Chasing Rogue Nukes after the Fall of the Soviet Union

Susan Miller continues the story of her CIA career, recalling a harrowing experience of the 1991 US embassy fire in Moscow, and the unexpected humanity displayed by a KGB officer who helped save lives during the crisis.Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! Susan Miller continues … Read more

Dead Drops and Disguises – A Female CIA Officer in 1980s Moscow

I explore the remarkable journey of Susan Miller, a former CIA operations officer who transitioned from a quiet childhood in California to the thrilling world of espionage. Growing up in Sunnyvale and Santa Rosa, she was surrounded by the tech industry, with her father working for Hewlett-Packard. However, her aspirations led her to California Polytechnic … Read more

D.B. Cooper: The Unsolved Cold War Aircraft Hijack

  Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! On November 24, 1971, a man using the alias Dan Cooper hijacked a Northwest Airlines flight, demanding a ransom of $200,000 and four parachutes. What followed was a daring escape that has left investigators and enthusiasts puzzled for … Read more

Berlin: A Spy’s Guide to its Cold War History

Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! In the heart of Europe, Berlin stood as a city divided not only by walls but by ideologies. I dive into the world of espionage that thrived in this divided city with Special Forces and CIA veteran James Stejskal … Read more

The longest-held prisoner of war in American history

Jack Downey was the longest-held prisoner of war in American history. He was a CIA officer captured in China during the Korean War and imprisoned for twenty-one years. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! I speak with Barry Werth the author of Prisoner of Lies – Jack … Read more

Mafia Spies and the Plot to Kill Fidel Castro

  Thomas Maier an investigative journalist is our guide to the shadowy world of organized crime and espionage where shares insights from his extensive research and writing, including his latest book and drama documentary “Mafia Spies,” which explores the unlikely alliance between the CIA and the mafia in their attempts to assassinate Fidel Castro. Listen … Read more

The President’s Kill List – Assassination and US Foreign Policy since 1945

  Luca Trenta is an associate professor at Swansea University and has recently authored The President’s Kill List: Assassination and US Foreign Policy Since 1945. We dig in detail into the contents of the book delving into the history of Cold War CIA operations including instances of electoral interference and assassination. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen … Read more

A daughter’s 18 year search for her Cold War CIA pilot father

In 1961, members of the Alabama Air National Guard secretly took part in the failed invasion of Cuba by U.S.-backed Cuban exiles known as the Bay of Pigs. This was a covert attempt by the United States to overthrow the Soviet-allied Cuban government of Fidel Castro. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Google PodcastsBecome … Read more

Arrested by the KGB and taken to the Lubyanka prison

Marti Peterson was the first female CIA operative to be assigned to Moscow, probably the most challenging posting during the Cold War. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Google PodcastsBecome a Patron! This second episode turns to TRIGON, the code name for Alexandr Ogorodnik. He was an official in the Soviet Embassy in Bogota, … Read more

The first female CIA officer in Cold War Moscow

Marti Peterson was the first female CIA operative to be assigned to Moscow, probably the most challenging posting during the Cold War. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Google PodcastsBecome a Patron! Her story begins in Laos during the Vietnam War where she accompanied her husband John, a CIA officer. She describes their life … Read more