Podcasts about Spycraft

This week's guest is John Ware. John is an award-winning investigative journalist with over four decades experience reporting on security, intelligence, and public accountability. He's a former BBC Panorama correspondent who has led major investigations into policing, national security, and state power, including extensive reporting on Northern Ireland. He's here to share the story of two of the most significant informants working for British intelligence during The Troubles in Northern Ireland Connect with John: Check out the book, Neither Confirm Nor Deny, here. https://a.co/d/03hklpTn Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Justin revisits episode 61 with trial lawyer Michael Pullara. Michael is a practicing trial lawyer from Texas who has spent more than 40 years representing an incredibly wide variety of clients. In the courtroom, he squared off against Italian mobsters, the U.S. Department of Defense, and giant telecom companies, among many others. He's here to talk about one of his most incredible endeavors: when he represented the family of Freddie Woodruff, a CIA case officer who was shot to death while on assignment in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia in 1993. This became a personal crusade for Michael as he was embroiled in the search for the truth behind Freddie's death for more than 10 years. As he dug further and further into the shooting, the capture of the alleged murderer, and his subsequent prosecution and conviction, Michael found that almost every single thing reported by Georgian authorities about what happened to Freddie was false. Michael's work eventually led him to personally confront the president of Georgia about Freddie's death in order to shed light on the event and try to bring the perpetrators to justice. In 2018, he published a book about his investigation into what really happened that day. Connect with Michael: simonandschuster.com/authors/Michael-Pullara By his book, The Spy Who Was Left Behind, here. https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1501152149?tag=simonsayscom Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Clandestine Laboratories Your new favorite fragrance is here. I'm partial to Novochoc. https://www.clandestinelaboratories.com/fragrances Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Five Eyes alliance — the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand — just dropped a rare joint bulletin warning that Chinese military intelligence is running a scaled, systematic operation to recruit cleared personnel through LinkedIn, Indeed, and Upwork. This isn't theory. People have lost their jobs, their clearances, and their freedom. In this episode, we break down exactly how the operation works, who's being targeted, and what you need to do right now to protect yourself and the people around you.

On the latest episode of Tin Foil Hat, Sam sits down with Jay Dyer for a wide ranging conversation exploring the hidden power structures that have shaped the modern world. They dive into the approved Rothschild biography, the origins and evolution of the OSS, CIA, and Mossad, the enduring legacy of MK Ultra, the KGB's role during the Cold War, and the growing debate over whether UFO and alien disclosure is part of a larger psychological operation. It's a fascinating deep dive into intelligence agencies, geopolitics, and the narratives that continue to shape public perception.   Please subscribe to the new Tin Foil Hat youtube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@TinFoilHatYoutube   Sam Tripoli's 5th Crowd Work Special "Hero Live From Batavia" Drops May 2nd On Youtube.com/SamTripoliComedy   Grab your copy of the 2nd issue of the Chaos Twins now and join the Army Of Chaos: https://bit.ly/415fDfY   Check out Sam "DoomScrollin with Sam Tripoli and Midnight Mike" Every Tuesday At 4pm pst on Youtube, X Twitter, Rumble and Rokfin! Join the WolfPack at Wise Wolf Gold and Silver and start hedging your financial position by investing in precious metals now! Go to https://www.samtripoli.gold/ and use the promo code "TinFoil" and we thank Tony for supporting our show.   Grab Tickets To Sam Tripoli's Live Shows At SamTripoli.com: Miami, Fl: 7/31-8/1 Lawerence, KS: 9/17-9/19 Tulsa, OK: 10/9-10/10 Dallsa, Tx: Nov 7th (TrutherCon) Austin, TX: Dec 11th-13th   Please check out Word War Debate and the WordWarDebate Contenders Series: https://wordwardebate.com Please check out Jay Dyer's internet: Website: https://jaysanalysis.com  rokfin: https://rokfin.com/jaydyer  twitter: https://twitter.com/Jay_D007    Please check out Sam Tripoli's internet: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/samtripoli Sam Tripoli's Stand Up Youtube Page: https://www.youtube.com/@SamTripoliComedy Sam Tripoli's Comedy Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samtripolicomedy/%20P Sam Tripoli's Podcast Clip Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/samtripolispodcastclips/   Please support our sponsors: Jack Archer: Instead of needing different pants for work, travel, and weekends, the Jetsetter Tech Pant is designed to do more with one pair. Built for the office, golf course, date nights, and everything in between.  Right now, Jack Archer is offering our listeners 15% off your first order with promo code GETJACK. Go to Jack Archer dot com, and use promo code GETJACK for 15% off your first order, and see why thousands of people have given the Jetsetter Tech pant five stars. That's Jack Archer dot com, promo code GETJACK for 15% off your first order. Ultra: Ultra is the ultimate guilt-free pouch — delivering instant focus and mental clarity, without nicotine or caffeine. New customers can use code TINFOIL to get 15% off at Take Ultra dot com. That's TakeUltra.com for 15% off with code TINFOIL. After you purchase, they will ask you where you heard about them. PLEASE support our show and tell them our show sent you. ASPCA:This episode is sponsored by the ASPCA® Pet Health Insurance program, offering customizable accident and illness plans to fit your budget, lifestyle, and pet's unique needs. With nearly 30 years of experience and over one million pets covered, they make it easy to submit claims through their app and receive reimbursement for eligible vet bills. To explore coverage, visit A-S-P-C-A pet insurance dot com slash TINFOIL. That's A-S-P-C-A pet insurance dot com slash TINFOIL. Again, that's A-S-P-C-A pet insurance dot com slash TINFOIL.    

