James Bond Origins: Discover the Icelandic Connection in our Hour-long Lecture

Uncover James Bond’s Icelandic roots in an hour-long lecture. Explore untold WWII stories and the Canadian-Icelandic industrialist’s influence on 007.

Duration: 1 hour, 10 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • True Spy Iceland - On October 21, 1962, Ian Fleming wrote: “James Bond is a highly romanticized version of a true spy. The real thing is … William Stephenson.” In just an hour, the tale of Icelandic/Canadian Sir William Stephenson is recounted—a man who significantly influenced the outcome of WWII. How was Stephenson linked to Churchill, Roald Dahl, FD Roosevelt, Ian Fleming, and was he the muse for James Bond?
What's Included
  • Step back in time to August 1942 atmosphere.
Additional Information

The narrative of Sir Stephenson is as captivating as it is not as widely known, especially in comparison with other personas featured in this riveting tale such as Winston Churchill, Ian Fleming, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, and William J. Donovan, amongst others. The project is laden with compelling anecdotes compellingly conveying the influence of the…

Location
True Spy Iceland
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(29 Ratings)
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Peterinbermuda
Oct 20, 2024
Time well spent in Reykjavik - Fantastic Experience! My son and I had a great time listening to the fascinating story of Sir William Stephenson and his exploits. The interwoven story of Churchill, Ian Fleming and so many others was intriguing and captivating. Highly recommended if interested in history, James Bond, and the what ifs of WWII. Our narrator was engaged and has enthusiasm was clear.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
868renzos
Oct 12, 2024
Great afternoon on our last day in Iceland - We are so happy for the wonderful time we had with David. He took the time to explain thoroughly all the intriguing life of Sir William Stephenson's life. We highly recommend this experience!
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Ericsg1750ws
Sep 23, 2024
Fun experience that gave the group lots to talk about! - Super fun time and just a quick experience to keep you wanting more. We all had lots to look into after and rewatch some Bond in new light. David was incredible and super knowledgeable on topics we had no idea existed. Very cool for any James Bond Or WW2 history fan!
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Explore52639431245
Aug 1, 2024
Great way to spend downtime in Reyk - The guide tonight was passionate, knowledgeable, and just out right good at his job. He got me extremely invested in a fresh story I knew nothing about. What a cool thing to learn about. Thanks for having me guys! Will recommend!
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Northstar60651230445
Jun 17, 2024
Would recommend!! - So cool!! Location was cool as well and then the story was fascinating. The speaker does an amazing job and keeps you entertained the whole time. I would highly recommend for anyone and especially recommend if you’re interested in spies, world war 2 and interesting people in history.
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B6093owpaulh
May 29, 2024
A thoroughly engaging experience. - We really enjoyed this intimate lecture on a fascinating topic with Icelandic and Canadian (among other) connections dating back before World War 2. The presenter was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about his subject matter, supporting it well with photos, short video clips and diagrams. We highly recommend it to anyone interested learning interesting history that is very relevant today.
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186huldah
May 13, 2024
Surprising, memorable and informatic entertainment - TRUE SPY is a show that anyone interested in recent world history, espionage, World War II, power struggles, business and/or James Bond should not miss. This show contains a lot of interesting behind the scenes information about what happens in the struggle for power and influence in the world. It relates the cleverness and dexterity of people's sense of self-preservation, to seek wealth and also how to create thrilling stories and movies seasoned with facts from one's own experiences . I didn't know what to expect when I decided to attend the show. I had already heard that it was about a Canadian-Icelander who was to some extent a model for the protagonist James Bond in Ian Flemming's books about Her Majesty's spy 007. I thought it sounded interesting but not terribly exciting. My group and I arrived in front of the small door next to the TRUE SPY advertisement and there was no indication that we were in the right place until it was time for the show to start and our group was given entrance. We were obviously in the right place, but in order not to spoil the expected event that awaits the visitors of the exhibition, I will stop here and say no more. However, our eyebrows lifted when we entered and the show began and we really enjoyed hearing about Sir William Stephenson and the question of whether or not he was Ian Flemming's inspiration for James Bond. The exhibition was in Icelandic and we were allowed to ask questions while Hugi told us Stephenson's story. It was amazing to hear about this man's life and business empire as well as what was said about his political influence and power. The exhibition pleasantly alternates between still images and videos, and it is amazing how the narrators have managed to gather all this information and bring it together in this fun and interesting exhibition. Thanks!
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H4443swthomasv
May 10, 2024
Highly recommended! - Molto consigliato! Bellissima location e esperienza: la “lezione” è ricca, coinvolgente e risveglia la Voglia di scoprire e capire il mondo umano. Ci siamo “persi”nelle intricate vicende della vita di Stevenson…e ci ha dato tanti spunti per continuare indagare e magari inspirare anche! Hugi e il socio hanno fatto un’ottima e estesa ricerca. Grazie! —— Lovely! Highly recommend. Intriguing and rich lesson, with many details. Hugi and the partner did a great research job. We got inspired to discover more -(and get a more adventurous life). Lovely to unveil/see history through the perspective of an (exceptional) character …extra points if this happens from Iceland;) Thank you!
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Gudr_nh2024
May 9, 2024
Dont miss the True Spy experience - True Spy show is kind of á hidden experience in Reykjavík down town. It is mysterious to gó in there witch made it líka you are going on á mission with 007. Nice to enjoy with friends and have one ore to True Spy 🍺. Dont miss it if you are in Reykjavík 10/10
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Halldoravi
Sep 4, 2024
Shameful uplifun. - Saga William Stephenson with variance, she came to us pleasantly at surprise and it was incredibly interesting to fræðast um den hjem den han levde og hrærstedt í. Well, it happened to us, the reader was very friendly and he received us very well.
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From $22
up to 12 guests
1 Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).