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Archaeological expertise

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Nicholas Reed took his first degree at Oxford in Greats (Latin, Greek, Ancient History and Philosophy). He was President of Oxford University Archaeological Society in 1969.

From 1970 to 1986 he had 15 articles published in learned journals on subjects in Roman History and Archaeology, At the same time he carried out research in Roman Britain and Roman Scotland, obtaining research degrees from Manchester (1974) and St Andrews Universities (1980).

During the 1960s and 70s he took part in some thirty archaeological excavations. In 1998 he succeeded in a campaign to have a plaque put up to commemorate the archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler. It now stands on Wheeler’s house in Whitcomb Street, next to the National Gallery.

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Art History

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In the 1980s he moved into the field of art history, on which he is the author of some six books, mainly on the French Impressionists. He has been a lecturer for The Arts Society (formerly NADFAS) since 1991, and frequently lectures on 20th century British artists, including Dame Laura Knight RA.. Having spent most of his life in London, in 2003 he moved to East Kent, which is SE of London, and in 2019 moved to Canterbury, also in East Kent.

Some of the Cruise Lectures given by Nicholas Reed

1. My Father, the Man Who Never Was, and his career in MI5
Nicholas’s father Ronnie ran double-agents in WW2, including Agent Zigzag. Ronnie’s photo was also used for the Identity Card of The Man Who Never Was.
After the War, Ronnie was in charge of the Russian Section of MI5, looking for traitors like Philby, Burgess and Maclean.

2. Monet in the Tulip Fields of Holland
Monet spent a year in Holland in 1871-2, yet his Dutch landscapes of this time are little known. As well as depicting parts of Amsterdam, he produced a whole series in the still unspoilt fishing village of Zaandam nearby, with its many windmills, tulip fields and colourful dwellings.

3. Three Impressionist Artists in the South of France
Van Gogh is best known for the dramatic sunsets and vibrant colours of his paintings of Provence, especially Arles. Cezanne chose to settle in Aix, painting Mont Ventoux under all conditions. Renoir’s landscapes were produced from his studio in a farmhouse in Cagnes. All three are discussed in this talk.

4. Spectacular Roman monuments in the South of France
From the Pont du Gard, one of the best preserved Roman aqueducts in the world, to the Amphitheatre at Arles, some of Roman civilisation’s finest buildings are still to be found in Provence.

5. Art Treasures in Italy.
Some of the most important Renaissance art treasures of the world are to be found in Florence and Rome. We look at some of the major work there, including the gallery with the world's finest collection of self-portraits by the world's finest artists.

6. The Romans in Pompeii and Herculaneum
Ships visiting Pompeii stop in the harbour of Naples. But as well as the two Roman towns, Naples Museum itself has collected some of the most valuable objects excavated and has them on show there.

7. Roman Emperors in Split and Sicily
One cannot visit Split in Croatia without admiring the artistic decoration, much of it taken from Egypt, in the Emperor Diocletian’s palace, which now forms the centre of Split. The lecture goes on to show the finest Roman mosaics in the world, which are found in a Roman palace in Sicily, and we examine the mystery of which Emperor used that villa as his summer palace.

8. Venice: the City that does Everything by Water
Often claimed as the most romantic city in the world, Venice's delightful historic buildings are joined to their neighbours not by roads, but by canals. We also examine the culture of Venice, and why it was a working democracy, when most of its rivals were ruled by dictators. We also see how Canaletto's views of the city, where remarkably little has changed in the three centuries since Canaletto depicted it.

I have cruised and lectured with ATP, Thomson, Saga, Voyages of Discovery, Noble Caledonia, and several others, since 2004.

The following recent Cruise History has been recorded for this candidate.