Today, Justin sits down with Michael Walsh. Mike served in the US Navy for more than twenty-six years, most of it spent as a SEAL. He completed five tours of duty in Vietnam, including working on the Phoenix Program, running agents and targeting Viet Cong infrastructure. He also participated in the invasion of Grenada and was involved in Panama during the rein of Manuel Noriega. Mike spent years operating throughout Central and South America, Europe, and the Middle East. He's here discuss his career and the lessons he learned along the way, which he wrote about in his autobiography, first published in 1994. Connect with Mike: Check out the book, SEAL!: From Vietnam's Phoenix Program to Central America's Drug Wars, here. https://a.co/d/05Al9E8g Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

George Washington was not just a general, he was an exceptional spymaster who understood that a smaller army could only win by manipulating the enemy's perception of reality. This episode dissects the Culper Spy Ring, a network of ordinary citizens in New York and Long Island who operated under the nose of British occupation without a single member ever being unmasked. We examine the psychological tradecraft behind invisible ink, dead drops, and sustained hyper-vigilance, and what it reveals about the cognitive toll of living a double life under constant threat.

Today's guest is Charles Finfrock. Charles served in the Navy for four years as a military policeman and investigator. He then joined the Central Intelligence Agency in the summer of 2001 and was in training when the September 11th attacks took place. He spent the next 18 years with the agency as a case officer working primarily overseas. After leaving the agency, he worked as a senior manager at Tesla's insider threat program for three years before he founded his own company in 2021, Vigilance. Charles join the podcast to discuss his career as a CIA officer and what it's like to transition from government service into private business. Connect with Charles: vcci.io charlesfinfrock.com myprivacylife.com Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Clandestine Laboratories Your new favorite fragrance is here. I'm partial to Novochoc. https://www.clandestinelaboratories.com/fragrances Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we break down a chilling new report from Google's Threat Intelligence Group exposing a highly sophisticated, multi-year cyber espionage operation known as UNC6508. Backed by the Chinese state, this threat actor successfully infiltrated North American medical, academic, and military research networks by exploiting vulnerabilities in widely used REDCap servers. We expose how these digital operators weaponized custom malware to siphon off critical data on US defense strategy, autonomous weapons systems, and advanced AI—and what it means for the future of national security.

In the shadows of the Cold War, an unassuming British civil servant lived a double life as one of the KGB's most valuable agents, passing critical atomic secrets that accelerated the Soviet nuclear program while evading detection for nearly forty years. This episode examines her deep ideological motivations rooted in communist conviction, the sophisticated tradecraft she employed to maintain her cover, and the high-stakes psychological demands of long-term espionage under constant threat of exposure. A compelling case study in government and law, intelligence history, and the psychology of betrayal, this story culminates in the dramatic 1999 revelation that stunned the nation and reshaped public understanding of Cold War infiltration.

