Julian Fisher spent his career as a British intelligence operative before distilling what he learned into the Think Like a Spy: Strategic Relations Workshop —and his central argument is counterintuitive: the most transferable lessons from intelligence work aren't classified techniques, they're interpersonal skills. In conversation with Chris, Fisher argues that human intelligence, at its core, is the disciplined practice of building trust, reading people accurately, and cultivating long-term str...
Jun 06, 2026•1 hr 9 min•Season 10Ep. 48
In the late 1940s and early 1950s, CIA and MI6 launched an audacious series of clandestine operations to infiltrate and destabilize Communist Albania — and lost nearly every agent they sent in. Historian Stephen Long, Assistant Professor in International Relations at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and author of A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit , reconstructs how the Albanian Sigurimi, one of Eastern Europe's most formidable counterintelligence services, turned the West's covert action program...
Jun 04, 2026•54 min•Season 10Ep. 47
Chris and Matt break down a packed few weeks in intelligence and geopolitics, opening with the resignation of Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence — a departure framed officially around her husband's illness but widely read as an exit under pressure. Drawing on a Bulwark piece by former CIA officer John Sipher, they examine whether the ODNI was ever structurally sound enough to survive a politicized occupant, and what Gabbard's tenure — from her reversal on the IC's Iran nuclear as...
May 31, 2026•1 hr 17 min•Season 10Ep. 46
The U.S. Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war. Congress hasn't formally done so since 1942. Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer and current senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, joins Matt to make sense of how that happened — and what it means now that the United States is at war with Iran. Brian has spent years arguing, across administrations of both parties, that executive branch war-making has drifted dangerously far from its constitutional moorings. O...
May 23, 2026•59 min•Season 10Ep. 45
Charles Beaumont spent years as an MI6 officer running human sources before turning to fiction—and his second novel, A Spy at War , carries the authority of someone who has actually done the work. Set against the early days of the Ukraine War in 2022, the book maps the architecture of Russian disinformation: corruption narratives seeded into sympathetic media, useful idiots at senior policy levels, and the Chechen enforcers whose own histories implicate Moscow in the violence that built Putin's ...
May 16, 2026•1 hr 12 min•Season 10Ep. 44
There will be no show on Saturday 9th May as we are on a production break. We will return on Saturday 16th May Chris has some recommendations from our back catalogue. Chris's Episode recommendations From CIA to CEO with Rupal Patel Audio: https://pod.fo/e/371b55 YouTube: https://youtu.be/94-vBjgdNzA Former CIA analyst Rupal Patel joins Chris to explore reinvention, resilience and life after intelligence, from tactical ignorance and time management to building a life that truly fits. The Fourth I...
May 08, 2026•1 min
Two months into Operation Epic Fury, the US and Iran remain locked in an uncomfortable limbo: a ceasefire is technically holding, the Strait of Hormuz is still contested, and diplomacy has collapsed over the question of nuclear enrichment. Chris and Matt assess the war's compounding costs—severely drawn-down munitions stockpiles with implications stretching from Taiwan to NATO, and reporting that JD Vance has privately challenged whether the Pentagon is telling the president the truth about how ...
May 02, 2026•1 hr 17 min•Season 10Ep. 43
In today’s episode, former Special Forces Detachment A operator James Stejskal shares his extraordinary insights into Berlin's role as the epicenter of Cold War espionage. From his personal experiences in the city to the strategic importance of intelligence operations, James explains how Berlin became the world's most notorious spy hub. Whether you're a history buff or an espionage enthusiast, this conversation unveils the secrets behind Berlin's legendary status in covert warfare. Subscribe and...
Apr 29, 2026•1 hr 5 min•Season 10Ep. 42
In the fall of 1983, NATO's annual nuclear war exercise, Able Archer 83, brought the United States and the Soviet Union closer to catastrophe than almost anyone in Washington understood at the time. Brian J. Morra—decorated former Air Force intelligence officer, aerospace executive, and author of the historical thriller The Able Archers —was inside those events: stationed in Tokyo during the KAL 007 shootdown, transferred to Washington just as the crisis peaked, and present in Germany as Soviet ...
Apr 26, 2026•1 hr 1 min•Season 10Ep. 41
John Sipher and Jerry O'Shea, former senior CIA officers and co-founders of Spycraft Entertainment, return to the show for a conversation with Matt and Chris about what Hollywood gets wrong about espionage—and what they're trying to do about it. They dig into the tropes that break the spell (the lone hero, the ditched tail, the torture-porn shortcuts), why real intelligence work is quieter, more bureaucratic, and more character-driven than the screen suggests, and how lazy spy fiction feeds the ...
