On today's Spybrary Spy Podcast, Spybrarian Jason King joins host Shane Whaley to share with us his 5 favourite spy books published in 2018!

On this episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast Jeff Quest (Spywrite) reveals the top 10 spy movies as voted on by our Spybrary listeners. Jeff takes you through the top 10 in descending order, Shane and Jeff also talk about what is on their Christmas wish list as well as what new books they intend to read over the holiday period.

James Bond is Back! It has been some time since we dedicated a whole episode to Britain's not so secret agent. Today we rectify that with a long overdue chat with the men behind what I consider to be one of THE best James Bond Facebook Groups -The Hildebrand Group It has been ages since we dedicated an entire episode to James Bond, today he is back on the agenda on the Spybrary Spy Podcast! On this episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast Host Shane Whaley is joined by Hildebrand Group Founders, Alex Moir, Ian Douglas and Scott Everritt. They reveal what makes The Hildebrand James Bond Facebook Group so special and why you should consider joining. They explain that the group is a safe house for those who love the books of Ian Fleming as well as the movies. They offer a safe haven for those who just prefer the books of Fleming or those who just enjoy the 007 movies.

On this episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast we talk to author Merle Nygate all about her first espionage novel The Righteous Spy In a Goodreads review - Spybrary listener Gary Dexter raves that The Righteous Spy is: The best espionage book that I have read with a contemporary U.K. setting since Mick Herron's "Slow Horse" series. Gary Dexter, Spybrarian Gary has read many a spy novel in his time and does not dish out the praise lightly so we were intrigued to talk to Merle Nygate and find out more. A twisting international spy thriller, The Righteous Spy is a shocking page turner that portrays a clandestine world in which moral transgressions serve higher causes. A must-read for fans of Homeland, Fauda and The Americans, it will also appeal to readers of Charles Cumming and John le Carré. Merle Nygate is a screenwriter, script editor, screenwriting lecturer and novelist; she's worked on BAFTA winning TV, New York Festival audio drama and written original sitcoms; previously she worked for BBC Comedy Commissioning as well as writing and script editing across multiple genres. Most recently, Merle completed her first espionage novel which won the Little Brown/UEA Crime Fiction Award. It was described by the judge as 'outstanding'. In this Spybrary Podcast interview the author of the Righteous Spy reveals that her book was inspired by feedback she received in a class exercise whilst studying for a MA in Crime Fiction.  She shares more about her research for the book and also talks us through her writing process and inspiration. This is a candid discussion with an author who knows her way around the greats (she lists Len Deighton as her favourite spy author) and shares the story of a pivotal moment when she decided to take writing seriously whilst passing a book store on her way back to her office job one lunch time.

On Episode 61 of the Spybrary Spy Podcast, Shane and Karl talk about the recently released book from Geoff Dyer titled 'Broadsword Calling Danny Boy' on Where Eagles Dare. In this no holds barred discussion two well read spy fans give you their assessment of the book. Karl Gunner Øen becomes the first Norwegian spy fan to join us on the Spybrary Spy Podcast. Karl is an avid reader of spy lit and watcher of spy movies. We talk briefly about spy fiction in Norway as well as the activities of real life Norwegian Spy Catcher Ørnulf Tofte. Please check out this video about the KGB in Oslo. Especially of interest if you have read The Spy and The Traitor by Ben Macintrye as it concerns one Arne Treholt who features in the book.

Listeners of Spybrary met up in Berlin to follow in the footsteps of Len Deighton's Bernard Samson. Be a fly on the wall as the Spybrarians visit Berlin landmarks. Listen to the spy book, tv, movie and music chat as the beers flow!

Spybrary Spy Podcast and the SpyWrite Spy blog have teamed up to give you a a chance to vote for your favourite spy movies in our Spy Movie Hall of Fame poll. On this, our 59th episode Spywrite’s Jeff Quest and Spybrary Host Shane Whaley talk through the movies nominated by Spybrarians in our Listeners facebook group. Jeff and Shane talk through the good, the bad and the not yet watched! Rather than just voting for your current favourites, why not join us in watching some of those nominated movies that you have never watched before? Shane is catching up with OSS 117 – Mission to Tokyo, Jeff is finally going to watch Billion Dollar Brain! Spy Movie Hall of Fame Voting Booth – vote here. Deadline is November Friday 16th. We will announce the top 10 on a future episode of Spybrary, a special round table edition where the panels will deep dive and share their thoughts on the winning spy movies. Shane and Jeff also chat through what spy books and spy tv shows they have been reading and watching of late.

