Hear how the fantastic FBI undercover agent Dana Ridenour went from not knowing what a vegan was, to infiltrating the most dangerous domestic eco-terrorists the US had ever seen. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jul 16, 2024•44 min•Ep 221•Transcript available on Metacast Welcome back to October 17, 2001. The dust of 9/11 has barely settled. America and the world are reeling. In this True Spies Classic, hear the story of 8 CIA officers - a crack team of linguists, tribal experts and paramilitaries, and 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. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep 220•Transcript available on Metacast New from SPYSCAPE Studios - True Spies: Debriefs. In each of these new episodes, we'll dive back behind the scenes with some of our favourite True Spies, from episodes past. This week, ex-CIA officer David Tyson gives an update on how the return of The Taliban in Afghanistan, and the changing politics of the Middle East more broadly, has affected his work with Badger Six; a charity he runs to help Afghan allies. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe ...
Jul 02, 2024•53 min•Ep 219•Transcript available on Metacast How does a San Francisco born Silicon Valley entrepreneur, "as American as apple-pie", become a vital intelligence asset for the Soviet Bloc? Hear the chilling tale of one James Harper, from national security reporter and the host of Spy Valley: Zach Dorfman. (Hear more from Zach here: https://brazen.fm/podcasts/spy-valley/) From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Justin Trefgarne. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices...
Jun 25, 2024•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast Venture into the True Spies vaults, as we take a look back at the extraordinary story of CIA Operations Officer: Doug London. Doug only has one shot to recruit one of Al-Qaeda's key facilitators. He must find common ground with a man with a vastly different background and belief system. Lives hang in the balance. He has to succeed. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaph...
Jun 18, 2024•41 min•Ep 217•Transcript available on Metacast Brand new from SPYSCAPE Studios - True Spies: Debriefs. In each of these new episodes, we'll dive back behind the scenes with some of our favourite True Spies, from episodes past. This week, ex-CIA operations officer Douglas London discusses how empathy, an undervalued tool in the spy's arsenal, played a crucial role in bringing in active Al Qaeda members. And, how he believes leaders embroiled in the current conflicts in the middle east, could seek to use empathy to bring an end to hostilities....
Jun 11, 2024•42 min•Ep 216•Transcript available on Metacast Join chief historian of the National Parks: Robert K Sutton, as he tells the story of Nazis on the Potomac, and those sworn to secrecy at Fort Hunt... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Robert K Sutton is the author of Nazis on the Potomac: The Top-Secret Intelligence Operation that Helped Win World War II Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jun 03, 2024•47 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former MI6 Officer Harry Ferguson tells the nail-biting story of an unlikely British spy in Bolshevik Russia - and the daring naval mission to bring him home. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Louise Sinnerton. Music by Nick Ryan. Harry Ferguson is the author of Operation Kronstadt, and makes content on TikTok as The English Spy (https://www.tiktok.com/@theenglishspy) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoic...
May 28, 2024•51 min•Ep 214•Transcript available on Metacast It's 1937. The Spanish Civil War is raging, and author George Orwell is fighting on the Socialist front. But as Orwell lives out his anti-Fascist adventure, his wife, Eileen O'Shaughnessy, is embroiled in a subtler conflict. At the headquarters of the Workers' Party of Marxist Unification in Barcelona, she's dealing with a brutal police force, Stalinist spies, and an atmosphere of political terror. And on top of all that, it's up to her to stop her husband falling into enemy hands... From SPYSCA...
May 21, 2024•46 min•Transcript available on Metacast Former CIA Operations Officer Aaron Brown joins Rhiannon Neads to discuss his role in two defining moments in the CIA's War on Terror. In Part 2, the aftermath of Khost informs the most dramatic operation in the history of the modern CIA. And Aaron has a seat at the table. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Aaron Brown is the host of the UnderSimplified Podcast, and a keynote speaker: https://www.u...
May 14, 2024•44 min•Ep 212•Transcript available on Metacast Former CIA Operations Officer Aaron Brown joins Rhiannon Neads to discuss his role in two defining moments in the CIA's War on Terror. In Part 1, we follow Aaron's journey into the Agency's inner sanctum - and its' darkest hour. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Aaron Brown is the host of the UnderSimplified Podcast, and a keynote speaker: https://www.undersimplified.org/ Learn more about your ad ...