Luke Whittaker is a British game designer and creative director. With a background in animation and games design, he co-founded the BAFTA-winning indie studio State of Play in 2008, helping establish a reputation for meticulous, hands-on craft and playful experimentation. He was the creator and lead designer of Lumino City, the puzzle adventure built entirely from hand-made paper and card models, which won a BAFTA for Artistic Achievement.Since then he has worked on a string of distinctive projects including the Apple Award-winning pinball painting game INKS and the paper-crafted puzzle games KAMI and its sequel. As writer, director, and lead artist on South of the Circle, he even travelled to Antarctica to research a deeply human Cold War love story. Now, with Spycraft, a 1960s spy adventure that blends a physical board with video game mechanics—and comeswith a physical gadget built to play it—he continues to blur the boundaries between digital play and physical craft.Relevant Links:Luke Whittaker & State of PlayState of Play Games – official siteState of Play – about the studioSpycraft & the Board deviceSpycraft – State of Play Games pageSpycraft – on the Board storeBoard – the gaming device Spycraft runs onSouth of the CircleSouth of the Circle – State of Play Games pageSouth of the Circle – SteamSouth of the Circle – Apple App StoreLuke's Perfect ConsoleNorth & South (1989) – WikipediaIndiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure – WikipediaSega Rally Championship – WikipediaICO – WikipediaFirewatch – official siteFirewatch – WikipediaOther games and references mentionedLumino City – State of Play Games pageSamorost – Amanita DesignMachinarium – Amanita DesignKAMI 2 – State of Play Games pageShadow of the Colossus – WikipediaOxenfree – Night School StudioRetroPie – retro gaming on Raspberry PiThe Turner Contemporary – MargateSupport My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The Agency” approaches espionage less as a series of action beats and more as a study in information, perception, and control. The show is at its absolute best when it leans into that tension, allowing seemingly ordinary conversations to simmer with unease while drawing on its wealth of densely fleshed-out characters, each carrying their own agendas, vulnerabilities, and secrets. Conversations are rarely straightforward, motives are constantly in question, and even routine interactions can reshape the balance of power inside the CIA. In Season 2, the Paramount+ with Showtime drama deepens those tensions, following agents and analysts as personal loyalties, institutional pressures, and a growing sense of distrust begin to collide. But this time around the action and pacing is increasing by the second.Based on the acclaimed French series “Le Bureau des Légendes,” “The Agency” follows Michael Fassbender as Martian, a CIA agent whose personal and professional lives continue to collapse into one another. Season 2 picks up with Martian still trying to save Samia, played by Jodie Turner-Smith, while the agency itself is pulled into a wider web of internal suspicion, shifting loyalties, and a mole hunt that turns the office into its own kind of battlefield.READ MORE: ‘Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed': Tatiana Maslany, Jake Johnson, David Gordon Green & David Rosen On Lonely Screens, Bad Decisions, ‘She-Hulk,' ‘Spider-Verse' & More [Bingeworthy Podcast]The series also stars Jeffrey Wright, Richard Gere, Katherine Waterston, John Magaro, Dominic West, and more. And truly, one of the joys of Season 2 is watching a cast this deep make even the smallest exchanges feel like fully loaded scenes. Wright, who plays Henry Ogletree, and Magaro, who plays Owen Taylor, both spoke with Bingeworthy host Mike DeAngelo about the new season, the ensemble's unusual chemistry, and what it takes to make all that spy-world jargon feel lived-in rather than laminated.

Today's guest is today is Dr. Greg Barnhisel. Greg is a graduate of Reed College, New York University, and the University of Texas at Austin. He is now a professor of English at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the editor of The Bloomsbury Handbook to Cold War Literary Cultures, Pressing the Fight: Print, Propaganda, and the Cold War, and the scholarly journal Book History. Greg has written three books as well, including Cold War Modernists: Art, Literature, and American Cultural Diplomacy, and James Laughlin: New Directions and the Remaking of Ezra Pound. He's here discuss his newest book, Code Name Puritan, which is available now from the University of Chicago Press. It's about the life of Norman Pearson, an author, poet, professor, and member of the Office of Strategic Services during World War II. Connect with Greg: Bluekky: @gbarnhisel.bsky.app Instagram: @gbarnhisel Check out the book, Code Name Puritan, here. https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo233208318.html Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

While the world focused on CIA operations against Havana, Cuba was quietly building one of the Western Hemisphere's most battle-hardened and least understood special operations units, the Avispas Negras, a force that cut its teeth in Angola, refined its tradecraft across decades of economic isolation, and recently demonstrated its reach during high-stakes operations in Venezuela in ways that caught Western intelligence analysts off guard. Trained by multiple foreign intelligence services, operating in compact five-person cells that minimize exposure and maximize deniability, and equipped with locally modified Soviet-era systems that are harder to attribute and track than Western hardware, the Black Wasps represent exactly the kind of asymmetric intelligence and direct action capability that thrives in the gaps between what adversaries expect and what they actually find. This episode pulls back the curtain on one of the most underreported special operations forces in the world, examining how Cuba built a ghost force capable of projecting power far beyond what its GDP and geopolitical footprint would suggest possible.

