SPYCRAFT 101

This week Justin talks with Robert Weingartner. Rob is a lifelong resident of Staten Island, New York. He graduated from Drake Business School in Manhattan in 2002, and he enjoys reading and learning about history. Over the past few years, Rob has been researching an espionage story that began right in his own hometown. I invited Rob onto the podcast to discuss his research into a German spy ring, which operated on Staten Island during World War II.Connect with Robert:Facebook Group: WWII German Spies of Staten Island - The Fred Lewis LettersConnect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.Support the show

Today Justin sits down with Peter Merlin. Peter is an author, historian, and college instructor. He received his Bachelor's of Science degree in Aeronautical Studies from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and has just completed his Master's degree in Aviation Management from Southern Illinois University. He's been a freelance writer and researcher for more than 30 years and has worked as a historian and archivist at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards, California. He currently teaches several courses in aviation management at the school of aviation at Southern Illinois university. Peter has been researching and writing about Area 51 for many years, and his latest book represents the culmination of all his work to date. He has documented Area 51 from the beginning, when it was little more than a dry lake bed, through its growth as a CIA facility for development and testing of cutting edge aircraft and aviation technology. Connect with Peter:thexhunters.comdreamlandresort.comCheck out the book, Dreamland, here.https://a.co/d/fNR2b6KConnect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.History by MailWho knew? Not me! Learn something new every month. Use code JUSTIN10 for 10% off your subscription.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

This week Justin replays one of his personal favorite episodes, number 26, when author and former special forces officer Greg Walker shared the little-known story of a David Baez, a green beret defector. Baez was a Nicaraguan national whose father was killed by U.S.-backed President Samosa after voicing his displeasure with inequalities that had risen under Samosa's rule. After immigrating the U.S. and joining the Army (and then Special Forces), Baez found himself in El Salvador watching the country he served try to re-institute the rule of a dynasty that had done personal harm to his own family. Baez defected to Nicaragua in support of Sandinista revolutionary forces--despite the danger it posed to his American brothers in arms.Connect with Greg:LinkedIn: Gregory WalkerCheck out Part 1 of Greg's series on Baez, A defector in place: The strange and terrible saga of a Green Beret Sandinista, here.https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/defector-place-strange-terrible-saga-green-beret-part-greg-walker/Connect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.Support the show

Today Justin sits down with repeat guest Tim Tate. Tim has worked as a documentary filmmaker and an investigative journalist for more than 40 years, and in that time has published 19 books and produced 80 documentaries. Some of the topics he's covered in the past include China's slave labor gulags, the worst child murderer in British history, and the orphans left behind after the Vietnam War. Today he discusses the topic of his latest book. It's the story of Peter Wright, MI5 senior counterintelligence officer who came to suspect in the 1960s that the agency's director, Roger Hollis, was himself a Soviet spy.Check out Tim's first appearance on episode 30, A Counterintelligence Agent Turned Romanov Heir, here.Connect with Tim:timtate.co.ukTwitter: @TimTateBooksCheck out To Catch a Spy here.https://a.co/d/7TlKCywConnect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.Tenderfoot TVReal. Powerful. Storytelling. Tune in to "To Die For" wherever you listen to podcasts.History by MailWho knew? Not me! Learn something new every month. Use code JUSTIN10 for 10% off your subscription.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Dr. Lewis Sage-Passant, a former British military intelligence officer and current global head of intelligence for a major European company, dives into the evolving role of intelligence in the corporate world. He discusses how firms are adopting intelligence practices akin to state actors, and the ethical implications of these shifts. The podcast also highlights eBay's controversial intelligence tactics and the urgent need for stronger ethical guidelines. Lewis emphasizes the growing importance of corporate intelligence teams in navigating geopolitical risks and enhancing security.