Apr 18, 2026•1 hr 19 min•Season 10Ep. 40
Sean Wiswesser spent three decades in the U.S. intelligence community, much of it running operations against Russia for the CIA. His new book, Tradecraft, Tactics, and Dirty Tricks , dissects of how the FSB, SVR, and GRU actually do their work: dead drops, signal sites, surveillance detection routes, and the street tradecraft that protected agents like Aldrich Ames and Robert Hanssen for years. Wiswesser explains why Russian services keep returning to Cold War–era methods, breaks down the operat...
Apr 11, 2026•1 hr 2 min•Season 10Ep. 39
Pastor Louis Florio—Lutheran pastor, former military intelligence officer, and police chaplain in Virginia—joins Chris to explain the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR): what it actually is, where it came from, and why it matters beyond the pews. Florio traces the movement's roots in the mid-20th-century Latter Rain revival, unpacks its core doctrines of dominionism and post-millennialism, and explains how its network of self-proclaimed apostles and prophets has embedded itself inside American evan...
Apr 04, 2026•1 hr 40 min•Season 10Ep. 38
Chris and Matt are back for Espresso Martini. Nearly a month into Operation Epic Fury, Washington appears to be laying the groundwork for potential ground operations inside Iran—but the two options on the table, seizing Kharg Island or securing Tehran's enriched uranium stockpile, are both far harder to execute than advertised. They dig into what a nuclear material extraction would actually require, and what growing strain on U.S. interceptor stockpiles and carrier availability signals about the...
Mar 28, 2026•1 hr 6 min•Season 10Ep. 37
Chris speaks with intelligence historian and journalist Trevor Barnes about the Bulgarian spy ring trial at the Old Bailey, one of the most significant espionage cases in the UK since the Cold War. Barnes attended the proceedings and walks Chris through how a network of Bulgarian nationals, allegedly directed remotely by fugitive Wirecard executive Jan Marsalek from Moscow, was tasked with surveilling journalists and dissidents across Europe — including Bellingcat investigator Christo Grozev — i...
Mar 18, 2026•1 hr 25 min•Season 10Ep. 36
David Shedd served as acting director of the Defense Intelligence Agency; Andrew Badger is a former DIA case officer now teaching state-sponsored espionage at Oxford. Together they've written The Great Heist: China's Epic Campaign to Steal America's Secrets . Matt talks with them about how the Ministry of State Security evolved from a backwater service into what they argue is the world's most powerful intelligence agency; how Beijing replaced Cold War recruitment tradecraft with guanxi-based soc...
Mar 14, 2026•1 hr 1 min•Season 10Ep. 35
Israel has killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The IRGC's senior leadership is decimated. The CIA is reportedly arming Kurdish opposition forces along the Iran-Iraq border. Phillip Smyth — one of the foremost experts on Iran's Shia proxy networks — joins Matt to make sense of what comes next: why Khamenei's succession is far more fraught than most analysis acknowledges; why the proliferation of "new" armed groups on the battlefield is largely a disinformation campaign run by established militias; the...
Mar 07, 2026•1 hr 25 min•Season 10Ep. 34
In this conversation, Lizzie Dearden, a journalist specializing in terrorism reporting, shares her journey into the field, the writing of her book Plotters, and insights into the evolving landscape of terrorism in the UK. She discusses the emotional atmosphere of terrorism trials, the shift in threats post-2017, and the complexities of radicalization. Dearden highlights the challenges of public perception, the role of intelligence agencies, and the significance of case studies like Haroon Syed's...
Feb 28, 2026•58 min•Season 10Ep. 33
Benjamin Wittes, editor-in-chief of Lawfare , joins Matt and Chris after spending two weeks traveling across Ukraine—from Kyiv to Kharkiv and Odesa—as the war enters its fourth year. What he describes is sobering. Cities that appear functional on the surface are living through freezing temperatures, rolling blackouts, nightly missile strikes, and the constant threat of drone attacks. Families endure shattered infrastructure and relentless uncertainty, while society strains to maintain some sembl...
Feb 21, 2026•1 hr 16 min•Season 10Ep. 32
In this episode, Chris speaks with German investigative journalist Manuel Bewarder about the Jan Marsalek spy network and the landmark UK trial that exposed it. They unpack how the former Wirecard executive allegedly directed a Bulgarian spy ring from Moscow, targeting journalists, dissidents, and even U.S. military facilities in Germany. Drawing on thousands of Telegram messages revealed in court, Manuel explains how the network operated, how close it came to violence, and what the case reveals...
Feb 14, 2026•1 hr 7 min•Season 10Ep. 31
This week on Espresso Martini, Chris and Matt examine a set of stories pointing to a more volatile intelligence and political landscape. They unpack Poland’s investigation into whether Jeffrey Epstein functioned as a long-running collector of kompromat tied to Russian interests, and what the available evidence does — and does not — tell us about his relationship with Moscow. In Germany, the expulsion of a Russian military attaché and the arrest of an alleged spy accused of mapping defense and dr...
