Our Guides 2007
Leading the tours to the Peninsula and Waterloo is, of course, Ian Fletcher. The author of over twenty books on the subjects, Ian first visited Waterloo 26 years ago, visiting the Peninsula for the first time five years later. He has been taking groups there since 1994. Ian accompanies all IFBT tours, even the ones one which he is not acting as guide.
The ever-popular James Falkner leads the Blenheim and King William III tours. There aren’t too many who know the Marlburian battlefields as well as James, whose book Great and Glorious Days was published in 2002. He has since followed this up with three other books about Marlborough’s campaigns. James is also an ex-Regular army officer.
Patrick Mercer leads our tour to the Crimea. Patrick, MP for Newark, is the author of two books on the Battle of Inkerman, including Give ’em a Volley and Charge! Patrick was a Regular-army officer for 25 years and was Colonel of the Sherwood Foresters.
Julian Spilsbury will be leading our 1813 and Indian Mutiny tours. An ex-regular soldier, Julian is the author of several books including a forthcoming study of the Mutiny. He has proved a very popular guide on our tours to Austerlitz and Russia.
Dr Natalia Ishchenko, assistant professor at the Vernardskly University in the Crimea, and author of The Crimean War 1853-56, is present on our tour to the Crimea, adding her local knowledge of the Crimea and of the war in general. Natalia is also co-author of the acclaimed The Crimean War: A Clash of Empires, written with Ian Fletcher.
Finally, John Strecker, whilst not being a guide, nevertheless has an in depth knowledge of the King’s German Legion and is present on all tours to the Peninsula and Waterloo, acting as the vital rearguard. John is the author of several articles on the KGL including two for two extremely nice publications produced by the Anglo-German Family History Society.
James Falkner Ian Fletcher and John Strecker Natalia Ishchenko
Patrick Mercer Julian Spilsbury