May 07, 2024•38 min•Transcript available on Metacast Just how influential is the 'white noise' of information, and disinformation, emanating from Russia? In this second and final episode on the phenomenon of modern disinformation, hear from author and former Executive Director of the US Disinformation Governance Board: Nina Jankowicz. She shines a light on how small acts of manipulation, made on the other side of the world, can pit fellow Americans against themselves... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer...
Apr 30, 2024•57 min•Ep 210•Transcript available on Metacast Just how influential is the 'white noise' of information, and disinformation, emanating from Russia? In this first of two special episodes on the phenomenon of modern disinformation, Ukrainian-British journalist and author Peter Pomerantsev, reveals the evolution of the dark tactics the modern Russian state uses to cripple both neighbouring countries, and dissenters within its own borders. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Ashl...
Apr 23, 2024•48 min•Ep 209•Transcript available on Metacast Born to the British upper-crust - devoted to the Revolution. Harold 'Kim' Philby was the ultimate Soviet superspy. For decades, Philby sold secrets to the Russians from inside the upper echelons of MI6. Inspired by an unpublished memoir recently acquired by Spyscape, we bring his fascinating story to life. In Part 2, Rhiannon Neads follows the trail of booze, bad luck and betrayal that brought Philby down. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley....
Apr 16, 2024•52 min•Ep 208•Transcript available on Metacast Born to the British upper-crust - devoted to the Revolution. Harold 'Kim' Philby was the ultimate Soviet superspy. For decades, Philby sold secrets to the Russians from inside the upper echelons of MI6. Inspired by an unpublished memoir recently acquired by Spyscape, we bring his fascinating story to life. In Part 1, Rhiannon Neads details Philby's rise to the top - and the fateful decisions that will lead to his undoing. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series prod...
Apr 09, 2024•52 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nestled in the mountains of Myanmar, there's a nation that you won't find on the map. The mysterious, controversial Wa State is what journalist Patrick Winn calls a 'Narcotopia' - a country whose main source of income is the international drugs trade. In Part 2, we learn more about Saw Lu's dangerous entanglement with the US Government. Listener discretion is advised. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Ni...
Apr 02, 2024•47 min•Ep 206•Transcript available on Metacast Nestled in the mountains of Myanmar, there's a nation that you won't find on the map. The mysterious, controversial Wa State is what journalist Patrick Winn calls a 'Narcotopia' - a country whose main source of income is the international drugs trade. In Part 1, Patrick tells the story of his journey to Wa State, and his chance meeting with one of the most powerful figures in its history, Saw Lu - a man whose vision for the isolated nation led him to the door of the US Government. From SPYSCAPE,...
Mar 26, 2024•51 min•Ep 205•Transcript available on Metacast Bigamist. Fantasist. Betrayer. Betrayed. Known only as Agent Sniper, Polish double-agent Michal Goleniewski sold secrets to the USA from behind the Iron Curtain. But this complex, ambitious man was no match for his American handlers. In this episode of True Spies, author Tim Tate reveals a life full of romance, tragedy and Cold War intrigue. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about y...
Mar 19, 2024•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's 2003, and the USA is on the brink of war. Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been issued a deadline - leave the country, or face a full American invasion. In the event of his refusal, the CIA has a plan to strike Saddam's Dora Farms compound - potentially stopping the war in its tracks. The operation is overseen by the head of the Agency's Iraq Operations Group - Luis Rueda. In this episode of True Spies, the former CIA heavyweight shares candid insights into the fevered hours and days ahead...
Mar 12, 2024•42 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Chevalièr d'Éon, was an 18th century war-hero, an indispensable spy and a famous diplomat. But today, they're best known for their pioneering approach to gender boundaries. Historian Gary Kates pulls back the curtains on this fascinating True Spy. Hear the groundbreaking story of d'Éon's life - from undercover geopolitical manipulation in the Russian court, and plotting Louis XV's French invasion of England, to being recognized by both French and English courts as having the right to live as...
