History Tours

April 2026: From Dunkirk to D-Day

Saul will be leading a fascinating 6-day tour which highlights the key moments of the British Army’s dramatic evolution in World War II, guided by the stories from three of acclaimed historian Saul David’s books – Churchill’s Sacrifice of the Highland Division (1940), Military Blunders, Sky Warriors: British Airborne Forces in WW2 and SBS: Silent Warriors.

From defeat in 1940 to victory in 1944, follow the trail of courage, innovation, and hard-won success. This no-fly tour begins in France, where you’ll walk the beaches and dunes where the BEF made its defiant last stand.

Visit St Valery-en-Caux, where the Highland Division surrendered in 1940. In nearby Bruneval, explore the bold 1942 parachute raid to seize German radar tech – known as Operation Biting. You’ll also learn about Operation Jubilee, the ill-fated Canadian-led raid on Dieppe and the contrasting success of the Commando attack on the Hess Battery.

Further highlights during the your include visits to Pegasus Bridge, Merville Battery, and Ranville Cemetery, as well as an opportunity to learn about the broader Allied effort at Sword, Gold, and Juno beaches, including the role of mini-subs and secret SBS missions.

You’ll spend two nights at a hotel in Dieppe, before a further three nights in Caen – where you can look forward to welcome and farewell group dinners and the company of Saul throughout the tour. You’ll also be joined by battlefield guide and tour manager, Julian Whippy.

With immersive sites and expert commentary and insights, join fellow history enthusiasts on a captivating tour, discovering how hard-earned lessons turned retreat into triumph.

Price

£1,949 per person for two sharing (single supplement is £329)

Price includes

Dates

Sunday 19 to Friday 24 April 2026

For more information and to book, click on the link

 

20-24 October 2021: Madrid Tour – The Battlefields of the Spanish Civil War

Saul organised a battlefield tour to Madrid that, once again, was led by the experienced battlefield guide Professor Matthias Ströhn. It visited the El Escorial and Templo de Debod in Madrid, Toledo, the battlefields of Jarama and Brunete, and the ‘Valley of the Fallen’.

 

22-26 May 2018: Berlin Tour – Frederick the Great to the Second World War

Saul organised and accompanied a tour to Berlin with the battlefield guide Dr Matthias Ströhn. It visited Potsdam, the Palace of Sanssouci, the Cecilienhof, the Olympic Stadium, and the battlefields of the Seelow Heights and Zorndorf, among other locations.

 

27 September-5 October 2009: Lectures on The World ship

Saul will join the ship at Kobe, Japan, and leave it at Inchon in South Korea. During the voyage to Inchon he will give three lectures on the origins, course and outcome of the Korean War of 1950-2. For further details, see the ship’s website: www.aboardtheworld.com

 

In 2007, to mark the 150th Anniversary of the Indian Mutiny, Saul led the following tours to India:

11-23 February 2007: Pettitt’s Indian Mutiny Tour

The Indian Mutiny was the bloodiest insurrection in the history of the British Empire. It began in May 1857 with a large-scale rising by native troops of the Bengal Army, and soon developed into a general rebellion as thousands of discontented civilians joined in. For a time the very fate of British India hung in the balance. But the arrival of a steady stream of reinforcements finally tipped the balance the British way. The key events include the epic siege and subsequent relief of Lucknow, the Cawnpore massacres and the storming of Delhi, the centre of rebel power.

The tour covered the three main centres of rebel resistance – Delhi, Lucknow and Kanpur (Cawnpore) – as well as Mirath (Meerut) where the mutiny began, Agra where the British were besieged in the fort for three months, Gwalior where the last major battle was fought, and Jhansi, the home of the celebrated Rani (the ‘Indian Joan of Arc’) who died in battle and is still revered in India today.

7-17 November 2007: Bolt & Butcher Indian Mutiny Tour

The second tour took place in November to coincide with the 150th Anniversary of the Relief of Lucknow. The climax was a visit to the Lucknow Residency on 17th November 2007-the actual anniversary of Sir Colin Campbell’s relief of the siege. En route to Lucknow we visited the other two main centres of rebel resistance – Delhi and Kanpur (Cawnpore). Other sites visited were Meerut where the mutiny began, Agra where the British were besieged in the fort for three months, Gwalior where the last major battle was fought, and Jhansi, the home of the celebrated Rani (the ‘Indian Joan of Arc’).

Tragically, just a few weeks after the end of the tour, the organizer Richard Hogg died of a heart attack. He had become a good friend and is sadly missed.