Paul Madden CMG FRGS was British ambassador to Japan, Australia and Singapore, and also served in Washington DC. He lived and worked in the Asia Pacific region for over 20 years. He now advises multinational businesses, is a Visiting Professor of International Relations at Keio University, Tokyo, and a trustee on various non-profit boards. He is a popular lecturer on cruises in Asia Pacific, North America and Western Europe. He has written books on Japan and Singapore, as well as poetry and plays. Paul has a Masters in Geography from Cambridge, an MBA from Durham, studied Japanese at London University's School of Oriental & African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.

Japan:
(1) Introducing Japanese culture
(2) Western Encounters with Japan
(3) The geography of Japan
(4) The battle for Okinawa and its legacy
(5) Japan's Olympics 1964 and 2021 and their impact
(6) Nagasaki, gateway to Japan

Singapore:
(1) The origins of modern Singapore
(2) Singapore's Garden Culture

Australia:
(1) Britain's rep in Australia - a High Commissioner's experience
(2) How gold made Australia
(3) Captain Cook and Australia
(4) Captain Arthur Philip and the establishment of New South Wales
(5) The bombing of Darwin and its aftermath

Indonesia:
(1) Bali - Tourist paradise from the 1920s to the modern day
(2) Alfred Wallace naturalist - evolution and the Indonesian Archipelago

Thailand:
(1) The real story behind the King and I

Philippines:
(1) Douglas MacArthur and the Philippines

USA:
(1) Washington DC and its role in American History

Atlantic:
(1) Bermuda and Britain's overseas territories
(2) Volcanoes and the volcanic islands of the NE Atlantic
(3) Britain and the Canaries, four centuries of contact
(4) The Anglo-Portuguese Alliance - the world's oldest alliance

Asia:
(1) The South China - ancient trade routes/modern security issues
(2) W Somerset Maugham's Far Eastern Tales

Geopolitics:
(1) The geopolitics of Indo Pacific
(2) The era of Deglobalisation
(3) Geography and DIplomacy

Enrichment:
(1) An entertaining history of the Devonshire cream tea
(2) Piracy in literature and reality
(3) National anthems - their history and diversity

I have spoken regularly on Cunard and Fred Olsen cruises. I lecture on the history, geography and culture of places where I have lived as a UK diplomat, particularly in Asia Pacific, but also North America. I also talk about international relations and diplomacy, as well as additional enrichment topics. I have lectured on cruises including: Oman-Singapore (Cunard); Egypt-india-Singapore (Fred Olsen): Hong Kong-Vietnam-Singapore (Cunard): New York-Baltimore-Bermuda-Azores-Southampton (Fred Olsen); Southampton-Lisbon-Canaries-Madeira (Cunard).