The Spartans did not just build an encryption device when they developed the scytale, they built an entire operational security philosophy around the idea that information in the wrong hands is a weapon turned against you, and the discipline with which they controlled, transmitted, and protected military communications during the Peloponnesian War is a masterclass in the kind of need-to-know compartmentalization that defines modern high-threat operational environments. This episode breaks down how the scytale worked, why its simplicity was also its greatest operational strength, and what the Spartan crypto-state model reveals about the timeless relationship between information control, command integrity, and battlefield survival. Whether you are thinking about modern OPSEC, secure communications protocols, or the foundational principles behind keeping critical information out of enemy hands, the Spartans figured it out first and this episode shows you exactly how they did it.

Before there were cipher machines, dead drops, or encrypted satellites, the Spartans engineered a deceptively simple device called the scytale — a wooden baton wrapped with a strip of leather that rendered military communications completely unintelligible to anyone who intercepted them without an identical rod — and it became the backbone of one of the ancient world's most disciplined and secretive military states. This episode goes inside the Peloponnesian War to examine how Spartan commanders used the scytale to transmit orders across hostile territory, why the elegance of transposition cipher logic made it so effective, and what the existence of this device tells us about how intelligence, secrecy, and encrypted communication have always been inseparable from military power. If you think secure communications started with the Cold War, this episode will take you back twenty-five hundred years to the moment a piece of wood and a strip of leather gave birth to the spy tradecraft the entire modern intelligence community is still built on.

Today Justin talks with Josh Ireland. Josh has a master's degree in history from the University of York. After graduating, he worked as an editor at Headline and Quercus, two of Great Britain's leading publishing companies. Josh has ghostwritten numerous books for A-list celebrities, sports stars, politicians, oligarchs, and adventurers, including five Sunday Times bestsellers. He's also the author of two previous nonfiction titles under his own name. Josh is here todY to discuss his third and newest book,The Death of Trotsky: The True Story of the Plot to Kill Stalin's Greatest Enemy which is available now from Penguin Random House. Connect with Josh: joshireland.co.uk Twitter/X: @JoshJohnIreland Check out the book, The Death of Trotsky, here. https://a.co/d/08n7PeB3 Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Clandestine Laboratories Your new favorite fragrance is here. I'm partial to Novochoc. https://www.clandestinelaboratories.com/fragrances Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

At the outbreak of World War Two, MI6 spymaster Thomas Kendrick launched a top secret operation in which German prisoners' cells were bugged and secret listeners installed behind the walls to record and transcribe their private conversations, an operation that would eventually expand to three clandestine sites including Trent Park in North London and Latimer House and Wilton Park in Buckinghamshire. Historian and leading expert Helen Fry joins the show to discuss her critically acclaimed book, walking through how high-ranking Nazi generals were given phony interrogations, then wined, dined, and encouraged to talk freely, never suspecting that every word was being captured and fed directly to Allied command. This episode is an essential listen for anyone drawn to the hidden architecture of wartime intelligence, covert deception operations, and the extraordinary human stories behind the greatest eavesdropping program in the history of modern warfare

Today Justin sits down with Sam McKnight. Sam is a graduate student at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. He's also the founder and director of Khthon, a non-governmental organization that uses open source intelligence, satellite imagery, and digital analysis to document war crimes and locate mass graves in conflict zones. Sam founded Khthon in 2022, and since then, it has grown to include more than 100 volunteers dedicated to uncovering and reporting mass graves. He's here to discuss Khthon's work worldwide, their successes, and their plans for the future. Connect with Sam and Khthon: khthon.org Substack: McKnight Reports IG: @khthonorg IG: @mcknight.reports Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

For decades, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force has operated a clandestine global network responsible for assassinations, proxy warfare, and targeted operations against dissidents, intelligence officers, and American interests across multiple continents. This episode pulls back the curtain on how the Quds Force is structured, how it recruits and runs assets, and what its most audacious operations reveal about the strategic logic behind Tehran's shadow war. Drawing on open-source intelligence, defector accounts, and documented operations, we examine the machine built by Qasem Soleimani and what it continues to do after his death.

In the early 1990s, Colombia's national soccer team became entangled in a hidden ecosystem of cartel money, political violence, intelligence operations, and psychological warfare. This episode examines how Pablo Escobar and rival narco networks used soccer clubs as instruments of laundering, influence, and soft power while Colombian players operated under the invisible pressure of threats, gambling syndicates, and national expectation. Through the lens of espionage, forensic psychology, and covert power structures, we explore how the murder of Andrés Escobar became more than a sports tragedy—it became a case study in how criminal empires infiltrate culture, manipulate identity, and weaponize fear.

