In this episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast Jeff Quest speaks to the former director of CIA's Technical Service Robert Wallace about his time in the CIA and the various non-fiction books he has co-authored since leaving the agency. They discuss how the CIA is similar to all other bureaucracies, why spy tech is so important for successful spy operations and how hard it can sometimes be to get past the CIA Publications Review Board. Plus, we talk about the spy that pulled the "Reverse Beatles" man...
Nov 13, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 164
Spy Rewind is back! Matthew Bradford and Jeff Quest go deep on an episode of Spy TV show Get Smart! Shownotes at www.spybrary.com/163 Please consider subscribing to Spybrary so you don't miss out on future episodes.
Oct 23, 2021•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 163
Author CP Bennison gives us her thoughts on the spy novel Transcription by Kate Atkinson on the Spybrary Spy Book Podcast. Brush Pass Review. Transcription is a spy novel by British novelist Kate Atkinson, published in September 2018. The novel focuses on the activities of British orphan Juliet Armstrong throughout World War II and afterwards, and how she begins a career as a low-level transcriptionist for MI5, before rising through the ranks.
Oct 20, 2021•8 min•Ep. 162
Author Andy Onyx shares the 5 spy books, movies and tv shows he would want to be stashed in his dead drop. (our riff on desert island discs with a spy twist!) Check out our Facebook group for more spy discussions and chat!
Oct 12, 2021•58 min•Ep. 161
Author Andy Onyx gives us the lowdown on G K Chesterton's The Man Who Was Thursday on the Spybrary Spy Book Podcast.
Oct 03, 2021•11 min•Ep. 160
In this episode of Spy Rewind, Double O Section's Matthew Bradford and SpyWrite's Jeff Quest take a look at the globetrotting cable spy tv show Covert Affairs. They discuss whether all spies need to meet at the Berlin listening station, the benefits of location shoots and how to be a "fashion-forward" spy. Plus, Bowie in Berlin, R.E.M., cliff diving white Jaguars, and Jeff makes another failed attempt at an accent, this time German! All that and more in this episode of Spybrary.
Aug 01, 2021•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 159
Guest host Steven Minegar chats with author Ralph Hope about his latest book. What do you do with a hundred thousand idle spies? By 1990 the Berlin Wall had fallen and the East German state security service folded. For forty years, they had amassed more than a billion pages in manila files detailing the lives of their citizens. Almost a hundred thousand Stasi employees, many of them experienced officers with access to highly personal information, found themselves unemployed overnight. This is th...
Jul 29, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 158
Mission France tells the full story of the thirty-nine female SOE agents who went undercover in France. We interview the author, historian Dr. Kate Vigurs to find out more.
Jul 26, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 157
In this episode of Spy Rewind - Matthew and Jeff take a look at the groundbreaking 1960 TV series Danger Man, specifically the episode - Time to Kill. They discuss whether John Drake is the JFK of spies, why you should always keep your bullets in loaves of bread, and the proper attire for an assassin. Plus, rock out to Jeff's rendition of the song Secret Agent Man! All that and more in this episode of Spybrary. links at www.spybrary.com/156
Jul 18, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 156
In this episode of Spy Rewind - Matthew and Jeff take a look at the groundbreaking 1960 TV series Danger Man, specifically the episode - Time to Kill. They discuss whether John Drake is the JFK of spies, why you should always keep your bullets in loaves of bread, and the proper attire for an assassin. Plus, rock out to Jeff's rendition of the song Secret Agent Man! All that and more in this episode of Spybrary. links at www.spybrary.com/156
Jul 18, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 156
We talk with one of the foremost collectors of John le Carré, Steven Ritterman, whose collection of pristine le Carré editions numbers over 300 items. We learn about the Haycroft-Queen list, rare signed editions and Steve's undercover mission to meet le Carré himself. All that plus talk on champagne toasts with Otto Penzler, meeting Eric Ambler, literal juggling balls and a little Silverview talk from a couple of le Carré collectors.
Jul 04, 2021•59 min•Ep. 155
Jeff and Matthew are back with the latest Spy Rewind where they take a look at a specific episode of a Spy tv show and talk about that episode plus a bit about the series as a whole. This week they discuss the 1980's show Scarecrow and Mrs. King
Jun 11, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 154
Spybrary Spy Podcast Host Shane Whaley gives us his brush pass spy book review of The Alpha List by Ted Allbeury. 'Truly a classic writer of espionage fiction' - Len Deighton Dave Marsh and Charlie Kelly grew up together on the backstreets of Birmingham. Now Charlie is a Labour MP and Dave an Intelligence agent. When Charlie comes under suspicion of passing secrets to the Russians, Dave is given the task of investigating his old friend. He seems to be able to prove his case soon enough, but as C...
Jun 06, 2021•15 min•Ep. 153
In this episode of Spy Rewind Matthew and Jeff take a look at the 1985 TV series Mr Palfrey of Westminster, specifically series two episode - Official Secret. They discuss the joy of seeing London in all it's 80's glory, the alarming decline of walking stick/umbrella shops, and whether there really were Soviet moles hiding under every MI5 couch cushion. Plus, revel in Jeff's terrible English and Russian accents! All that and more in this episode of Spybrary.
May 31, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 152
Jeremy Duns and Jeff Quest talk through some of the in's and out's of research, and especially spy research, in the hopes of encouraging others to do research too. We talk about the lost Pinkerton manuscript, the time Jeremy nearly got kicked out of an interview before it even started, how Jeff got the title of an author's book wrong within 30 seconds of starting an interview and why you should turn every page. All that and more in this episode of Spybrary.
May 20, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 151
A special message to Spybrary listeners around the world to celebrate episode 150!
