Central for Terminals 1 and 3 is 15 minutes; passengers at Terminal 4 may use the free transfer shuttle Heathrow Connect to Heathrow Central; 21 minutes from Terminal 5. Fares, in 2010, start at £16.50 for a single and £32 for a return. Tickets may be purchased at the station or via the web www.heathrowexpress.com/Home From Gatwick take the Gatwick Express to Victoria and a taxi from there. The Gatwick Express is a fast non-stop train service from South Terminal to Victoria. It runs every 15 minutes and takes 30 minutes. Fares, in 2010, are £16.90 single; £28.70 return. Tickets may be purchased at the station or via the web www.gatwickexpress.com
  From End of Program
  Location: London, England
  Transportation from site: Program Only Participants (POP) will be transferred on group arrival days so long as they complete the Participant Information Form found within the program materials and are arriving/departing on the group travel dates. Reverse the above arrival arrangements.
    (Additional transportation information same as above)
The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.


Daily Schedule

Day 1:
(Thursday, January 3)
   
 In Transit: Overnight flight to London.

Day 2:
(Friday, January 4)
   
 Arrive To: London.
 Morning: Check in to the hotel.
 Lunch: A light lunch is served in the hotel.
 Afternoon: Free afternoon. Welcome meeting with course director, Nigel West, at 5:00pm in the hotel.
 Dinner: In the hotel.
 Evening: At leisure.
   
Accommodations: Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel.
Meals Included: Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: London Spy Sites. Play "In the Republic of Happiness".
(Saturday, January 5)
   
 Breakfast: Full English breakfast in the hotel.
 Morning: Lecture by Nigel West in the hotel on " The Impact of Espionage on History: From the Zimmerman Telegraph to Iraqi WMD."
 Lunch: In the hotel.
 Afternoon: Spy sites in London by coach with Nigel West commentating. Includes Hyde PArk Corner, Thames Hose, Westminster Bridge, Whitehall, the Mall and Piccadilly.
 Dinner: Pre theatre dinner out with 19347.
 Evening: Theatre peformance with 19437. "In the Republic of Happiness" by Martin Crimp at the Royal Court. The Royal Court Theatre is Britain's leading national company dedicated to new work by innovative writers from the UK and around the world. Artistic Director of the Royal Court Dominic Cooke directs the play. A family Christmas is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Uncle Bob. Who is he? Why has he come? Why does his wife stay out in the car? And what is the meaning of his long and outrageous message? All we can be sure of is that the world will never be the same again. A violent satire, In the Republic of Happiness is a provocative roll-call of contemporary obsessions.
   
Accommodations: Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Bletchley Park Churchill's "Station X".
(Sunday, January 6)
   
 Breakfast: Full English breakfast in the hotel.
 Morning: Full day field trip to Bletchley Park, the National Codes and Cipher Centre, the historic site of secret British codebreaking activities during WWII and birthplace of the modern computer. Hear the tales of spies and strategic deception and as a highlight see the Enigma Machines, including the rare 'Abwehr G312'. Visit the Block B Exhibition Centre and museum which depicts the incredibly complex processes of interception, decryption, translation, interpretation and analysis that were needed to produce the vital intelligence that proved so important in ending the war. See the collection of Churchill memorablia captures the spirit of the great man. Churchill had significant links with Bletchley Park and famously said of the workers at the Park 'The geese that laid the golden eggs - but never cackled'.
 Lunch: Taken in Bletchley Park.
 Afternoon: Field trip continues.
 Dinner: Excluded so that you can sample London's many restaurants, cafes and pubs.
 Evening: At leisure.
   
Accommodations: Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Lecture by Nigel West on Sources of Intelligence.
(Monday, January 7)
   
 Breakfast: Full English breakfast in the hotel.
 Morning: Lecture by Nigel West in the hotel: Sources of Intelligence: Aerial Reconnaissance, Satellites and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.
 Lunch: In the hotel.
 Afternoon: Free time.
 Dinner: Excluded.
 Evening: At leisure.
   
Accommodations: Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Nigel West and Giles Ramsay on "The Psycopathology of Actors and Spies".
(Tuesday, January 8)
   
 Breakfast: Full English breakfast in the hotel.
 Morning: Joint discussion session between Nigel West and, guest, Giles Ramsay (The Practice and History of Theatre) on "The Psychopathology of Actors and Spying".
 Lunch: Excluded.
 Afternoon: Free time.
 Dinner: Excluded
 Evening: At leisure.
   
Accommodations: Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast

Day 7: Lecture by Nigel West on "Managing Human Intelligence".
(Wednesday, January 9)
   
 Breakfast: Full English breakfast in the hotel.
 Morning: Lecture by Nigel West in the hotel on "The Wilderness of Mirrors: Managing Human Intelligence".
 Lunch: Excluded.
 Afternoon: Free time.
 Dinner: Pre theatre dinner out with 19347.
 Evening: Theatre performance with 19347. "The Magistrate" by Arthur Wing Pinero at the National Theatre. John Lithgow takes the title role in this fast, furious, brilliantly plotted farce set in Victorian London; he is joined by Nancy Carroll, returning to the NT following her Olivier award-winning performance in After the Dance. With his louche air and a developed taste for smoking, gambling, port and women, it’s hard to believe Cis Farringdon is only fourteen. And that’s because he isn’t. Agatha his mother lopped five years from her true age and his when she married the amiable Posket. Well, when I heard the new dad was a police magistrate, I was scared. Said I to myself, “If I don’t mind my Ps and Qs, the Guv’nor – from force of habit – will fine me all my pocket-money.” The imminent arrival of Cis’ godfather sends Agatha incognito to the Hôtel des Princes to warn him of her deception. But it’s also where her son has cajoled his otherwise staid stepfather into joining him for a binge. High-spirited carousing leads to a police raid and a night of outrageous mishap as the trapped guests make desperate attempts to conceal themselves from the law and from each other. Indignities escalate at court the next day where Posket, the police magistrate, must preside.
   
