In the late 1970s, then University of New Orleans professor Stephen Ambrose, with the assistance of his friend Peter McLean, began taking groups to Europe on what he called the “D-Day to the Rhine Tour.”  His passion for teaching Americans about their nation’s heritage and the role her heroes played in world history was what motivated him to lead these informal tours.

Throughout his productive career, Ambrose made many research trips; leading tours to the places he wrote of became a natural extension of his enthusiasm for historical investigation.  Dr. Stephen E. Ambrose was America’s premier historian, Eisenhower biographer and founder of The National D-Day Museum.

In 1999, twenty years after his first tour and three years before his untimely death, Steve founded Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours (SAHT) along with his niece and her husband, Dr. Edie Ambrose and Yakir Katz, and Steve’s son, Andy Ambrose.

SAHT continues to preserve and expand the carefully conceived and executed heritage itineraries inspired by his life’s work.  We have introduced a whole new generation to such amazing men as Ken Russell, Walter Ehlers, Lyle Bouck, Albert Sponheimer and Starling Holloway.  We follow in the steps of these and other citizen soldiers when studying the European and Pacific campaigns.  Ambrose Tours has also developed itineraries honoring other important points of American history: the Civil War and the Lewis and Clark (Corps of Discovery) Expedition.

Company President Ronald Drez (Captain, USMC Ret.) was, in his university days, Stephen Ambrose’s favorite student and, subsequently, Ambrose’s handpicked choice for tour guide. Together, the Silver Star decorated Vietnam vet and his mentor founded the Eisenhower Center at the University of New Orleans. Drez has authored several books, including “Voices of Valor,” “Voices of D-Day” and “Twenty-five Yards of War,” but he leaves his desk behind to lead tours to the very same battlefields he writes about. CEO of New Orleans-based SAHT is veteran tour operator Yakir Katz. Since 1989, when he first entered the tour industry, Katz has been the man behind the scenes, helping to develop and improve tour itineraries, and making sure operations run smoothly and efficiently. Yakir’s wife, Dr. Edie Ambrose, PhD-Tulane, carries on her Uncle Stephen’s love of teaching.  Since the company founding, she has always been instrumental in researching and developing itineraries for SAHT.

Stephen Ambrose always said that the best way to understand history is to study the places where it was made.  In that spirit, we invite you to visit the battlefields with our expert historians.  We are fortunate to have the most qualified historians lead our tours: Capt. Ronald Drez, Jake Powers, Dr. Steve Weiss, Don Snow, Kevin Hymel, Brig. Raymond Bell and Maj. Gen. David Zabecki.  These gentlemen are leaders in their field of history and world-renowned authors.  Their extensive research and interviews of WWII veterans on the very battlefields where they fought gives a soldier’s perspective to our tours.  Their passion and enthusiasm will leave you with the memories of a lifetime.

SAHT is fortunate to have formed and alliance with Military Historical Tours (MHT).  Our War in the Pacific Tour is done in cooperation with MHT and we travel to Iwo Jima as their guests. Selected by the Combat Veterans of Iwo Jima, Reunion of Honor Committee to coordinate the annual anniversary on Iwo Jima, MHT has coordinated this trip for U.S. veterans since the 50th anniversary. We look forward to continuing and strengthening our relationship with them and providing our customers with the most genuine historic tour experience.

Here at Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours, we strive to provide only the best in logistics and operations for our clients.  We make our own arrangements with suppliers through site inspections and past experiences with hotels, restaurants and attractions.  There is extensive historical research and attention to detail in each and every itinerary.  Once on paper, the plan is put to the test just as it was in the early days when Stephen Ambrose led groups informally.  On the road, the program is fine-tuned and amplified.

With over 25 years of experience in the tour industry, all of us at Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours are committed to providing our customers with the best product available, the genuine historic article.  The Ambrose family is proud to continue in Steve’s footsteps, so that people may always remember the men and women who helped shape history.