Today Justin sits down with Dr. Niccolò Petrelli. Niccolò is a research scholar at the Center for International and Strategic Studies at LUISS in Rome, Italy. He earned his Bachelor's degree in Political Science, his Master's degree in International Relations, and his PhD in Political Science, all from Roma Tre University. He has also published many papers and journal articles on counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and intelligence matters. He's here to discuss the relationship between US and Italian intelligence during the Cold War, and in particular, the Gladio operation, which armed, trained, and funded personnel intended to operate behind enemy lines in the event that World War III broke out in Europe. The Gladio teams were also suspected of being employed to suppress communism in Italy. Connect with Niccolò: LinkedIn: Niccolò Petrelli Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! https://kruschiki.com/ Clandestine Laboratories Your new favorite fragrance is here. I'm partial to Novochoc. https://www.clandestinelaboratories.com/fragrances Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The late Len Deighton produced novels that were packed with excitement and suspense but also infused with moral complexity and psychological insight. Read by Leighton Pugh. Read the essay here: https://engelsbergideas.com/essays/len-deightons-spycraft/.Image: Michael Caine in The Ipcress File. Credit: Allstar Picture Library Ltd 

In an era before satellites and digital surveillance, the Roman Empire developed one of history's most effective intelligence networks from an unlikely source: soldiers tasked with collecting wheat. The frumentarii began as logistical officers ensuring the army's grain supply but evolved into a shadowy apparatus of espionage, monitoring, and enforcement under paranoid emperors. This episode examines how bureaucratic necessities and imperial suspicion transformed routine administrators into masters of psychological control, revealing timeless lessons about power and surveillance.

Today's guest is Dr. Stephen Long. Stephen earned a PhD in US foreign policy and intelligence from the University of Birmingham and is an assistant professor of international relations at Shan Xiaotong Liverpool University. He's published articles in many professional journals, including Intelligence and National Security, International History Review, Cold War History, H-Diplo, and American History. He was also a lead contributor to the BBC Radio 4 program, "The Albania Operation," for the BBC's Document series. He's here today discuss the story of one of the CIA's first covert action operations performed jointly with MI6 in the late 1940s and the lessons they learned from it, often at great cost to the operatives themselves. Connect with Steven: steve.long@xjtl.edu.cn Check out the book, A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit, here. https://amzn.eu/d/01R8Udo1 Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Miranda Armstadt is a third-generation journalist whose grandfather created the longest-running news program on television. Her mother wrote for the Washington Post. Miranda has also performed professionally as a singer and actress. Her new novel DEGREES OF INTELLIGENCE, won the 2025 Gold Medal Award for Historical Fiction from Military Writers Society of America. Visit her website: https://miranda-armstadt.com/ Spies, Lies and Private Eyes is copyrighted by Authors on the Air Global Radio Network #authorsofinstagram #authorinterview #writingcommunity #authorsontheair#suspensebooks#authorssupportingauthors #thrillerbooks #suspense #wip#writers#writersinspiration #books#bookrecommendations #bookaddict #bookaddicted#bookaddiction #bibliophile #read#amreading #lovetoread #terrencemccauley#terrencemccauleybooks #bookouture #thrillers #thetwilighttown #MirandaArmstadt #DegreesofIntelligence

Espionage isn't just about microchips and safehouses; it's about surviving the brutal wilderness to watch an adversary unawares. Clark Impastato breaks down the grueling realities of long-range reconnaissance patrols (LRRPs) designed to intercept enemy communications and movements. Discover the patience, technology, and sheer endurance needed to gather critical intelligence from the shadows.

A shocking breach of trust rocked a quiet Connecticut community when police exposed a massive, tech-driven voyeurism operation running right out of a local residence. Samuel Rodriguez's houseguests thought they were in a safe space, entirely oblivious to the dozens of hidden lenses tracking their every move. This episode exposes the dark reality of modern digital stalking, the legal charges leveled against Rodriguez, and the devastating psychological fallout for those who realized they were recorded.

True situational awareness isn't about paranoia—it's about achieving a relaxed state of hyper-vigilance that allows you to move safely through a chaotic world. In this episode, we unpack the psychology of spatial awareness, showing you how to stay out of the "target" mindset and process environmental noise efficiently. Tune in to master the mental shifting gears required to transition smoothly from calm observation to immediate, decisive self-preservation action.

To survive in the world of espionage, an operative must view their surroundings not as a static environment, but as a dynamic chess match where rules constantly shift. This episode dives into the tactical intersection of behavioral psychology and elite tradecraft used by deep-cover agents globally. Listeners will discover how spies utilize advanced cognitive conditioning to remain calm, analytical, and completely invisible under immense psychological pressure.

While modern espionage relies on satellites and cyberwarfare, America's early spy tradecraft was forged in the dusty saloons and borderlands of the 19th century. This episode uncovers how undercover operatives, pinkertons, and double agents weaponized deception to shape the fate of a growing nation. Listeners will discover how the chaotic, lawless frontier became the perfect laboratory for early intelligence networks and covert operations.

