Sunday Times Chief Political Commentator and spy book fan Tim Shipman talks with Ben Macintyre about his latest work based on Colditz, Prisoners of the Castle . The "entertaining yet objective and often-moving account" ( The Wall Street Journal ) of one of history's most notorious prisons—and the remarkable cast of POWs who tried relentlessly to escape their captors, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spy and the Traitor In this gripping narrative, Ben Macintyre tackles one of the...
Sep 16, 2022•51 min•Ep. 194
Spybrary's man in Station L (Northern Sector) author Andy Onyx slipped us this brush pass review of Javier Marias 's thriller Your Face Tomorrow: Fever And Spear He shares why spy book readers will enjoy this modern spy novel. "Your Face Tomorrow by the Spanish novelist of note, Javier Maras. I say novelist of note because Maras has sold over 6 million copies of his works worldwide to date. In amongst, which is this spy fiction trilogy published between 2009 and 2017....
Sep 11, 2022•9 min•Ep. 192
What's life like working as a spy? Spy author Bevan G Roberts chats with former Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) and MI6 trained agent handler Warren Reed to find out. Most of us are fascinated by the craft of human intelligence. It's a trade as old as time, involving betrayal, secrecy, and most of all, danger! Danger to the operative danger, to the agent, danger, to innocent people and to nations. And it's the human side of this danger that keeps us turning the pages and feeds our ...
Sep 04, 2022•52 min•Ep. 192
Spybrary field agent Chris Lueloff slipped us this brush pass review of Bill Granger's spy thriller November Man series Lueloff shares why spy book readers will enjoy Granger's work and boldly declares that Peter Devereaux is an American Quiller. Agree, disagree? Come and let us know your thoughts in the Spybrary fans community. More About the November Man spy series according to Randall at Spy Guys and Gals . 'Peter Deveraux, codename the November Man, is an agent for the CIA. This highly exper...
Aug 27, 2022•14 min•Ep. 191
Join Spies and Books, Spybrary host Shane Whaley as he finds outs more about the traitor Robert Hanssen in this interview with author Lis Wiehl New York Times bestselling author and former federal prosecutor Lis Wiehl delivers a behind-the-scenes account of how FBI agent Robert Hanssen, a church-going father of five, sold national security secrets to Russia for more than two decades--and how America's current political climate makes it still possible today. Three years into his career as an FBI ...
Aug 18, 2022•37 min•Ep. 190
In this conversation with Spybrary host Shane Whaley, award-winning spy author Dan Fesperman reveals more about the real-life espionage events that inspired his latest novel, set in Berlin 1990, Winter Work. The Berlin Wall has fallen and in the ensuing power vacuum, a former Stasi officer and a CIA agent must fight for their lives. On a chilly early morning walk on the wooded outskirts of Berlin, Emil Grimm finds the body of his neighbor, a fellow Stasi officer named Lothar, with a gunshot woun...
Aug 12, 2022•44 min•Ep. 189
Listen in to our first ever live episode of Spybrary. A panel to discuss Tim Shipman's list of the best 125 spy writers. Tim reveals more about his method and criteria for selecting this monster list of spy authors. Joining us are Professor Penny Fielding , author and critic Jeremy Duns , spy blogger Matthew Bradford , and John le Carre book collector Steven Ritterman to run the rule over Tim's pick of the best spy writers. You can find the list and watch the live stream at www.spybrary.com/tims...
Aug 10, 2022•1 hr 50 min•Ep. 188
Spybrary field agent Erich Wagner slipped us this brush pass review of the nonfiction spy book The Spy Who Changed History by Svetlana Lokhova Erich tells us that the book will especially appeal to those of us with an interest in pre cold war Soviet deep cover espionage. More about the book: On the trail of Soviet infiltrator Stanislav Shumovsky, codenamed Agent BLÉRIOT, Svetlana Lokhova takes the reader on a thrilling journey through Stalin's most audacious intelligence operation. On a sunny Se...
Jul 09, 2022•9 min•Ep. 187
Shane shares a quick announcement on upcoming episodes and explains why there has been a lull in episodes of late.