Spybrary Spy Podcast with Matthew Kresal After a rejuvenating few months at Shrublands our Brush Pass Reviews makes a welcome return to the Spybrary Spy Podcast. Matthew Kresal’s brush pass has been decoded. Tune in and hear his transmission where he gives us his rapid briefing on the Battle for Bond, a book written by Robert Sellars. ‘In 1963, Ian Fleming, the creator of the 20th century’s greatest fictional character was in court, accused of plagiarism. The screen version of James Bond was not Fleming’s creation. It was the creation of Jack Whittingham, who was employed by maverick producer Kevin McClory to adapt the character to the big screen. Had this screen character never been developed, James Bond might have been just another minor fictional spy character. Battle for Bond – Robert Sellars The Battle for Bond is a tale of bitter recriminations, betrayal, multi-million dollar lawsuits and even death. It is the fabled story of Kevin McClory’s 40 year legal battle over the rights to the screen version of James Bond, which he and Whittingham had created. The first edition of this book was banned by the Ian Fleming Will Trust. But the truth never dies! This second edition features a new foreword by Len Deighton.

On this episode we talk to 2 Tom Clancy fans about the Jack Ryan Amazon TV series! 'Jack Ryan Is a Patriotic Nightmare' Watching this show feels like falling down a Fox News rabbit hole. Vanity Fair's Jack Ryan Review   Review: 'Meet the New Jack Ryan, Same as the Old Jack Ryan' New York Times Jack Ryan Review   'Gloriously macho: For too long the leftie-dominated entertainment industry has been ignoring the truth about our world' The Spectators' Jack Ryan Review These are 3 polarising headlines written about the Jack Ryan Amazon TV series. Taken from Vanity Fair, The New York Times and Spectator Magazine. We tackle these reviews and more on the Spybrary Podcast Episode 57

Berlin Game -Len Deighton - Spybrary Book Club Edition   Spybrary listeners voted overwhelmingly for Berlin Game to be the first spy book to be discussed in our first ever book club Spybrary edition. Listen to an in-depth conversation on this spy classic with Spybrary host Shane Whaley, Deighton expert Rob Mallows and newcomer to Len Deighton's work but not the spy genre Peter Newman. WARNING - Please do not listen to the Berlin Game Book Club edition of Spybrary if you have not read the book. Unlike other episodes of the Spybrary Spy Podcast this episode if full of Berlin Game spoilers. It is a book club edition so we cover lots of aspects of the book including many of the twists and turns.   Spybrary Host Shane Whaley claims that this is one of the top 3 spy books ever written, if not the best! 'Not just a multi-layered spy novel but also a love letter from Len Deighton to Berlin' he says. Rob Mallows says Berlin Game is the book that got him hooked on Len Deighton. Peter Newman delivers a fresh approach as this was his first time reading Berlin Game. What did our panel think of the plot, the characters, the writing, the conclusion? Tune in to find out! 'Fleming made spy fiction globally popular, but it took Deighton in the Sixties with novels such as The IPCRESS File to make it hip. His finest work, though, came later, in the Eighties, with this trilogy (completed by Mexico Set and London Match) about the disillusioned SIS agent Bernard Samson. Less exuberant than his early books but more subtle, Berlin Game is a terrific feat of plotting that out-le-Carrés le Carré in its sardonic portrait of Secret Service office politics. Tarantino (who had Max Cherry read a copy in Jackie Brown) should hurry up and film it, like he said he would.' Jake Kerridge - The Telegraph.   Notable Quotes from Berlin Game by Len Deighton 'How long have we been sitting here?’ I said. I picked up the field glasses and studied the bored young American soldier in his glass-sided box. ‘Nearly a quarter of a century,’ said Werner Volkmann. His arms were resting on the steering wheel and his head was slumped on them. ‘That GI wasn’t even born when we first sat here waiting for the dogs to bark.’ Bernard Samson ----- 'Do you know some quiet restaurant where they have sausage and potatoes and good Berlin beer?’ ‘I know just the place, Bernie. Straight up Friedrichstrasse, under the railway bridge at the S-Bahn station and it’s on the left. On the bank of the Spree: Weinrestaurant Ganymed.’ ‘Very funny,’ I said. Between us and the Ganymed there was a wall, machine guns, barbed wire, and two battalions of gun-toting bureaucrats.'