 Today Justin speaks with Luis Baptistella. Luis is a specialist in intelligence and counterintelligence, and a retired officer of the Brazilian Navy, where he attained the rank of captain during a distinguished 35-year career. He also served on a US Navy ship in the late 1990s during the conflict in the Balkans, studied at the National Defense University in China, and served as a military attaché in West Africa. In November 2020, he founded Bravus Consultoria, a consulting firm focused on business intelligence and corporate counter intelligence for the Brazilian market. He's here to discuss his career in the Navy and his later work as a private intelligence consultant. He has also written about intelligence threats, history, and strategies in his book, which is available now. Connect with Luis: IG:@luisfernandobaptistella LinkedIn: Luis Fernando Baptistella Check out the book, Counter & Intelligence 4.0, here. https://a.co/d/06Pk1jOb Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ana Montes, a highly respected senior analyst at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, betrayed her country for more than sixteen years by spying for Cuba and compromising critical national security information. Her meticulous tradecraft and exceptional memory allowed her to evade detection until a decisive FBI search of her home over the 2001 Memorial Day weekend uncovered concealed espionage equipment. This episode examines the anatomy of an insider threat, the quiet vigilance of American counterintelligence, and the enduring risks of betrayal within government agencies.

Deep within the closed borders of Pyongyang sits Room 39, a highly secretive government branch dedicated to generating hard foreign currency for the North Korean regime. This gripping investigative episode unpacks the shadowy world of state-sponsored operations, tracking how billions of dollars flow through global networks via illicit trade, counterfeit currencies, and state-sanctioned smuggling. Discover the high-stakes intelligence operations that have spent decades trying to expose and dismantle the world's most elusive financial network.

This week Justin talks with Rory Cormac. Rory is a professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom, specializing in covert action and secret statecraft. He's also given presentations at Number 10 Downing Street, the UK Ministry of Defense, the US State Department, and the Pentagon. Besides his teaching career, he has authored or co-authored many books focusing on British history, covert action, and statecraft. You might remember Rory from his first appearance here on the podcast when we discussed his book Disrupt and Deny. Now, Rory is back to talk about his newest book, Fakers, which covers the British government's Information Research Department, a Cold War era organization dedicated to producing and disseminating black propaganda worldwide. Check out Rory's first appearance in Ep 107: British Covert Action. Connect with Rory: LinkedIn: Rory Cormac Check out his book, Fakers, here. https://a.co/d/08lUc74v Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In the collapsing final years of the Soviet Union, Detroit Red Wings officials orchestrated one of the most daring sports defections in modern history—smuggling hockey phenom Sergei Fedorov out from under the watchful eyes of Soviet authorities. What began as a scouting mission evolved into a covert operation involving hidden letters, coded meetings, surveillance fears, and a midnight extraction during the 1990 Goodwill Games in Portland. This episode explores the intersection of Cold War espionage, psychological pressure, Soviet control systems, and the hockey revolution that changed the NHL forever.

How did a deceased, homeless Welshman become the most effective secret agent of World War II? This episode uncovers the brilliant espionage tradecraft behind Operation Mincemeat, a masterclass in counter-intelligence orchestrated by British naval intelligence officers Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley. Discover how MI5 meticulously forged "pocket litter," created a fake fiancée, and built a flawless legend for a corpse to completely blindside Nazi intelligence.

In May 2026, Eileen Wang, the mayor of Arcadia, California, resigned her position and agreed to plead guilty to federal charges of acting as an illegal agent of the People's Republic of China. Prosecutors allege that, prior to her election, Wang and her associates operated a community news website under direct instructions from Chinese officials, publishing propaganda and reporting engagement metrics to advance Beijing's interests. This case offers a sobering examination of foreign influence operations targeting American local government and diaspora communities, raising critical questions about transparency, accountability, and the integrity of democratic institutions.