Jul 07, 2022•7 min•Ep. 186
James Bond fan and Spybrary's Head of Station SA, Matt Raubenheimer gives us his spoiler-free thoughts on the latest James Bond 007 novel With A Mind To A Kill written by Anthony Horowitz. It is M's funeral. One man is missing from the graveside: the traitor who pulled the trigger and who is now in custody, accused of M's murder - James Bond. Behind the Iron Curtain, a group of former Smersh agents want to use the British spy in an operation that will change the balance of world power. Bond is s...
Jun 20, 2022•10 min•Ep. 185
Shane Whaley delivers a brush pass review on Agent in Berlin by Alex Gerlis To live among wolves, first, you must become one... An unmissable new spy thriller from best-selling master of the genre, Alex Gerlis. War is coming to Europe. British spymaster Barnaby Allen begins recruiting a network of agents in Germany. With diplomatic relations quickly unravelling, this pack of spies soon comes into their own: the horse-loving German at home in Berlin's underground; the young American sports journa...
Jun 09, 2022•14 min•Ep. 184
This week, Spywrite 's Jeff Quest welcomes Otto Penzler to the show. Otto shares stories from his many years of collecting books and meeting spy fiction authors. You'll hear stories about Eric Ambler, Charles McCarry, John le Carré and many more. , Plus, hear about his meeting with Len Deighton, how Ross Thomas nearly lost out on a million dollars, and a shocking revelation about a piece by Quiller writer Adam Hall....
May 12, 2022•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 183
The year is 1957 and our guests share their thoughts on the latest James Bond novel From Russia With Love written by Ian Fleming.
Apr 29, 2022•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 182
On April 8th, Amazon releases the movie adaptation of Olen Steinhauer's All the Old Knives. In today's episode, two of our most knowledgable spy movie experts and Spybrary agents Matthew Bradford and Jack Lescamela chat with author and screenwriter Olen Steinhauer and the director of All The Old Knives, Janus Metz . Hello, and welcome to episode 181 of the Spybrary podcast. Today, I'm delighted to serve you an absolute treat a couple of weeks ago, we received an email from the PR folks over at A...
Apr 03, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 181
Spybrary joins forces with the Barbican Station podcast to discuss Apple TV's Slow Horses series starring Gary Oldman which airs today. The first half of this episode is spoiler-free. Today is the day many of us have been waiting for, the Apple TV's Slow Horses series starring Gary Oldman as Jackson Lamb is now airing. Through one of our agents I was able to get an early screening of Slow Horses and today you will listen to three of us running the rule over episodes 1 and 2. If you have not watc...
Apr 01, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 180
Today, we bring you a spy author interview. Spybrary hosts Shane Whaley and Peter Newman find out more about Charlotte Philby's latest novel, Edith and Kim . Charlotte also shares memories of her grandfather, Kim Philby, and reveals some interesting responses in the world-famous Spybrary Quickfire Round!
Mar 30, 2022•51 min•Ep. 179
We get in our time machine and head for 1956 to review the latest Ian Fleming James Bond 007 novel, Diamonds Are Forever . With David Craggs, author Andy Onyx and Spybrary Host Shane Whaley. What is the Spybrary James Bond Book Club exactly and what makes it different from other 007 book clubs? On the James Bond Book Club, we get in our time machine and go back to the year of publication. We dissect each of the Ian Fleming 007 novels in order and include themes such as : 1) Discussing the timing...
Mar 26, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 178
And now for something completely different. We just decoded a brush pass from, author Clarke Mayer who shares his thoughts on a spy video game called Metal Gear Solid.
Mar 19, 2022•9 min•Ep. 177
Welcome to Episode 176 of the Spybrary Spy Book podcast. Spywrite's Jeff Quest speaks to author Alma Katsu , formerly with the NSA and CIA. Katsu's latest book, Red Widow , follows a CIA mole hunt. It's been optioned for television and is out in paperback on March 1st. They discuss switching from NSA to CIA and back again, the explosive growth of social media and its effect on espionage, and the unique challenges women face in government bureaucracies. Plus, we talk a bit about some of the thing...
Feb 27, 2022•55 min•Ep. 176
Spy Author Paul Vidich returns to the Spybrary Spy Podcast to talk about his latest spy novel The Matchmaker, set in Berlin in 1989. In the vein of Graham Greene and John le Carré, The Matchmaker delivers a chilling Cold War spy story set in West Berlin, where an American woman targeted by the Stasi must confront the truth behind her German husband's mysterious disappearance. More about The Matchmaker - A Spy in Berlin by Paul Vidich Berlin, 1989. Protests across East Germany threaten the Iron C...
