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
Feb 4, 2025 • 55min
True Spies Debriefs: Gina Bennett on the new paradigm for national security
Gina Bennett, a former CIA counterterrorism analyst known for her early warnings about Osama bin Laden, shares her insights on the evolving landscape of national security. She discusses the need for ethical rethinking in intelligence and the significance of trust in governance. Bennett highlights the emotional toll on analysts and the delicate balance between personal life and national duty. With an innovative idea for a shadow cabinet, she advocates for better accountability in a tech-driven world while weaving storytelling to deepen understanding of security themes.
Jan 29, 2025 • 55min
Spying On The Reich | Historical
Roger Howard, an International Relations journalist and author of "Spying on the Reich," discusses the covert battles against Hitler before World War II. He narrates chilling tales of espionage, including a shocking discovery in Munich that hints at a web of undercover operations. Delving into the formation of the Z Organisation, Howard uncovers how unconventional spies operated amid rising Nazi extremism. He also examines the miscalculations in intelligence that profoundly impacted the West's understanding of Hitler's intentions and the disastrous consequences that followed.
Jan 21, 2025 • 53min
True Spies Classic: The Nuclear Superhighway | CIA
In this classic episode of True Spis, undercover CIA agent James Olson takes Vanessa Kirby on a nail-biting mission behind the Iron Curtain. In the late 1970s, James was tasked with tapping an underground communications line between Moscow and a top-secret nuclear weapons facility. Under constant surveillance from the KGB, he would need to use a combination of traditional spycraft and hi-tech gadgetry to intercept this priceless intel without risking a diplomatic catastrophe. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 14, 2025 • 37min
True Spies Debriefs: Bob Dougherty on transnational repression
Do you know about the rising threats posed by transnational repression?Hear from Bob Dougherty, veteran of 26 years as a CIA undercover operations officer. Today, Bob works as an instructor for multiple government agencies, increasingly speaking on the dangers of transnational repression; the intimidation, harassment, or other human rights abuses perpetrated by countries on their own people beyond their borders.From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 7, 2025 • 1h 4min
Digging for Gold | Cold War
Journalist and author Steve Vogel unravels the unlikely tale of George Blake, the cunning Cold War double-agent who betrayed one of the most ambitious wire-tapping operations of the 1950s - and made a name for himself as one of spycraft's greatest escapologists.From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Frank Palmer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 31, 2024 • 41min
Tradecraft, Part 9
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft.In our ninth round of insights from the world of espionage, Rhiannon Neads looks back on lessons drawn from intrepid cyber-cops, nuclear double-dealers, crafty codebreakers and more.From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 24, 2024 • 54min
True Spies Classic: Undercover Jihadi | CSIS
In this True Spies Classic, Hayley Atwell tells the story of Mubin Shaikh, an Islamist extremist turned undercover agent for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Undercover as a member of the terrorist group that would be known as the Toronto 18, Mubin was told that his cover would be blown. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 17, 2024 • 49min
True Spies Debriefs: Mubin Shaikh on the Psyche of an Extremist
What can drive an ordinary person to extremist ideology? Hear from former security intelligence and counter terrorism operative, Mubin Shaikh, on his current work as a Counter Extremism Specialist. He delves into real world cases of those who succumb to extremist ideology, why it happens, and his challenging work trying to bring people back.From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 10, 2024 • 44min
The Spy With No Name | CIA
Zach Dorfman, a national security journalist renowned for his insights into intelligence, dives into the life of a covert CIA operative known only by his alias. He uncovers the enigmatic death of Anthony Lagunas, raising questions about the emotional toll on spies post-9/11. The podcast explores the intense mental strain of infiltrating extremist groups and highlights the ethical dilemmas operatives face. Dorfman also discusses the evolving landscape of espionage and the necessary cultural understanding to combat terrorism effectively.
Dec 3, 2024 • 49min
True Spies Classic: True Narcos | DEA
In this True Spies Classic, Hayley Atwell tells the story of the capture of Pablo Escobar, with the DEA agents who helped bring him down and inspired the TV show 'Narcos'. Steve Murphy and Javier Peña found themselves in Colombia on the trail of the notorious druglord - two "gringos" with a price on their heads. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.https://www.deanarcos.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
