Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284Imagine a professional criminal who became one of Britain's most valuable spies, a safecracker deemed so dangerous by police that his photograph hung in just about every station across the United Kingdom. This man, who some said couldn't even pick a lock, somehow became Hitler's most trusted British agent, and the only British national ever awarded the Iron Cross by the Nazi r...
Jun 20, 2025•31 min
Ways to support the channel:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284Join me as I discuss my recent True Life Spy Story on the life of Ana Montes, gifted DIA analyst and treachorous spy for Cuba for 17 years. This is part 2 of the Ana Montes story. I recommend that if you have not already, watch my Ana Montes documentary before watching this deep-dive.Ana Montes | Queen of Cuba: https://open.spotify.com/episode/00YcYkkupaFwPA1Tm03w2j?si=h-oM7Xfk...
Jun 02, 2025•36 min
Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284On the morning of Friday, 21 September 2001, Ana Montes began her day with her usual routine. She arrived punctually at her sixth-floor cubicle preparing for another day working as an intelligence analyst for the US Defence Intelligence Agency. For nearly seventeen years she had served as its foremost expert on Cuba. She had access to some of her country’s most sensitive secre...
May 16, 2025•36 min
Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284 While the successes of the British Secret Intelligence Service, or SIS, are held in great admiration, its failures are often overlooked. For reasons of national pride, these are relegated to the archives of memory and are seldom portrayed on the silver screen. It was on the 9th of November 1939 that MI6 fell victim to an elaborate sting orchestrated by the Sicherheitsdienst,...
Apr 25, 2025•22 min
Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284____________________________________________________________ On a gray November afternoon in 2006, within the refined confines of London's Millennium Hotel, a seemingly unremarkable ritual unfolded - three men gathered for tea in the Pine Bar. The casual observer might have dismissed it as nothing more than a business meeting, or perhaps old friends catching up. But behind the...
Apr 18, 2025•38 min
Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284 In the shadowy world of espionage, secrets are currency, and deception is an art. As World War 2 raged on, the Allies became ever more aware of the truth of this statement. Having dealt with the Nazi threat in North Africa, the Allies set their sights on invading Italy to wrest it from the control of fascism and the influence of Nazi Germany. But to do this, it was necessary...
Apr 11, 2025•19 min
Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284 This is the story of the rise and fall of the Waltham Watch Company, a pioneer in American and global watchmaking, which, Aaron Stark reveals, saw it's undoing at the hands of a corporate spy on a top secret mission during the 1876 Centennial Fair held in Philadelphia.To purchase a copy of 'Disrupting TIme' by Aaron Stark (affiliate link):📚 https://amzn.to/40ZKnNhAaron Star...
Apr 04, 2025•26 min
Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284 Espionage, often dubbed the world's second-oldest profession, is as ancient as civilization itself. From the covert agents of ancient Egypt and Rome to the tech-savvy cyber warriors of today, the art of spying has evolved dramatically. Yet, its essence remains unchanged: a quest for power and information. Throughout history, spies have shaped the destinies of nations, whethe...
Mar 27, 2025•28 min
Welcome to dead drop. This is your host Philip Thompson bringing you the latest intel on the world of espionage. In this week's dossier: Former KGB double agent Oleg Gordievsky has died National Archives exhibits declassified MI5 Kim Philby documents Fire at Heathrow has all the hallmarks of state-sponsored sabotage Top secret US war plans sent to journalist by mistake Stay vigilant. Trust no one. And remember, this Dead Drop will self-destruct in 5... 4... 3... Ways to support the True Life Spy...
Mar 25, 2025•8 min
Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284 Oleg Gordievsky was the highest ranking KGB officer to ever become a British spy. He almost single-handedly shaped world events at one of the most dangerous times in global history during the Cold War when humanity peered over the precipice of nuclear holocaust. The plan to rescue him from deep behind the Iron Curtain after he was compromised was thought to be virtually impo...
Mar 24, 2025•43 min
Welcome to dead drop. This is your host Philip Thompson bringing you the latest intel on the world of espionage. In this week's dossier: Israeli-Arab Resident Arrested for Spying for West Bank Terrorists UK and Russia Engage in Tit-for-Tat Diplomatic Expulsions Further Details Emerge of the Bulgarian Trio Convicted of Spying for Russia A Chinese Court Sentences Convicted Spy to Death Stay vigilant. Trust no one. And remember, this Dead Drop will self-destruct in 5... 4... 3... Ways to support th...
Mar 19, 2025•6 min
Ways to support the podcast:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284When a man calling himself “HECKENSCHÜTZE”, or “Sniper” in German wrote a letter to the US Embassy in Bern in April 1958, the West had no idea of the scale and magnitude of the revelations that would soon follow.The mysterious writer insisted that he would deal only with Director of the FBI J Edgar Hoover. From the outset, the relationship between spy and spy master was built o...
Mar 14, 2025•40 min
This is the story of Alexander Dmitrievich Ogorodnik, a mid-level Soviet diplomat turned CIA spy. Ogorodnik was a Soviet diplomat who was recruited to spy on the Soviet Union while stationed in Bogotá, Colombia. Codenamed Agent Trigon, he was later transferred to the Soviet Foreign Ministry in Moscow where he photographed secret diplomatic cables and requested a suicide pill from the CIA in case he was caught. His handler, Martha 'Marti' Peterson was the first female CIA case officer to operate ...
Mar 10, 2025•13 min
Ways to support the podcast:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284On the night of 14 October 1940, Dutch police in the province of Friesland were tipped off to a group of men setting out in a small boat on Lake Tjeukemeer. When they returned to shore, they were detained for questioning.The five men said that they were a group of ornithologists studying the migration patterns of local birds. At that time of the night, the story made no sense. ...
Feb 14, 2025•34 min
Operation Market Garden, launched on 17 September 1944, was one of the most ambitious Allied operations of World War II. As the largest airborne assault in history, its objective was to secure a series of nine bridges in the Netherlands, carving out a path to Berlin that would bring the end of the war by Christmas. Despite its bold vision, Market Garden ultimately failed due to a combination of strategic miscalculations and unforeseen challenges. Yet it was more than military strategy that was t...
Jan 31, 2025•1 hr 7 min
Welcome to dead drop. This is your host Philip Thompson bringing you the latest intel on the world of espionage. In this week's dossier: - The CIA are studying AI versions of World Leaders - British nuclear submarine keeps a close eye on Russian spy ship - Details of a Russian Spy Ring Unravel in the British Courts; and - The CIA says that Covid-19 ‘probably leaked’ from Chinese lab. Stay vigilant. Trust no one. And remember, this Dead Drop will self-destruct in 5... 4... 3... Ways to support th...
Jan 26, 2025•8 min
It's a true life spy story omnibus... volume 2! 01:02 - Mata Hari 39:21 - Juan Pujol Garcia (Agent Garbo) 1:25:01 - Karel Koecher 2:10:37 - John Anthony Walker 2:53:24 - Jonathan Pollard 3:41:44 - Nicholas Shadrin 4:28:55 - Anthony Blunt This is a collection of the True Life Spy Story videos uploaded to my YouTube channel over 2024. Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284...
Jan 19, 2025•5 hr 4 min
Welcome to dead drop. This is your host Philip Thompson bringing you the latest intel on the world of espionage. In this week's dossier: - Queen Elizabeth II was not told the truth about Anthony Blunt for 9 years - New Arrests in the Prison Break Saga of Daniel Khalife - The World bids Farewell to an SOE Legend; and - Former CIA analyst pleads guilty to leaking Israeli plans for strike on Iran Stay vigilant. Trust no one. And remember, this Dead Drop will self-destruct in 5... 4... 3... Ways to ...
Jan 18, 2025•8 min
On the morning of 7 September 2023, Daniel Khalife's name and photograph were splashed across every major news outlet in the United Kingdom. Overnight, the 23-year-old former British soldier's daring escape from prison catapulted him from relative obscurity to the subject of a nationwide manhunt. Newspapers, television broadcasts, and social media platforms were awash with images of Khalife's youthful face, his military background, and the details of his audacious prison break. The public was ca...
Jan 11, 2025•44 min
It's a true life spy story omnibus! This video podcast is a collection of the True Life Spy Stories I created and published in 2023. Enjoy nearly 4 hours of deceipt, skullduggery and cloak-and-dagger espionage... Video chapters: 00:00 - Introduction 01:43 - Adolf Tolkachev 28:22 - Oleg Penkovsky 1:06:45 - Aldrich Ames 1:35:53 - Fritz Duquesne 2:26:31 - George Blake 3:03:36 - Robert Hanssen Ways to support my channel: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal...
Jan 06, 2025•3 hr 55 min
Purchase your copy of Peter Winnington's new book, Codename TREASURE: The Life of D-Day Spy, Lily Sergueiew (affiliate links): 📖 Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3KBK5VR 📖 Pen & Sword Books: https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Codename-TREASURE-Hardback/p/23441/aid/1237 Peter Winnington's website: https://gpeterwinnington.com/ ☕ If you would like to support my channel and gain access to membership rewards and benefits, please consider buying me a coffee! ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson |----------...
Dec 27, 2024•37 min
His admirers have called him the greatest spy who ever lived, his detractors regard him as nothing more than a raconteur and a con-artist. Sidney Reilly, the enigmatic figure known as the "Ace of Spies," was a man of many faces and even more secrets. Driven by opportunism and self-advancement, he was a master of disguise, a gifted linguist, and a maverick businessman who understood the power of information and influence in a world on the brink of war. From the oil fields of Iran to the corridors...
Dec 21, 2024•34 min
Prince Andrew is no stranger to a scandal. He is once again in the news, this time for his association with Chinese businessman 'H6' who has been barred from re-entering the UK by the Home Office for alleged espionage and political interference. This is a developing spy story... |-----------------------------------------------------------------| Ways to support my channel: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284 #philipthompson #truespystorie...
Dec 15, 2024•6 min
Thank you to CHANGES for sponsoring this video. To learn about the terrible things the Nazis did in their bunker, click through to their channel: https://youtu.be/YLJq661j4Bw?si=xm5_xIL4o7uV7eeb The CHANGES channel page: youtube.com/@CHANGES_SCAMS |-----------------------------------------------------------------| The mid-20th Century saw no shortage of heroic men and women who bravely fought against fascism. While it was the collective efforts of the many operating with a singular purpose of wi...
Dec 01, 2024•47 min
The summer of 1959 saw tensions between the USA and the Soviet Union experience an unprecedented thaw. The two global superpowers decided it would be a good idea to each stage an exhibition in the other’s country. Designed to encourage cultural exchange and to increase mutual understanding, in truth, it was more a means to show off the latest technology and propagandize. It was the Soviet Exhibition in New York that paved the way for one of the CIA’s most successful covert operations of the Cold...
Nov 24, 2024•13 min
In 1954, Berlin was divided, having become the epicentre of the ideological battleground in the Cold War. The city was ruled more by spies and secrets than the tanks and troops lining its streets. Just a year earlier, in August 1953, the Soviets had detonated their first hydrogen bomb in their own rapidly advancing Atomic Project. The West was concerned about what else they might be planning and felt that they had to act before it was too late. But in order to act, they needed to know what was g...
Nov 17, 2024•15 min
Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284 |-----------------------------------------------------------------| In the aftermath of World War II, as the dust of global conflict settled and nations sought to rebuild, the Soviet Union extended a hand of friendship to the United States of America. The gift, handed over by children no less, would many years later reveal itself as a masterstroke of espionage, a trojan hors...
Nov 15, 2024•11 min
Watch the full documentary on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qaiMhFpVgxw The art in espionage is the ability to hide in plain sight and the greatest of spies are the ones you never learn about. This statement rings true in the case of Anthony Blunt. His life seemed predestined for greatness. A Cambridge graduate with familial ties to the Royal Family, he was the very picture of establishment respectability. His brilliance as a polymath, fluency in multiple languages, and renown as a world-class art h...
Nov 03, 2024•35 min
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/iHnS-aKvEno Ways to support the podcast: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284 Primary sources and further reading (afiiliate links): 📕 Shadrin: The Spy Who Never Came Back - https://amzn.to/3XF90yH |--------------------------------------------------------------| Nicholas Shadrin, born Nikolai Artamonov, was a high-ranking Soviet naval officer who made a life-altering decision in the 1950s. Disillusioned ...
Oct 26, 2024•47 min
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/W13m5fiup28 Ways to support my channel: Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompson Donate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284 Primary sources and further reading (afiiliate links): 📕 The Spy Who Got Away - https://amzn.to/46dQRuh 📘 Safe House: The Compelling Memoirs of the Only CIA Spy to Seek Asylum in Russia - https://amzn.to/3SgtfQ1 In the sun-drenched streets of the Vatican in the summer of 1985, a high-ranking KGB officer slipped away from his gr...
Aug 11, 2024•32 min
