In the skies over Cairo, an unlit military transport plane makes a wary descent in to the city's international airport. Under cover of darkness, it's loaded with a precious consignment - an artefact that the USA has gone to great lengths to procure. Not a cursed relic, or a crystal skull - but a cutting-edge Russian fighter jet. In Part One, Sophia Di Martino flies cargo-class with the CIA's Jim Fees - the officer who stole a MiG-23 from under the nose of the Soviet Union in the late 1970s. To t...
Dec 12, 2022•43 min•Ep 138•Transcript available on Metacast The CIA is only as strong as it's weakest link. And in the waning years of the Cold War, weak links were in ready supply. A number of trusted Agency officers were caught selling secrets to the Russian regime. And the most notorious traitor? Aldrich Hazen Ames. In part 2, Sophia Di Martino joins FBI Special Agent Leslie G Wiser Jr on the toughest assignment of his career so far. But to take down Aldrich Ames, he'll need to bend the rules... From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle pro...
Dec 05, 2022•43 min•Ep 137•Transcript available on Metacast The CIA is only as strong as it's weakest link. And in the waning years of the Cold War, weak links were in ready supply. A number of trusted Agency officers were caught selling secrets to the Russian regime. And the most notorious traitor? Aldrich Hazen Ames. In the first episode of a 2-part True Spies story, Sophia Di Martino joins journalist and spy chronicler Bryan Denson to uncover the inglorious origins of Ames' betrayal - and the beginnings of his downfall. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secr...
Nov 28, 2022•46 min•Ep 136•Transcript available on Metacast The Razumov Files, from Spyscape Studios, is an audacious audio reimagining of Joseph Conrad’s classic spy thriller Under Western Eyes, starring Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey, Brave New World) and Maryam D'Abo (The Living Daylights). Approaching the events leading to the 1917 Russian Revolution like a present-day investigative podcast, The Razumov Files is a radical reinvention of spy fiction - and podcasting. Episode 1 is available wherever you get your podcasts from 23 November 2022. Th...
Nov 23, 2022•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast As a new era of True Spies begins, Sophia di Martino joins the experts to reveal Osama bin Laden’s origins, methods and motivation. CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder join CNN’s Peter Bergen, the man who first interviewed Osama, to share the unvarnished truth about Bin Laden’s rise to power. In Part 3, the hunt begins for the world's most infamous terrorist begins in earnest - and a humble courier has an important part to play. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle produ...
Nov 21, 2022•50 min•Ep 135•Transcript available on Metacast As a new era of True Spies begins, Sophia di Martino joins the experts to reveal Osama bin Laden’s origins, methods and motivation. CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder join CNN’s Peter Bergen, the man who first interviewed Osama, to share the unvarnished truth about Bin Laden’s rise to power. In Part 2, the world begins to pay attention to Bin Laden - and the CIA makes its first moves against the Al Qaeda kingpin. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series p...
Nov 14, 2022•50 min•Ep 134•Transcript available on Metacast As a new era of True Spies begins, Sophia di Martino joins the experts to reveal Osama bin Laden’s origins, methods and motivation. CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder join CNN’s Peter Bergen, the man who first interviewed Osama, to share the unvarnished truth about Bin Laden’s rise to power. In Part 1 of this three-part epic we follow Bergen to the mountainous Afghan-Pakistan border region for the recording of the first televised interview with the Al Qaeda leader. From SPYSCAPE, the h...
Nov 07, 2022•46 min•Ep 133•Transcript available on Metacast The men and women of the FBI are entrusted with defending Americans from their enemies at home and abroad. As an FBI Legat, Kathy Stearman performed that service in a variety of foreign locales. But even as she faced off against terrorists, she was fighting another insidious threat - one that affects women in every field. Vanessa Kirby joins Kathy for a no-holds-barred look at the realities of misogyny and sexism at the heart of the Bureau - and how those realities affected her in some of the wo...
Oct 31, 2022•39 min•Ep 132•Transcript available on Metacast Prepare for a new era of True Spies stories, as told by Sophia Di Martino. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 27, 2022•3 min•Transcript available on Metacast The men and women of the FBI are entrusted with defending Americans from their enemies at home and abroad. As an FBI Legat, Kathy Stearman performed that service in a variety of foreign locales. But even as she faced off against terrorists, she was fighting another insidious threat - one that affects women in every field. Vanessa Kirby joins Kathy for a no-holds-barred look at the realities of misogyny and sexism at the heart of the Bureau - and how those realities affected her in some of the wo...
Oct 24, 2022•42 min•Ep 131•Transcript available on Metacast In the late 80s and early 90s, the Agency was rocked by a series of high-profile turncoats Aldrich Ames, Robert Hanssen, and Edward Lee Howard all leaked secrets to the Russians, with often-deadly consequences for agents on the ground. 20 years later, former CIA officer Bob Baer caught wind of a disturbing possibility - that a fourth, and even more insidious mole might have been active at the heart of America's intelligence community. In Part 2, Vanessa Kirby joins Bob Baer in the present day, w...