May 12, 2021•9 min•Ep. 150
A special message to Spybrary listeners around the world to celebrate episode 150!
May 12, 2021•9 min•Ep. 150
Today, we bring you another spy author interview on the Spybrary Podcast. We are chatting with author James Stejskal who has just penned his first-ever spy fiction novel titled A Question of Time. Some of you may know James from his non-fiction books, especially an absolute cracker - Special Forces Berlin. James draws on his time serving in Cold War Berlin and even weaves the head of the Stasi Erich Mielke and East Germany spymaster Markus Wolf into the story in a credible fashion. And I know wh...
Apr 23, 2021•45 min•Ep. 149
Today we decode a brush pass transmission, a spy book review of Eric Von Lustbader's Black Heart. Author and Spy Book fan, Andy Onyx gives us his brush pass spy book review of Black Heart by Eric Von Lustbader.
Apr 11, 2021•14 min•Ep. 148
Spy Rewind time - Jeff and Matthew take a look back at the early 2000's spy show Alias. Starring Jennifer Garner it was one of the first spy shows to air after 9/11 and catapulted numerous people both in front of and behind the camera to further success. The guys talk about the effect of 9/11 on spy shows, the changing look at gender roles for spies, whether it's a good or bad thing to have a mystery box and how hard it must be to spy in a belly shirt.
Apr 02, 2021•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 147
From acclaimed spy novelist Paul Vidich comes a taut new thriller following the attempted exfiltration of a KGB officer from the ever-changing—and always dangerous—USSR in the mid-1980s. Shane Whaley finds out more in this interview with author Paul Vidich. In Episode 146 of Spybrary with spy author Paul Vidich we discuss: What was Paul Vidich's inspiration for writing The Mercenary. What kind of reader The Mercenary appeals to? (Actioneers v Realistic) What drew Paul to write an espionage thril...
Mar 26, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 146
It is 1955 and we review the latest Ian Fleming James Bond 007 novel, Moonraker With David Craggs, author Simon Conway and Spybrary Host Shane Whaley. Episode is also available on YouTube. Details at www.spybrary.com/145
Mar 23, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 145
Today's episode of Spybrary is all about collecting spy books. This episode is also available on YouTube. We talk James Bond book trivia and see some of Tim's amazing Fleming novels. There are some beautiful association copies of Adam Hall books, Matthew shares details on how to collect an elusive Clancy first edition and a signed copy of one of Jimmy Sangster's spy novels with a great back story. All that plus tips and tricks from three folks who can't stop collecting books.
Mar 16, 2021•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 143
On today's Spybrary Spy Podcast, we turn our attention to Spy TV and the third and sadly final season of the British spy tv series The Sandbaggers starring Roy Marsden and created by Ian Mackintosh. Our panel are back to run the rule over The Sandbaggers Season 3.We are joined by Spybrary Podcast listeners, Hannah Cooper, Jeffrey Westhoff, and Paul Hodges of The Sandbaggers Facebook Group.
Mar 13, 2021•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 141
Today we are joined by author Mark Edlitz the author of the Lost Adventures of James Bond: Timothy Dalton's Third and Fourth Bond Films, James Bond Jr., and Other Unmade or Forgotten 007 Projects. He is expertly interviewed by James Bond Radio contributor Jack Lugo. Since this episode was recorded, Jack has launched his own 007 podcast - Bond and Banter. The James Bond universe is greater than you might think. Even if you have seen all the movies and devoured Ian Fleming's books, there is much m...
Feb 27, 2021•57 min•Ep. 140
New York Times Bestselling Author Mark Greaney joins us today to share more about his latest Gray Man novel 'Relentless.' Mark tells us that Spybrary listeners can read Relentless as the first foray into the Court Gentry series. Mark Greaney also shares more about the upcoming Gray Man movie, his writing process and his future writing plans. This interview is hosted by Spybrary listener and fan of the Gray Man series, Kashif Hussein.
Feb 17, 2021•32 min•Ep. 142
Spy bloggers Matthew Bradford and Jeff Quest launch a new series called Spy Rewind where they look at classic spy tv episodes and series. Today they take a look at Mission Impossible. Websites and Resources mentioned on Spy Rewind. MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE: THE MIND OF STEFAN MIKLOS Summary - https://www.paleycenter.org/collection/item/?q=about&p=346&item=T:12497 Mission: Impossible Blu Rays - https://www.amazon.com/Mission-Impossible-Original-TV-Blu-ray/dp/B08GFSYGNV Barbara Bain - https://e...
Feb 12, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 139
Mick Herron returns to the Spybrary Podcast to discusses his latest novel - Slough House. Mick is joined in conversation with our Man in London - David Craggs In his best and most ambitious novel yet, Mick Herron, "the le Carré of the future" (BBC), offers an unsparing look at the corrupt web of media, global finance, spycraft, and politics that power our modern world. "This is a darker, scarier Herron. The gags are still there but the satire's more biting. The privatization of a secret service ...
Feb 05, 2021•52 min•Ep. 138
Today we decode a brush pass transmission, a spy book review of Simon Conway's The Agent Runner. Author and Spy Book fan, Stephen England gives us his brush pass spy book review of The Agent Runner by Simon Conway
Jan 30, 2021•6 min•Ep. 137
SPYFLIX is a new spy movie and tv festival focused on secrets presented by our friends at SPYSCAPE. Spybrary host Shane Whaley got together with SPYSCAPE's Marketing Director, Francis Jago to find out more. The SPYFLIX festival will highlight new voices and stories focused on secrets. The festival is now accepting submissions through 28 February 2021 and will kick off screenings starting 18 April 2021… What is SPYFLIX? Secrets intrigue us, and they make great stories. Their universal appeal lies...
Jan 23, 2021•38 min•Ep. 136
