The award-winning podcast preserving the stories of the Cold War before they are lost…subscribe for free. Produced by Ian Sanders FRHistS
Susie Boniface discusses her book Exposed: The Secret History of Britain’s Nuclear Experiments. In the early Cold War Britain hand-picked its healthiest and cleverest men to undertake a truly terrifying mission: to create and detonate an atomic bomb. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! … Read more
In a compelling new perspective on the early Cold War, prizewinning historian Alexis Peri explores correspondence between American and Soviet women begun in the last years of World War II and continuing into the 1950s. Previously unexamined, the women’s letters movingly demonstrate the power of the personal, as the pen pals engaged in a … Read more
Daniela Richterova, author of “Watching the Jackals” tells the the untold history of Czechoslovakia’s complex relations with Middle Eastern terrorists and revolutionaries during the closing decades of the Cold War. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! In the 1970s and 1980s, Prague became a favorite … Read more
Ron Mackay further recounts his experiences in Romania, a country teetering between Soviet influence and a desire for independence, offering a fascinating glimpse into a time of uncertainty and intrigue. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! Among many stories, Ron visits an RAF base in … Read more
In 1967 a young British professor found himself in Bucharest, Romania, under the most intriguing circumstances. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! Ron Mackay shares his fascinating experiences as he navigated life and teaching in a communist country. When he set foot on Romanian soil, … Read more
Few operations in Cold War history capture the imagination quite like Operation Eagle Claw. I have the privilege of welcoming back James Stejkal, a Special Forces veteran, to delve into the intricacies of this audacious mission. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeBecome a Patron! Operation Eagle Claw, conceived as a daring rescue … Read more
In the late 1970s, the United States found itself at the centre of hostage crisis with 52 US Embassy staff held hostage in Iran. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeBecome a Patron! Our latest episode takes you on a journey through the tumultuous events of 1980, exploring the covert operation known as … Read more
It’s 40 years since the film Threads was shown on British TV. It portrayed the effects of a nuclear attack on the city of Sheffield, England and the eventual long-term effects of nuclear war on civilization. It therefore seems apt to publish a tour I had of the Hack Green Regional Seat of Government Bunker … Read more
On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy on Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park in London. There they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff, visitors, and three British citizens. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! I talk with Britain’s bestselling historian Ben … Read more
BRIXMIS and its operations behind enemy lines in East Germany continue to fascinate the listeners of Cold War Conversations. In August 2024 I was honoured to be invited to the National Army Museum in London to interview Andrew Long, the author of BRIXMIS and the Secret Cold War – Intelligence Collecting Operations Behind Enemy Lines … Read more