Today Justin sits down with Kirillo Alexandrov. Kirillo grew up in the United States, but moved to Kherson, Ukraine in 2018. In April 2022, following the Russian invasion and occupation of eastern Ukraine, Kirillo was taken prisoner. He was held for 37 days on charges of espionage, but was rescued by a small privately funded team led by Brian Stern. After a harrowing 20-hour journey across Ukraine, Kirillo crossed into Poland before safely returning to the United States. He's here to discuss his capture, detention, and rescue, which resulted in indictments of four Russian service members by the Department of Justice on charges of war crimes. Connect with Kirillo: Instagram: @thecactuswatch Substack: @thecactuswatch Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today's guest is Dr. Emrah Safa Gürkan. Emrah received his bachelor's and Master's degree from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, and graduated with a PhD from Georgetown University in 2012. He's worked as a consultant for historical television series and co-hosted the Ottoman History Podcast with Chris Gian beginning in 2011. He also hosts the YouTube History Channel, Omnibus Live, which currently has nearly half a million subscribers. He's here today to discuss Ottoman intelligence operations throughout the Mediterranean. Connect with Emrah: ottomanhistorypodcast.com YouTube: @OMNIBUSLIVE Check out the book, Spies for the Sultan, here. https://a.co/d/06c9iIqR Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is a clip from Bloody History! Get access to the full episode and all thier content on all podcast platforms or click the link below!Full episode here! https://www.spreaker.com/episode/another-conversation-with-chuck-ochelli--71677595Get access to every episode of Bloody History https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/cory-hughes-bloody-history--5875229Forbidden Knowledge Network https://forbiddenknowledge.news/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/forbidden-knowledge-news--3589233/support.

Today Justin sits down with Eduardo Barreto. Eduardo is a high school teacher at Gulliver Prep School and an adjunct professor of English composition at Miami-Dade College. He's married with five children and lives in Miami, Florida. Eduardo has published several books and various subjects, including both fiction and non-fiction. He's here to discuss the life and wars of his "uncle" Angel Benitez, who he has written about in his book. Eduardo was also joined during this interview by Mercedes Benitez, Angel's wife of more than 60 years. You may hear her contribute to the conversation here and there. Connect with Eduardo: theteacherwriter.net Check out the book, Rebel with a Cause: A Cuban in the Congo, here. https://a.co/d/0cwKm2hT Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Substack: spycraft101.substack.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Justin's guest for today is Sean Wiswesser. Sean is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in History and Russian and Slavic Linguistics. He also has a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the Air War College. Sean is a former senior operations officer and former Chief of Station with the Central Intelligence Agency and has served multiple overseas tours, including in war zones during his career. He's here to discuss his career with CIA, working inside and against the Russian Intelligence Services, which he has written about in his new book. In it,  he details lessons learned from more than 30 years in the intelligence community, working up close with Russian spies, dissidents, and defectors. Connect with Sean: LinkedIn: Sean Wiswesser Check out the book, Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin's Secret War, here. https://a.co/d/0ckwvi9m Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Real government secrecy, intelligence failures, and historic scandals created the conditions for today’s conspiracy culture. Pearl Harbor, The Red Scare, JFK, 9/11, QAnon - a small truth can explode into a dangerous paranoid belief in hidden power and control. Genuine conspiracies often make it harder—not easier—to separate fact from fiction. How do democracies survive when citizens no longer agree on what’s real? Watch Mission Implausible on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MissionImplausiblePod

Day 1,510.Today, as new evidence emerges that Russia is increasing sign-on bonuses to recruit more soldiers for its war in Ukraine, we report on efforts to ramp up defences around Vladimir Putin's palace. We also examine dramatic political developments in Hungary, where the new prime minister has vowed to expose alleged Russian links – amid reports of document shredding by allies of former leader Viktor Orbán. And later, we speak to a former CIA operative about Russian disinformation tactics, the failures of Kremlin intelligence services, and what they have learned – and not learned – from the war.Contributors:Francis Dearnley (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @FrancisDearnley on X.Dominic Nicholls (Host on Ukraine: The Latest). @DomNicholls on X.With thanks to former CIA operative Sean M. Wiswesser.NOW IN FULL VIDEO WITH MAPS & BATTLEFIELD FOOTAGE:Every episode is now available on our YouTube channel shortly after the release of the audio version. You will find it here: https://www.youtube.com/@UkraineTheLatest CONTENT REFERENCED:Sean M. Wiswesser's book, ‘Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks: Russian Intelligence and Putin's Secret War':https://a.co/d/04TANzGg Putin has lost his best friend inside the EU. Who can he rely on now Orban has gone? (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/04/14/putin-loses-best-friend-orban/ Ukraine ‘forces Russians to surrender using only robots' (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/14/ukraine-forces-russians-to-surrender-using-only-robots/ Putin's house now protected by 27 air defence systems (Antonia Langford in The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2026/04/13/putins-house-now-protected-27-air-defence-systems-drones/ Zelensky's Ukraine's Defense Industry Worker Day Address (President's Office):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Br_kdXR-sk&t=56sStarmer accused of ‘corrosive complacency' over defence (The Telegraph):https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/04/14/starmer-accused-complacency-former-nato-chief-defence/ EMAIL US:Contact the team on ukrainepod@telegraph.co.uk . We continue to read every message, and seek to respond to as many on air and in our newsletter as possible. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Justin sits down with Mubin Shaikh. Mubin grew up in Toronto, Ontario in a family of Indian Muslim immigrants. As a young man, he was drawn down the path of radicalization after traveling to India and Pakistan and encountering Taliban fighters there. However, in 2004, he experienced a change of heart and soon began working with the Canadian Security and Intelligence Service to identify potential jihadis in Canada. In 2006, Mubin was the key witness in Canada's biggest ever homegrown terror investigation, which resulted in nearly 20 convictions. He's here today to discuss his experiences undercover with a terror group that later became known as the Toronto 18, which he wrote about in his book. Mubin's work was instrumental in securing convictions for the participants, but living a double life for more than two years also came at great personal cost to him. Connect with Mubin: parents4peace.org LinkedIn: Mubin Shaikh Check out the book, Undercover Jihadi: Inside the Toronto 18, here. https://a.co/d/06jRj4HA Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Today Justin talks with Dr. Damien Van Puyvelde. Damien is an associate professor and head of the Intelligence and Security Group at the Institute of Security and Global Affairs at Leiden University, Netherlands. Before joining Leiden University, he led the Scottish Center for War Studies at the University of Glasgow. He is the author or co-author of several books, and co-editor. His work has also been featured in outlets such as Le Monde and The Washington Post. He's here to discuss his newest book, The DGSE: A Concise History of France's Foreign Intelligence Service, which is available now from Georgetown University Press. Connect with Damien: Twitter/X: @DamienVanP Bluesky: @dvanp.bsky.social LinkedIn: Damien Van Puyvelde Check out the book, The DGSE, here. https://press.georgetown.edu/Book/The-DGSE Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week, Jason and Tyler welcome producer Justin Sayles to dig into a medical condition that the government claims doesn't exist. In this episode: (3:08) Havana Syndrome (18:29) Reasons to cover up (27:05) Explaining the weapon (35:51) Let's talk about "The Chef" (42:15) The Norwegian scientist (46:03) Other energy-directed weapons (49:27) Ranking military inventions (1:00:44) Is Havana Syndrome real? (1:07:16) LUSID score (1:10 :50) The Doomscroll Hosts: Jason Concepcion and Tyler Parker Guest: Justin Sayles Producers: Cory McConnell, Donnie Beacham, and Justin Sayles Art direction: David Shoemaker Motion graphics and animations: Chris Calleton Engineering: Sarah Reddy Set design: Hannah Leiken and Jonathan Ratliff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today Justin sits down with Janosh Neumann, known as Jay. Jay was born in Russia under a different name and joined the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB ,as a counterintelligence officer in 1996. Over the next few years, he investigated international money laundering and other crimes. In 2008, he and his wife, Victoria, who was also an FSB officer, traveled to the Dominican Republic where they walked into the US Embassy and offered to defect to the United States. This was the start of a years long relationship with the US government, which helped relocate the couple to the United States to start a new life with many ups and downs along the way. He's here today to discuss his life story, which has been made into a graphic novel series called Almost American by Aftershock Comics in 2022. Connect with Janosh: realspycomics.com info@realspycomics.com Twitter/X: @RealSpyComics_ Check out the comic book of his life, ALMOST AMERICAN, here. https://a.co/d/0aTyO0lv Connect with Spycraft 101: Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: shop.spycraft101.com Patreon: Spycraft 101 Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here. Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here. Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here. Kruschiki The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.On today’s edition of The Briefing, Dr. Mohler discusses the timing of the attacks in Iran, the moral dimension of the spycraft of Israel and America, and SCOTUS’s ruling in favor of parental rights in California over LGBTQ issues in schools.Part I (00:14 – 12:19)We Now Know Why: The U.S. and Israel Took the Opportunity to Kill Iran's Leaders at a Rare Gathering of Iran's LeadershipWhy the U.S. and Israel Struck When They Did: A Chance to Kill Iran's Leaders by The Wall Street Journal (Dov Lieber, Alexander Ward, Laurence Norman)Part II (12:19 – 17:39)‘Social Network Analysis' and ‘Pattern of Life' Profiles: Moral Dimensions of Israel's Spycraft — and America'sInside the plan to kill Ali Khamenei by The Financial Times (Mehul Srivastava, James Shotter, Neri Zilber, and Steff Chávez)Part III (17:39 – 21:08)California Parents Win on Massive LGBTQ Issue: SCOTUS Upholds Ruling that Schools Cannot Hide So-Called Gender Transitions From ParentsMirabelli v. Bonta by The Supreme Court of the United StatesPart IV (21:08 – 26:18)Parents, the Battle For Your Rights is Here: State by State, the Left is Seeking to Undermine Your RightsSign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.