True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics
SPYSCAPE
True Spies takes you inside the world's greatest espionage and detective operations. Our hosts Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Sophia Di Martino, Daisy Ridley and Rhiannon Neads talk to the real spies behind the missions. What do they know? What are their skills? And what would you do in their position? We explore and investigate real life thrillers, mysteries and crimes - stories that prove truth is stranger than fiction! These stories cover lies, murder, theft, sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. You’ll meet experts from the top intelligence agencies including FBI, CIA, MI5, MI6 (SIS), KGB, GRU, Mossad and many others. You’ll discover characters who spied because of money, ideology, coercion or just plain old ego. And, if you’d like to dig deeper into the world of secrets, and test your own secret intelligence skills, head over to spyscape.com for articles, games, experiences, puzzles and videos.For episodes first and ad-free, subscribe to Spyscape+ at: plus.Spyscape.comA Cup & Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Music: Nick Ryan.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 9, 2023 • 34min
Balkan Betrayals, Part 1/2: The Correspondent | CIA
In the early 1990s, the collapse of Yugoslavia sparked a brutal series of conflicts in Eastern Europe. At first, the USA pursued a policy of non-intervention - officially. Unofficially? That's where H.K Roy comes in.Sophia Di Martino joins H.K as he monitors the warzone for the CIA. In Part 1, H.K makes the leap from plying his tradecraft in a quiet corner of the continent to becoming a spy-cum-war-reporter, brushing against danger at every turn.From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 2, 2023 • 38min
Tradecraft, Part 6
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our sixth round of insights from the world of espionage, Sophia Di Martino learns how to spy in a warzone, meets undercover journalists in Putin's Russia and investigates a CIA mole in our annual digest of the series so far. Could YOU master the craft? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 23, 2022 • 38min
Tradecraft, Part 5
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our fifth round of insights from the world of espionage, Sophia Di Martino encounters a dictator on the run, an undercover Hells Angel, a mole in the NSA and more in our annual digest of the series so far. Could YOU master the craft? From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 19, 2022 • 37min
How to Steal a MiG, Part 2/2: The Men in Plaid | CIA
In the skies over Cairo, an unlit military transport plane makes a wary descent in to the city's international airport. Under cover of darkness, it's loaded with a precious consignment - an artefact that the USA has gone to great lengths to procure. Not a cursed relic, or a crystal skull - but a cutting-edge Russian fighter jet.In Part Two, CIA Officer Jim Fees' daughter, Paula, and aviation expert Steve Davies guide Sophia di Martino through the final stages of a daring desert heist - and explain the true significance of this exceptional Cold War coup. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 12, 2022 • 39min
How to Steal a MiG, Part 1/2: The Pyramid Scheme | CIA
In the skies over Cairo, an unlit military transport plane makes a wary descent in to the city's international airport. Under cover of darkness, it's loaded with a precious consignment - an artefact that the USA has gone to great lengths to procure. Not a cursed relic, or a crystal skull - but a cutting-edge Russian fighter jet.In Part One, Sophia Di Martino flies cargo-class with the CIA's Jim Fees - the officer who stole a MiG-23 from under the nose of the Soviet Union in the late 1970s. To tell his story, we've enlisted Jim's only daughter, alongside historian and aviation expert Steve Davies.From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 5, 2022 • 39min
Aldrich Ames - The Ultimate Double Agent, Part 2/2: Operation Nightmover | CIA
The CIA is only as strong as it's weakest link. And in the waning years of the Cold War, weak links were in ready supply. A number of trusted Agency officers were caught selling secrets to the Russian regime. And the most notorious traitor? Aldrich Hazen Ames.In part 2, Sophia Di Martino joins FBI Special Agent Leslie G Wiser Jr on the toughest assignment of his career so far. But to take down Aldrich Ames, he'll need to bend the rules...From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 28, 2022 • 42min
Aldrich Ames - The Ultimate Double Agent, Part 1/2: Selling Secrets | CIA
The CIA is only as strong as it's weakest link. And in the waning years of the Cold War, weak links were in ready supply. A number of trusted Agency officers were caught selling secrets to the Russian regime. And the most notorious traitor? Aldrich Hazen Ames.In the first episode of a 2-part True Spies story, Sophia Di Martino joins journalist and spy chronicler Bryan Denson to uncover the inglorious origins of Ames' betrayal - and the beginnings of his downfall. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 21, 2022 • 46min
The Bin Laden Files, Part 3/3: A Lion In Winter
As a new era of True Spies begins, Sophia di Martino joins the experts to reveal Osama bin Laden’s origins, methods and motivation. CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder join CNN’s Peter Bergen, the man who first interviewed Osama, to share the unvarnished truth about Bin Laden’s rise to power.In Part 3, the hunt begins for the world's most infamous terrorist begins in earnest - and a humble courier has an important part to play. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 14, 2022 • 46min
The Bin Laden Files, Part 2/3: Take The Shot
As a new era of True Spies begins, Sophia di Martino joins the experts to reveal Osama bin Laden’s origins, methods and motivation. CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder join CNN’s Peter Bergen, the man who first interviewed Osama, to share the unvarnished truth about Bin Laden’s rise to power.In Part 2, the world begins to pay attention to Bin Laden - and the CIA makes its first moves against the Al Qaeda kingpin. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 7, 2022 • 42min
The Bin Laden Files, Part 1/3: The Making of Osama
Sophia di Martino joins CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder, along with CNN's Peter Bergen, in discussing the origins, methods, and motivation of Osama bin Laden. They share the unvarnished truth about his rise to power, including his first televised interview and his evolving ambitions. The podcast covers Osama's upbringing, his exile, and his rise in Sudan, exploring the aftermath of the Soviet-Afghan war and the radicalization of Afghan Arab veterans.