Oct 17, 2022•37 min•Ep 130•Transcript available on Metacast In the late 80s and early 90s, the Agency was rocked by a series of high-profile turncoats Aldrich Ames, Robert Hanssen, and Edward Lee Howard all leaked secrets to the Russians, with often-deadly consequences for agents on the ground. 20 years later, former CIA officer Bob Baer caught wind of a disturbing possibility - that a fourth, and even more insidious mole might have been active at the heart of America's intelligence community. In Part 1, Vanessa Kirby joins Bob at the outset of an ongoin...
Oct 10, 2022•36 min•Ep 129•Transcript available on Metacast Everywhere on Earth has its own flavors of greed, corruption and lies. And everywhere produces its own champions - beacons of light in the murk. In Sub-Saharan Africa, that champion is Anas Aremeyaw Anas - investigative reporter extraordinaire. Hiding his face behind a veil of beads, Anas goes deep undercover to expose the rot at society's heart. In Part 3, an investigation into endemic corruption within Ghana's soccer industry has tragic consequences for Anas and his team. Vanessa Kirby narrate...
Oct 03, 2022•40 min•Ep 128•Transcript available on Metacast Everywhere on Earth has its own flavors of greed, corruption and lies. And everywhere produces its own champions - beacons of light in the murk. In Sub-Saharan Africa, that champion is Anas Aremeyaw Anas - investigative reporter extraordinaire. Hiding his face behind a veil of beads, Anas goes deep undercover to expose the rot at society's heart. In Part 2, Vanessa Kirby follows Anas and a rookie journalist, Henry Mhango, into a dangerous confrontation with a gang of unscrupulous ritual killers....
Sep 26, 2022•44 min•Ep 127•Transcript available on Metacast Everywhere on Earth has its own flavors of greed, corruption and lies. And everywhere produces its own champions - beacons of light in the murk. In Sub-Saharan Africa, that champion is Anas Aremeyaw Anas - investigative reporter extraordinaire. Hiding his face behind a veil of beads, Anas goes deep undercover to expose the rot at society's heart. In Part 1, Vanessa Kirby follows Anas on a dangerous mission to bust a drugs ring operating out of a Ghanaian mental hospital. From SPYSCAPE, the home ...
Sep 19, 2022•37 min•Ep 126•Transcript available on Metacast In Mexico, life can come cheap - but some are worth millions. When ruthless gangs kidnap the loved ones of the wealthy, the ransoms can soar in to seven-figure sums. And when that happens, Nick Brokhausen and Jeff Miller are the men you want on your side of the negotiating table. They're former Special Forces operatives who've spent a lifetime solving problems and making money in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. In Part 2, Vanessa Kirby joins the duo on a second adventure south of ...
Sep 12, 2022•46 min•Ep 125•Transcript available on Metacast In Mexico, life can come cheap - but some are worth millions. When ruthless gangs kidnap the loved ones of the wealthy, the ransoms can soar in to seven-figure sums. And when that happens, Nick Brokhausen and Jeff Miller are the men you want on your side of the negotiating table. They're former Special Forces operatives who've spent a lifetime solving problems and making money in some of the most dangerous parts of the world. In Part 1, Vanessa Kirby joins Jeff and Nick on the trail of a kidnapp...
Sep 05, 2022•45 min•Ep 124•Transcript available on Metacast In the face of an historical evil, would YOU have the courage to resist? It's a question that weighed heavily on the members of the CASSIA spy ring - a civilian resistance operation based out of a church in occupied Vienna. Vanessa Kirby joins ex-CIA officer Christopher Turner and Austrian intelligence expert Siegfried Bier to uncover a story of extreme courage in the face of insurmountable odds. In Part 2, the Austrian spies are folded in to the OSS - America's new foreign intelligence agency. ...
Aug 29, 2022•41 min•Ep 123•Transcript available on Metacast In the face of an historical evil, would YOU have the courage to resist? It's a question that weighed heavily on the members of the CASSIA spy ring - a civilian resistance operation based out of a church in occupied Vienna. Vanessa Kirby joins ex-CIA officer Christopher Turner and Austrian intelligence expert Siegfried Bier to uncover a story of extreme courage in the face of insurmountable odds. In Part 1, we meet clergyman Heinrich Maier and rubber tycoon Franz Messner - unlikely friends who b...
Aug 22, 2022•39 min•Ep 122•Transcript available on Metacast All around the world, dirty money pollutes public and private life. Those who wield it are a diverse cast of businessmen, politicians, and criminals - and sometimes, they're all three. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby meets the investigators using open source intelligence to expose the murky relationship between international institutions and Russian financial crime. In Part 3, author and journalist Oliver Bullough exposes the UK's role as a facilitator of questionable foreign wealth - a butler ...
Aug 15, 2022•44 min•Ep 121•Transcript available on Metacast All around the world, dirty money pollutes public and private life. Those who wield it are a diverse cast of businessmen, politicians, and criminals - and sometimes, they're all three. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby meets the investigators using open source intelligence to expose the murky relationship between international institutions and Russian financial crime. In Part 2, investigative journalist Olesya Shmagun goes on record with her efforts to expose the financial dealings of a wealthy m...
Aug 08, 2022•48 min•Ep 120•Transcript available on Metacast All around the world, dirty money pollutes public and private life. Those who wield it are a diverse cast of businessmen, politicians, and criminals - and sometimes, they're all three. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby meets the investigators using open source intelligence to expose the murky relationship between international institutions and Russian financial crime. In Part 1, former financier and anti-corruption activist Roman Borisovich details an undercover operation in London, where an eage...
Aug 01, 2022•36 min•Ep 119•Transcript available on Metacast After a shaky start, the friendship between Britain and America has blossomed in to one of the most important alliances on the world stage. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby relates three crucial chapters in the evolution of the Special Relationship. In Part 3, former CIA case officer Jim Lawler and intelligence writer Michael Smith lift the lid on a rare joint operation between the CIA and MI6. When AQ Khan - the father of Pakistan's nuclear program - is caught selling nuclear secrets to rogue s...
Jul 25, 2022•47 min•Ep 118•Transcript available on Metacast After a shaky start, the friendship between Britain and America has blossomed in to one of the most important alliances on the world stage. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby relates three crucial chapters in the evolution of the Special Relationship. In Part 2, scholar and intelligence professional Dr. Anthony Wells takes us behind the scenes in WW2-era Lisbon, where rival spies work tirelessly to turn the tide of war. Among their number is Commander Ian Fleming, who mounts an operation that will...
Jul 18, 2022•40 min•Ep 117•Transcript available on Metacast After a shaky start, the friendship between Britain and America has blossomed in to one of the most important alliances on the world stage. In this anthology, Vanessa Kirby relates three crucial chapters in the evolution of the Special Relationship. In Part 1, scholar and intelligence professional Dr. Anthony Wells is your guide to the unprecedented carnage of World War One - and how a crafty British Naval Intelligence officer tipped the scales by bringing the USA in to the conflict. Could YOU a...
Jul 11, 2022•34 min•Ep 116•Transcript available on Metacast October 17, 2001. The dust of 9/11 has barely settled. America and the world are reeling. In Afghanistan, 8 CIA officers - a crack team of linguists, tribal experts and paramilitaries - are the first Americans to infiltrate Taliban territory after the attacks. Their mission is to ensure that Al Qaeda does not strike again. They are Team Alpha. In Part 2, Vanessa Kirby joins CIA linguist David Tyson and author Toby Harnden for the gripping conclusion to the first act of the War on Terror. Could Y...
Jul 04, 2022•43 min•Ep 115•Transcript available on Metacast October 17, 2001. The dust of 9/11 has barely settled. America and the world are reeling. In Afghanistan, 8 CIA officers - a crack team of linguists, tribal experts and paramilitaries - are the first Americans to infiltrate Taliban territory after the attacks. Their mission is to ensure that Al Qaeda does not strike again. They are Team Alpha. In Part 1, Vanessa Kirby joins CIA linguist David Tyson and author Toby Harnden to tell the true story of Team Alpha's first foray in to a dangerous and u...
Jun 27, 2022•47 min•Ep 114•Transcript available on Metacast Throughout history, spies have used sex, seduction and emotional manipulation to achieve their shadowy aims. In this 3-part anthology, Vanessa Kirby joins espionage authors Henry Schlesinger and Michael Smith to uncover the real stories behind some of history's most explosive honeytrap operations. In Part 3, Michael and Henry tell the real spy story behind one of history's most famous murders. When Ramón Mercader attacked Marxist revolutionary Leon Trotsky at his home in Mexico, the evidence sug...
Jun 20, 2022•36 min•Ep 113•Transcript available on Metacast Throughout history, spies have used sex, seduction and emotional manipulation to achieve their shadowy aims. In this 3-part anthology, Vanessa Kirby joins espionage authors Henry Schlesinger and Michael Smith to uncover the real stories behind some of history's most explosive honeytrap operations. In Part 2, Henry Schlesinger reveals the unlikely life and times of a celebrity spy. In 2010, Russian property entrepreneur Anna Chapman was exposed as one of 10 deep-cover agents working on US soil. A...
Jun 13, 2022•45 min•Ep 112•Transcript available on Metacast Throughout history, spies have used sex, seduction and emotional manipulation to achieve their shadowy aims. In this 3-part anthology, Vanessa Kirby joins espionage authors Henry Schlesinger and Michael Smith to uncover the real stories behind some of history's most explosive honeytrap operations. In Part 1, Michael Smith relates an audacious plot by the Israeli Mossad in the turbulent 1960s. Mossad officers targeted Iraqi pilots, hoping to seduce them into defecting with a MiG-21 - the next-gen...
Jun 06, 2022•40 min•Ep 111•Transcript available on Metacast 