This week, Justin welcomes back Patrick K. O'Donnell. Patrick is a combat historian who has covered the war in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004, where he was armed and participated in the battle alongside the U.S. Marines. He's an expert on special operations units and irregular warfare. He's published 13 books so far on combat history, covering stories from the American Revolution, World War II, The Global War on Terror and more. He's also the author of The Brenner Assignment, which informed episode number 90 of the podcast with Jack Chappell, the son of OSS officer Howard Chappell, who was one of the primary subjects of Patrick's book. You may remember Patrick from episode number 146  earlier this year. This is the first time an author has returned to the show to discuss the same book once again, and that's because The Unvanquished is so full of incredible stories that we barely scratched the surface the first time around.Check out Patrick's first appearance on the podcast, Civil War Special Operations Units.Connect with Patrick:patrickkodonnell.comTwitter/X: @combathistorianThe Unvanquished is available here.https://www.amazon.com/Unvanquished-Lincolns-Special-Americas-Operations/dp/080216286XConnect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.History by MailWho knew? Not me! Learn something new every month. Use code JUSTIN10 for 10% off your subscription.Tenderfoot TVReal. Powerful. Storytelling. Tune in to "To Die For" wherever you listen to podcasts.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the show

Norman Ohler, a best-selling novelist and journalist known for "Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany," dives into the dark history of psychedelics. He discusses their post-war applications in intelligence and the military, including the controversial MKUltra program. Ohler reveals personal anecdotes about the healing potential of psychedelics for ailments like Alzheimer's. He urges a reevaluation of these substances' potential benefits while contrasting their historical misuse with modern therapeutic exploration.

In this engaging conversation, journalist Craig Unger discusses his book, "Den of Spies," which exposes the alleged October Surprise treachery that aided Ronald Reagan's ascension to the presidency. He delves into the historical intricacies of the Iranian hostage crisis and how backdoor negotiations influenced the political landscape. The dialogue also uncovers CIA conflicts during Carter's presidency and the implications of arms dealings. Unger's insights shed light on the intersection of secrecy and politics that shaped a pivotal moment in U.S. history.

This week Justin talks with Caleb Daniels. Caleb is a lifelong fan of the James Bond films and novels, as well as a firearms enthusiast from Kansas City, Missouri. For seven years, he worked in the firearms industry. In 2020, he started the website and social media pages titled Commando Bond, which are a passion project of his to bridge the gap between pop culture and the world of firearms by analyzing how to live like James Bond from his daily carry to his wardrobe and lifestyle.Todya he discusses his book, Licensed Troubleshooter: The Guns of James Bond, which is available for pre order now from Headstamp Publishing. Caleb has spent years researching all the firearms that appeared in the Bond books and films, and is now finally sharing that research with us.Connect with Caleb:IG: @CommandoBondYouTube: @CommandBondYouTube: @Steel-and-StyleCheck out presale for the book, Licensed Troubleshooter, here.https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/headstamp/licensed-troubleshooter?ref=1oee53Connect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.Support the show

Today Justin sits down with Vladimir McMillin. Vlad was born in Moscow and worked for 20 years for the TASS Russian news agency as a sports reporter. He immigrated to the United States in 1990 and has lived here since then. At a very young age, Vlad realized that there was something different about his family, because they were the only family named McMillin in all of Russia. Vlad's father was James McMillan, a former U.S. Army NCO stationed at the American Embassy in Moscow in the late 1940s. At the end of his tour, rather than come home, he decided to defect to remain in Moscow with his new wife. Vlad was born two years later. He's here to discuss the story of his father's service at the U.S. Embassy, his shocking decision to defect, and how he created a new family and built a life for himself in the Soviet Union. It's also the story of just what it cost him to never be able to go home again.Connect with Vlad:Facebook: Vladimir McMillinCheck out the book, Stationed in Moscow ... for Good, here.https://a.co/d/2uQbuxsConnect with Spycraft 101:Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.spycraft101.comIG: @spycraft101Shop: shop.spycraft101.comPatreon: Spycraft 101Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.Support the show