The award-winning podcast preserving the stories of the Cold War before they are lost…subscribe for free. Produced by Ian Sanders FRHistS
The Communist Polish press called it “Kentomania!”—the excitement surrounding a 23-year-old, called Kent Washington who made history as the first American—and the first Black American—to sign a professional sports contract behind the Iron Curtain. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! Stepping off the plane … Read more
Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on YouTubeListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! Susan Polgar is the author of Rebel Queen: The Cold War, Misogyny, and the Making of a Grandmaster. Born to a poor Jewish family in Cold War Budapest, Susan Polgar had the odds stacked against her growing up in … Read more
In the late 1960s European club football competitions were thriving However unexpected events in 1968 threatened its survival. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on Amazon MusicListen on Podcast AddictBecome a Patron! I delve into the fascinating world of European football during the Cold War era with Craig McCracken, a self-described peddler and purveyor … Read more
I speak with author Ethan Scheiner whose book “Freedom to Win” describes the gripping story of a group of small-town young men who would lead their underdog hockey team from Czechoslovakia against the Soviet Union, the juggernaut in their sport. In 1968 Czechoslovakia is experiencing the Prague Spring, an attempt to moderate and soften communism. However, … Read more
In the early 1970s, the athletes of East Germany started to achieve incredible sports results, winning medals and setting new world records with astonishing frequency. For many years, their sporting supremacy was hailed as a triumph of the socialist government’s commitment to scientific research and innovative training methods. Listen on Apple PodcastsListen on SpotifyListen on … Read more
You will remember Karl-Heinz from our episode 218 where he talked about being a signaller on the West German destroyer “Hamburg” in the late 70s. Today we follow his post navy life as a travelling supporter of football club HSV Hamburg where he followed them all over the Soviet bloc talks about watching them play Dynamo Berlin … Read more
Vashi Nedomanský is the son of Czech former legendary ice hockey forward Václav Nedomanský aka “Big Ned” who is best known as the first hockey player to defect to North America to play. Vashi provides us with vivid descriptions of the 1969 Ice Hockey World Championships where the Czech National Team faced the Soviet national … Read more
In this episode, we hear from Craig McCracken about the strange world of football in Cold War Romania and even if you are not interested in football it’s a fascinating chat about Cold War Romania. Craig runs the website, Beyondthelastman.com, described as 20th century football writing and nostalgia in a skilled and cultured groove. He … Read more
<Welcome to Episode 3 of Cold War Conversations where we hear about the strange world of football in East Germany and even if you are not interested in football it’s a fascinating chat. Craig McCracken runs the website, Beyondthelastman.com, described as 20th century football writing and nostalgia in a skilled and cultured groove. One of … Read more
A series of podcasts chatting to those who lived through and experienced the Cold War first hand and those that are fascinated by the period.