Accommodations: Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 8: "Techniques of Spying."
(Thursday, January 10)
   
 Breakfast: Full English breakfast in the hotel.
 Morning: Joint talk with theatre programme: "Round up by a theatre critic" with Giles Ramsay. Joint talk with theatre programme "Techniques of Spying" with Nigel West.
 Lunch: Excluded.
 Afternoon: Free time. Joint drinks reception for spying and theatre programmes before dinner.
 Dinner: Farewell dinnner in the hotel.
 Evening: At leisure.
   
Accommodations: Radisson Edwardian Grafton Hotel.
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Day 9:
(Friday, January 11)
   
 Depart From: London.
 Breakfast: In the hotel.
   
Meals Included: Breakfast
Important information about your itinerary: Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information featured on this website. Itineraries are based on our best information at this time. Circumstances beyond our control may require us to adjust itineraries or other details. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding. Information will be sent to you from your Program Provider approximately three weeks prior to the program start date. The prices listed for commercial services and facilities that are not included in the program cost, such as airport shuttles or extra nights lodging, are subject to change without notice. Since Road Scholar cannot guarantee the accuracy of these prices, we strongly suggest contacting the companies directly for the most up-to-date information.

Suggested Reading List


At Her Majesty's Secret Service: The Chiefs of Britain's Intelligence Agency, MI6


Author: Nigel West


Description: This is the story of the heads of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service. It contains numerous anecdotes and is fully up to date, and is written by acclaimed author and intelligence expert Nigel West. This remarkable book tells the story of that role, from Smith-Cumming to Scarlett, and each of the other twelve C's in between. For the first 85 years of the SIS, known variously as 'the firm', 'the funnies' and, within the Foreign Office, 'the friends', its existence and the identity of its Chief were subject to the strictest secrecy. Its only official recognition was the wartime designation MI6, by which the service continues to be commonly known today.



Deceiving the Deceivers: Kim Philby, Donald Maclean and Guy Burgess


Author: S.J.Hamrick


Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence


Author: Nigel West


Description: Launches a new series of Historical Dictionaries of Intelligence and Counter-Intelligence that examines the shadowy world of spies - providing the most detailed, comprehensive, and accurate information available on a topic that has proved notoriously difficult to research. Offers insight into the history and operations of British Intelligence through its more than 1,800 entries, covering a vast and varied cast of characters, the spies and their handlers, the moles and defectors, the political leaders, the top brass, the techniques and jargon, and the many different offices and operations. Features 16 black-and-white photographs, an extensive chronology, and a comprehensive bibliography.



Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence (Historical Dictionaries of Intelligence and Counterintelligence)


Author: Nigel West


MI6 and the Machinery of Spying


Author: Philip H.J.Davies


Description: A detailed study of the management of the British intelligence organisation, MI6.



Mask: MI5's Penetration of the Communist Party of Great Britain


Author: Nigel West


My Silent War


Author: Kim Philby


New Cloak, Old Dagger: How Britain's Spies Came in from the Cold


Author: Michael Smith


Description: Offers insight into the role of British spies during the Cold War, including the activity of the SAS in MI6 operations. The book charts developments since the cessation of hostilities in the Cold War.



On Her Majesty's Secret Service: The Chiefs of Britain's Intelligence Agency, MI6


Author: Nigel West


Philby: KGB Masterspy


Author: Philip Knightley


Secret Intelligence: A Reader


Author: Christopher Andrew, Richard Aldrich, Wesley Wark (editors)


Description: This Reader in the field of intelligence studies focuses on policy, blending classic works on concepts and approaches with more recent essays dealing with current issues and the ongoing debate about the future of intelligence. The subject of secret intelligence has never enjoyed a higher profile. The terrorist attacks of 9/11, Madrid and London, the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the missing WMD, public debates over prisoner interrogation, and new domestic security regulations have all contributed to make this a 'hot' subject over the past decade.Aiming to be more comprehensive than existing books, and to achieve truly international coverage of the field, this book provides key readings and supporting material for students and course convenors. It is divided into four main sections, each of which includes full summaries of each article, further reading suggestions, and student questions: the intelligence cycle Intelligence, counter-terrorism and security ethics, accountability and control intelligence and the new warfare.



Spy: A Handbook


Author: Harry Ferguson


Description: Former MI6 officer Harry Ferguson gives behind the scenes information including things not shown on screen. Spy also goes beyond the techniques of espionage to examine a range of issues facing today's intelligence services? the morality of using assassination and blackmail, the heroes and villains of the espionage world, and how modern terrorists are able to evade detection by Western intelligence organisations.



The Spying Game


Author: Michael Smith


Description: Espionage exerts a hold on the public imagination. "The Spying Game" covers economic intelligence and the fight against organised crime as well as the activities of MI5, MI6, the Defence Intelligence Staff and GCHQ.





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