Spybrary Spy Podcast

A special message to Spybrary listeners around the world to celebrate episode 150!

A special message to Spybrary listeners around the world to celebrate episode 150!

Today, we bring you another spy author interview on the Spybrary Podcast. We are chatting with author James Stejskal who has just penned his first-ever spy fiction novel titled A Question of Time. Some of you may know James from his non-fiction books, especially an absolute cracker - Special Forces Berlin. James draws on his time serving in Cold War Berlin and even weaves the head of the Stasi Erich Mielke and East Germany spymaster Markus Wolf into the story in a credible fashion. And I know what you're thinking, Spybrarian.... Shane, you don't do special forces stuff. Don't be fooled the book Special Forces Berlin is based on James Stejskal's time serving in a covert unit. A Question of Time is a gripping spy thriller that I recommend to Spybrarians. James Stejskal served for 23 years with US Special Forces, including two tours in Berlin. Special Forces Berlin was a small detachment of 100 highly trained soldiers who, should hostilities break out, were to wreak havoc behind Warsaw Pact lines. You can hear a fascianting conversation with James about his time in the military in Berlin over on Cold War Conversations. (Do check it out once you have listened to today's episode.) Let me share a little bit about the book with you. Berlin, 1979. When the CIA's most valuable spy, MERLIN, is compromised, the Agency realizes it does not have the capability to bring him to safety. If he cannot evade the dreaded East German security service, the result will be chaos and a cascade of failures throughout the Agency's worldwide operations. Master Sergeant Kim Becker lived through the hell of Vietnam as a member of the elite Studies and Operations Group. When he lost one of his best men in a pointless operation, he began to question his mission. Now, he is serving with an even more secretive Army Special Forces unit based in Berlin on the front line of the Cold War. The CIA turns to Becker's team of unconventional warfare specialists to pull their bacon out of the fire. Becker and his men must devise a plan to get him out by whatever means possible. It's a race against time to prepare and execute the plan while, alone in East Berlin, MERLIN must avoid his nemesis and play for time inside the hostile secret service headquarters he has betrayed. One question remains -- is the man worth the risk?

Today we decode a brush pass transmission, a spy book review of Eric Von Lustbader's Black Heart. Author and Spy Book fan, Andy Onyx gives us his brush pass spy book review of Black Heart by Eric Von Lustbader.

Spy Rewind time - Jeff and Matthew take a look back at the early 2000's spy show Alias. Starring Jennifer Garner it was one of the first spy shows to air after 9/11 and catapulted numerous people both in front of and behind the camera to further success. The guys talk about the effect of 9/11 on spy shows, the changing look at gender roles for spies, whether it's a good or bad thing to have a mystery box and how hard it must be to spy in a belly shirt.

From acclaimed spy novelist Paul Vidich comes a taut new thriller following the attempted exfiltration of a KGB officer from the ever-changing—and always dangerous—USSR in the mid-1980s. Shane Whaley finds out more in this interview with author Paul Vidich. In Episode 146 of Spybrary with spy author Paul Vidich we discuss: What was Paul Vidich's inspiration for writing The Mercenary. What kind of reader The Mercenary appeals to? (Actioneers v Realistic) What drew Paul to write an espionage thriller? Moscow features heavily, we find out how Paul Vidich researched Moscow and he reveals how John Beryles the former US Ambassador to the Russian Federation 2008-12 helped him, Paul tells us more about the protagonist 'Garin.' We talk locations, settings and why the books was set in the Soviet Union of the mid-80s. Paul reveals that as part of his research, he read over 30 books including autobiographies of high-ranking KGB officers who successfully defected to the West. No wonder the tradecraft is so good in this! We learn more about some of the other characters in The Mercenary including Nataliya, Zyuganov, Petrov, Mueller, Talinov and Posner. 'But shed war of its glory and a soldier's job is to kill. It's that simple. And so, shed espionage of its popular mythology, the spy's job is to lie, deceive, and betray trust.' Shane asks Is The Mercenary a nod to John le Carre and The Spy Who Came In from the cold? The challenges of espionage writing and what are the fun parts! And much more including the world-famous Spybrary Quickfire round!

It is 1955 and we review the latest Ian Fleming James Bond 007 novel, Moonraker With David Craggs, author Simon Conway and Spybrary Host Shane Whaley. Episode is also available on YouTube. Details at www.spybrary.com/145

Today's episode of Spybrary is all about collecting spy books. This episode is also available on YouTube. We talk James Bond book trivia and see some of Tim's amazing Fleming novels. There are some beautiful association copies of Adam Hall books, Matthew shares details on how to collect an elusive Clancy first edition and a signed copy of one of Jimmy Sangster's spy novels with a great back story. All that plus tips and tricks from three folks who can't stop collecting books.

On today's Spybrary Spy Podcast, we turn our attention to Spy TV and the third and sadly final season of the British spy tv series The Sandbaggers starring Roy Marsden and created by Ian Mackintosh. Our panel are back to run the rule over The Sandbaggers Season 3.We are joined by Spybrary Podcast listeners, Hannah Cooper, Jeffrey Westhoff, and Paul Hodges of The Sandbaggers Facebook Group.

Today we are joined by author Mark Edlitz the author of the Lost Adventures of James Bond: Timothy Dalton's Third and Fourth Bond Films, James Bond Jr., and Other Unmade or Forgotten 007 Projects. He is expertly interviewed by James Bond Radio contributor Jack Lugo. Since this episode was recorded, Jack has launched his own 007 podcast - Bond and Banter. The James Bond universe is greater than you might think. Even if you have seen all the movies and devoured Ian Fleming's books, there is much more to discover about 007. There is a fascinating galaxy of Bond adventures that have been "lost" or unmade, out-of-print, or forgotten by even the most dedicated Bond fan. Through his probing interviews with their creators in THE LOST ADVENTURES OF JAMES BOND, Mark Edlitz uncovers different scenarios for Timothy Dalton's abandoned third and fourth Bond movies, questions Toby Stephens about playing 007 on the radio, delves into the unproduced Casino Royale play, and exposes the secret history of James Bond Jr, the animated series about 007's nephew. Edlitz also solves a long-standing Bond mystery, investigates the cheeky commercial which inserts Daniel Craig into a Roger Moore-style escapade, and reveals the story behind Sean Connery's lost Bond performance. These and other projects are revealed in this vastly entertaining and enlightening book. Using never-before-seen photographs, Edlitz uncovers a wealth of unexplored lore. THE LOST ADVENTURES OF JAMES BOND is a must for any Bond fan.