world reviewer
Andrew Thomson
I am a historian, tour operator and private guide based in Canterbury, a city whose history captivated me when I moved here in 1992 with my wife and children. I run Dr Thomson's Tours full-time.
After graduating with a degree in American Studies in 1979 I was briefly a civil servant, then a university administrator for fifteen years. I was Administrator of University College London's Mullard Space Science Laboratory (the UK's first and largest university space research group), then moved to Canterbury in 1992 to be Administrator of the new Canterbury Business School. Meanwhile I was taking my love of history forward by completing a PhD in American History in my own time; the subject was the experience of ordinary American troops in France in 1944 and 1945 and their interactions with the French people.
On completion of this I set about my aim of doing something 'useful' (i.e. productive!) with a History PhD and set up Dr Thomson's Tours in 1997. This allows me to teach 'in the field', to take my study of history forward, and to meet a fascinating and varied mix of people.
Battlefield guiding in recent years has acounted for a sizeable fraction of my business. Battlefield tours are special to me as they combine history (asking what happened, why it happened there, and in that way), people (both empathy with those who fought, and on-the-spot interactions with clients), landscape, and travel - all great interests of mine. I was very proud to obtain the Guild of Battlefield Guides' badge (number 14) in November 2004.
Andrew Thomson's activity
- 14 Jul 2008
Andrew Thomson reviewed The ‘Battle of the Bulge’ in Walloon, Belgium
On an open hillside in the furthest eastern part of Belgium - with deep woods behind, a small village in front, and superb views across farmland to modern power-generating windmills in Germany just 5 kilometers away - stands a simple monument. A plaque …"