Feb 07, 2026•1 hr 26 min•Season 10Ep. 30
Investigative journalist Florian Flade returns to discuss Russia's Harmony Undersea Surveillance System, a project aimed at protecting its nuclear submarine fleet. Florian and Chris cover the international collaboration involved in Florian’s investigation, the strategic importance of the Harmony system, and the challenges of reporting on sensitive military topics. Florian also highlights the broader implications of Russia's military activities in the Arctic and the ongoing efforts to counteract ...
Jan 31, 2026•1 hr 1 min•Season 10Ep. 29
In this comprehensive discussion, Sam Lichtenstein from RANE (Risk Assistance Network & Exchange) joins Chris to dissect their annual geopolitical and security forecast. Sam provides insights into the geopolitical landscape for 2026, highlighting the challenges of predicting human behavior, the rise of violent conflicts, and the implications of AI and cybersecurity threats. They cover regional dynamics in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and the Americas, emphasizin...
Jan 24, 2026•1 hr 13 min•Season 10Ep. 28
Shane Harris joins Matt to discuss his latest reporting for The Atlantic on one of the most destabilizing ideas circulating inside the Trump administration: the U.S. acquisition of Greenland. Shane explains how an idea once dismissed as a punchline is now being treated by U.S. and European officials as a real contingency, and why Denmark and Greenland view it as an existential threat. They examine how the proposal took shape inside Trump’s orbit, why political and intelligence pressure campaigns...
Jan 17, 2026•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 27
In this conversation, Jack Murphy discusses his military background and transition into journalism, focusing on his reporting of Operation Absolute Resolve. He shares insights into the planning and execution of the operation, the legal and strategic implications, and the broader context of U.S. foreign policy. Murphy emphasizes the importance of understanding the consequences of military actions and the need for caution in future operations. Subscribe and share to stay ahead in the world of inte...
Jan 14, 2026•54 min•Season 10Ep. 26
The U.S. capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro marks one of the most consequential unilateral actions Washington has taken in the Western Hemisphere in decades. Chris and Matt unpack what actually happened, why it matters, and how this operation tests long-standing assumptions about sovereignty, precedent, and America’s role abroad—especially in a world where rivals are watching closely. They then turn to the death of Aldrich Ames, reflecting on how the CIA’s most damaging traitor resha...
Jan 11, 2026•1 hr 17 min•Season 10Ep. 25
Former CIA analyst-turned-entrepreneur Rupal Patel joins Chris for a candid conversation about reinvention, resilience, and what it takes to build a life that actually fits. Rupal talks about identity shifts after leaving the intelligence world, why self-reflection matters more than motivation, and how community can make or break big transitions. She shares practical frameworks she uses with clients—including her unique approach to time management—and introduces the idea of “tactical ignorance”:...
Jan 03, 2026•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 24
Remy Osman joins Chris to unpack the strange, high-stakes world of Putin’s “shadow fleet”—the tankers and ghost ships helping Russia move oil and dodge sanctions. Remy traces how he got into ship-spotting during quarantine in Singapore, then explains how open-source sleuths identify suspicious vessels: “zombie” identities, odd tracking behavior, evasive paperwork, and patterns that don’t match legitimate trade. They dig into why Singapore sits at the center of global maritime traffic, what makes...
Dec 27, 2025•58 min•Season 10Ep. 23
Criminologist Federico Varese joins Chris to talk John le Carré—David Cornwell—and what his fiction got right about power, corruption, and the criminal underside of the modern Russian state. Varese, a co-curator of Oxford’s Tradecraft exhibition at the Bodleian, shares how he first met Cornwell in the early 1990s and later advised him on Our Game and Our Kind of Traitor , drawing directly on his research into Russian organized crime. From there, Varese unpacks the post-Soviet trajectory he trace...
Dec 24, 2025•1 hr 9 min•Season 10Ep. 22
Former senior CIA officer John Sipher joins Chris to break down what Western audiences get wrong about Russian intelligence—starting with what it’s actually like to operate inside one of the world’s most hostile counterintelligence environments. Sipher explains the KGB-to-Putin throughline, why Moscow treats intelligence as a frontline tool of regime survival, and how “active measures” and reflexive control shape Russia’s political warfare abroad. He also pushes back on myths of intelligence wor...
Dec 20, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 10Ep. 21
David Tuch, author of The Wireless Operator , joins Chris to tell the stranger-than-fiction story of Harold Derber—a wartime wireless operator who later ran blockade-busting weapons to Israel before reinventing marijuana smuggling in the 1970s. David explains how a loophole created by the 1970 Controlled Substances Act briefly made it legal to hold drugs in international waters—and how Derber exploited it with a “mothership” fleet, offloading tons of marijuana at sea. They break down why Deber’s...
Dec 17, 2025•59 min•Season 10Ep. 20