Feb 24, 2022•1 hr•Ep. 175
In this episode of Spy Rewind Matthew and Jeff take a look at the episode "Enemy of the State" of the 60's tv show The Baron. They discuss some reasons why The Baron was a misfire upon its release in the US, Steve Forest's living up to his name with some wooden acting, and marvel at the head scratching decision to switch the character from an actual Baron into an American oil baron. Plus they discuss important considerations to remember before arranging your border spy swap! All that and more in...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 174
Welcome to Episode 173 of the Spybrary Spy Book podcast. Today, we bring you a spy author interview. Spybrary hosts Shane Whaley and David Craggs find out more about Damascus Station with spy writer, author, and former CIA analyst David McCloskey
Feb 12, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 173
In this episode of Spy Rewind Matthew and Jeff take a look at the episode "I Spy Apocalypse" of the early 2000's tv show called Spooks in the UK and MI5 in the US. They discuss how the show helped revive the tv spy, why VX gas is so nasty and you should avoid being trapped in with your officemates at the end of the world. Plus Jeff reveals what he thinks is a hidden connection between the show and HBO's Succession! All that and more in this episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast. Mentioned on the s...
Jan 31, 2022•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 172
If like me, you are a big fan of audiobooks then it is highly likely that you have listened to today's guest Scott Brick narrating one of your favorite thriller audiobooks. In this conversation, Shane finds out more about life behind the mic with Scott Brick. We learn how he got started in the business plus some of his tips and tricks for delivering engaging audio and top drawer storytelling. Scott Brick also answers Spybrary listener questions such as: You recorded an excellent new version of T...
Jan 16, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 171
Jason King returns to the Spybrary Podcast for his annual appearance to share his best espionage novels of 2021. This is the most requested feature of Spybrary, requested by spouses, friends, and relatives who purchase Birthday and Holiday presents for loved ones based on the Jason King picks. (I kid you not!)
Jan 08, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 170
In this New Year's Eve episode of Spy Rewind Matthew and Jeff welcome a special guest. Oscar winner and Man From U.N.C.L.E. superfan Robert Short join them to take a look at "The Adriatic Express Affair" a New Year's Eve-themed episode of the classic 60's spy show. They discuss how Bob would explore the sets of U.N.C.L.E. as a kid, his family connection to the show, and some of the ways U.N.C.L.E. broke new spy tv ground. Plus we talk about terrible double entendres, questionable spy gadgets and...
Dec 31, 2021•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 169
In this episode of Spybrary Jeff dives into some of the most serious and silly questions faced by spy fans. He is joined by an all-star panel of guests - Jeremy Duns, Hannah Cooper and Shane Whaley. They tackle a wide range of espionage enigmas. Some of the questions covered are - From now on either every spy novel must be set in Berlin or no spy novels can ever be set in Berlin again. Which do you choose? Would you use your kid as camouflage while doing spy activity? Volcano lair vs underwater ...
Dec 26, 2021•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 168
Welcome to Episode 167 of the Spybrary Spy Book podcast. Today, we bring you a spy author interview. Spybrary host Shane Whaley finds out more about How to Betray Your Country with spy writer, author James Wolff Something I want to address with you all before we get into the conversation, the elephant in the room, James Wolff is not the author's real name. James Wolff reveals he has worked for the British government but does not reveal which branch nor where he was based. As a Spybrarian, natura...
Dec 17, 2021•46 min•Ep. 167
London Station has fizzed into action, Sunday Times journalist and Spybrary contributor Tim Shipman chats with spy author Matthew Richardson. They discuss Matthew's spy novels, his writing style, his literary influences plus they pay tribute to the new generation of spy writers. And much more!!
Dec 11, 2021•41 min•Ep. 166
Spy Rewind is back with Matthew and Jeff taking a look at the currently airing spy comedy starring David Schwimmer and Nick Mohammed - Intelligence. They discuss whether GCHQ is held in less esteem than MI5 or MI6, why spying is the perfect setting for a workplace comedy, and how Intelligence has more laughs than Ted Lasso. Plus, why Nick Mohammed was more interested in the GCHQ cafeteria than the eavesdropping and when the computer asks you to delete those files, think twice! All that and more ...
Nov 28, 2021•55 min•Ep. 165
