The award-winning podcast preserving the stories of the Cold War before they are lost…subscribe for free. Produced by Ian Sanders FRHistS
In this fascinating interview, Patrick D. Joyce recounts his unique experience growing up as the son of a U.S. diplomat during the Cold War. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeBecome a Patron! Living in the diplomatic community of the Soviet Union, Nicaragua, and Cuba, Patrick shares vivid memories of his father’s career … Read more
Warning: This episode does cover the subject of suicide. If you need help please use these links: UK https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ Rest of the World https://findahelpline.com/i/iasp Tilo shares his raw and powerful testimony of a young man conscripted into the East German military at the height of Cold War tensions. He recounts the daunting prospect of being drafted into … Read more
David McKay is a former Cold War special forces officer and author of Bubbleheads, SEALs and Wizards: America’s Scottish Bastion in the Cold War. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeBecome a Patron! His book highlights the Scottish bases’ significant role in supporting the US military over three decades. David brings his expertise … Read more
Bill Woodman is a former US Navy nuclear missile submarine commander, who shares his rich experiences from joining the US Naval Academy in 1964 to commanding two submarines, the USS James Monroe and the USS Alabama during the Cold War. Bill opens up about his initial aspirations, rigorous training at the Naval Academy, … Read more
Burt recounts the surreal experience of learning about Fisher’s true identity from a newspaper headline, the subsequent FBI interrogations, and the emotional courtroom testimony where he struggled to reconcile his friendship with the stark reality of espionage. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Google PodcastsBecome a Patron! Burt’s journey leads him to Moscow … Read more
In a riveting episode that peels back the layers of Cold War espionage, we sit down with Burt, an artist who unwittingly befriended a man better known as Colonel Abel, the infamous Bridge of Spies Spy who was exchanged for shot down US U2 pilot Gary Powers. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on … Read more
Valeriy was a Soviet Navy diver sapper and was born and raised in Kyiv, Ukraine. I have used a human translator for this episode so the main voice you will hear is my translator Galina Ryabova who was kindly funded by one of my financial supporters. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Google PodcastsBecome … Read more
Tilo offers an engaging and personal account of growing up in East Berlin before the fall of the Berlin Wall. He begins by describing his early childhood in a rundown building in Prenzlauer Berg before moving to a new prefab neighbourhood in Lichtenberg. Tilo’s grandfather on his mother’s side was a pastor in the Lutheran … Read more
Sirka offers a comprehensive exploration of life in East Germany, detailing the experiences of growing up in Neubrandenburg, the influence of the East German state and the Stasi, and the societal impacts of Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall. She also talks of her intensive gymnastics training and being … Read more
Timo takes us on his journey through the tumultuous events of the 1991 Soviet coup attempt, as experienced from the streets of the Baltic States. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Google Podcasts As the coup unfolds, Timo finds himself in Lithuania, planning to covertly visit the closed Soviet city of Kaliningrad. He shares … Read more