Mar 04, 2024•44 min•Ep 202•Transcript available on Metacast Two-time Pulitzer Prize winning journalist James Risen, details the life and work of Frank Church - the man who forever changed the US intelligence community. From humble Idaho beginnings, through to his lofty Presidential ambitions, we delve into who Church really was, and his tireless devotion to serving American ideals of transparency and accountability - culminating in the Church Committee. However, Church learnt that you can't shine a light on the darkest corners of the FBI, the CIA and the...
Feb 26, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast No one takes on the cartel and comes away unscathed. Miriam Rodriguez understood that from the start. In the second and final part of this extraordinary True Spies story, The New York Times’ Azam Ahmed picks up the story of the housekeeper who sought revenge on Mexico’s notorious Zetas. Having discovered the grim truth of what happened to her kidnapped daughter, Miriam Rodriguez makes it her life’s mission to bring down the criminals responsible for her murder – becoming increasingly adept at hi...
Feb 19, 2024•49 min•Ep 200•Transcript available on Metacast In this two-part True Spies story, The New York Times’ Azam Ahmed tells the unbelievable tale of Miriam Rodriguez, a 56 year-old housekeeper turned rogue agent – and thorn in the side of one of Mexico’s most feared gangs. In Part One, we meet Miriam as her world is turned upside down by news of her daughter’s kidnapping. Soon, she embarks on a quest for answers and for vengeance. It will bring her face to face with the Zetas – a powerful and dangerous criminal organization who terrorize Miriam’s...
Feb 12, 2024•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast During the cryptocurrency boom of the 2010s, those who held their assets made huge fortunes. Among them was James Zhong - a young man who'd amassed an unbelievable virtual treasure trove. But he'd come across his fortune illegitimately - by executing an audacious one-man heist against the most notorious black market on the Dark Web. Sophia Di Martino joins IRS Criminal Investigation agent Tyler Hatcher, whose digital detective work recovered millions of dollars in ill-gotten Bitcoin for the US G...
Feb 05, 2024•30 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Silk Road was one of the most notorious black markets on the internet. Run by the notorious, anonymous Dread Pirate Roberts, this online bazaar allowed its users to trade cryptocurrency for illegal drugs, items and services. But, buried beneath layers of digital proxies, the Silk Road was almost impenetrable to law enforcement. Almost. Sophia Di Martino joins former FBI Special Agent Chris Tarbell to tell the story of how a combination of cyber-savvy and old-school detective work brought dow...
Jan 29, 2024•39 min•Ep 197•Transcript available on Metacast Ursula Kuczynski, AKA Agent Sonya, is one history's most effective spies. As an intelligence gatherer for the Soviet military, she helped to usher in the age of Mutually Assured Destruction during the bloody 1940s. In 2020, a newly declassified document muddied the waters - who was Sonya really working for? In this two-part True Spies story, a new theory deepens the mystery of her life and work. In Part 2, Sophia Di Martino and Professor Anthony Glees explore a masterful double-cross by the Stal...
Jan 22, 2024•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Ursula Kuczynski, AKA Agent Sonya, is one history's most effective spies. As an intelligence gatherer for the Soviet military, she helped to usher in the age of Mutually Assured Destruction during the bloody 1940s. In 2020, a newly declassified document muddied the waters - who was Sonya really working for? In this two-part True Spies story, a new theory deepens the mystery of her life and work. In Part 1, Sophia Di Martino joins Professor Anthony Glees to follow Sonya's rise to prominence withi...
Jan 15, 2024•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast Emily Anderson was the best codebreaker you've never heard of. Fiercely devoted to secrecy, she served Britain's interests in two World Wars - mastering five languages along the way. In this remarkable True Spies story, Sophia Di Martino and historian Jackie Ui Chionna give Anderson a much-deserved moment in the limelight. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit m...
Jan 08, 2024•43 min•Transcript available on Metacast The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our eighth round of insights from the world of espionage, Sophia Di Martino looks back on lessons drawn from masters of disguise, daring civilian spycraft, and nail-biting undercover work. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adcho...
Jan 01, 2024•43 min•Ep 193•Transcript available on Metacast The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our seventh round of insights from the world of espionage, Sophia Di Martino revisits an audacious gambit in Iraq, evades surveillance behind the Iron Curtain, and learns how to create a convincing cover story in Canada. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Alex Burnard. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad c...
Dec 25, 2023•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast