True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics
SPYSCAPE
True Spies takes you inside the world's greatest espionage and detective operations. Our hosts Hayley Atwell, Vanessa Kirby, Sophia Di Martino, Daisy Ridley and Rhiannon Neads talk to the real spies behind the missions. What do they know? What are their skills? And what would you do in their position? We explore and investigate real life thrillers, mysteries and crimes - stories that prove truth is stranger than fiction! These stories cover lies, murder, theft, sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. You’ll meet experts from the top intelligence agencies including FBI, CIA, MI5, MI6 (SIS), KGB, GRU, Mossad and many others. You’ll discover characters who spied because of money, ideology, coercion or just plain old ego. And, if you’d like to dig deeper into the world of secrets, and test your own secret intelligence skills, head over to spyscape.com for articles, games, experiences, puzzles and videos.For episodes first and ad-free, subscribe to Spyscape+ at: plus.Spyscape.comA Cup & Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Music: Nick Ryan.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 12, 2022 • 39min
How to Steal a MiG, Part 1/2: The Pyramid Scheme | CIA
In the skies over Cairo, an unlit military transport plane makes a wary descent in to the city's international airport. Under cover of darkness, it's loaded with a precious consignment - an artefact that the USA has gone to great lengths to procure. Not a cursed relic, or a crystal skull - but a cutting-edge Russian fighter jet.In Part One, Sophia Di Martino flies cargo-class with the CIA's Jim Fees - the officer who stole a MiG-23 from under the nose of the Soviet Union in the late 1970s. To tell his story, we've enlisted Jim's only daughter, alongside historian and aviation expert Steve Davies.From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dec 5, 2022 • 39min
Aldrich Ames - The Ultimate Double Agent, Part 2/2: Operation Nightmover | CIA
The CIA is only as strong as it's weakest link. And in the waning years of the Cold War, weak links were in ready supply. A number of trusted Agency officers were caught selling secrets to the Russian regime. And the most notorious traitor? Aldrich Hazen Ames.In part 2, Sophia Di Martino joins FBI Special Agent Leslie G Wiser Jr on the toughest assignment of his career so far. But to take down Aldrich Ames, he'll need to bend the rules...From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 28, 2022 • 42min
Aldrich Ames - The Ultimate Double Agent, Part 1/2: Selling Secrets | CIA
The CIA is only as strong as it's weakest link. And in the waning years of the Cold War, weak links were in ready supply. A number of trusted Agency officers were caught selling secrets to the Russian regime. And the most notorious traitor? Aldrich Hazen Ames.In the first episode of a 2-part True Spies story, Sophia Di Martino joins journalist and spy chronicler Bryan Denson to uncover the inglorious origins of Ames' betrayal - and the beginnings of his downfall. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 21, 2022 • 46min
The Bin Laden Files, Part 3/3: A Lion In Winter
As a new era of True Spies begins, Sophia di Martino joins the experts to reveal Osama bin Laden’s origins, methods and motivation. CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder join CNN’s Peter Bergen, the man who first interviewed Osama, to share the unvarnished truth about Bin Laden’s rise to power.In Part 3, the hunt begins for the world's most infamous terrorist begins in earnest - and a humble courier has an important part to play. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 14, 2022 • 46min
The Bin Laden Files, Part 2/3: Take The Shot
As a new era of True Spies begins, Sophia di Martino joins the experts to reveal Osama bin Laden’s origins, methods and motivation. CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder join CNN’s Peter Bergen, the man who first interviewed Osama, to share the unvarnished truth about Bin Laden’s rise to power.In Part 2, the world begins to pay attention to Bin Laden - and the CIA makes its first moves against the Al Qaeda kingpin. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 7, 2022 • 42min
The Bin Laden Files, Part 1/3: The Making of Osama
Sophia di Martino joins CIA operatives Gina Bennett and Tracy Walder, along with CNN's Peter Bergen, in discussing the origins, methods, and motivation of Osama bin Laden. They share the unvarnished truth about his rise to power, including his first televised interview and his evolving ambitions. The podcast covers Osama's upbringing, his exile, and his rise in Sudan, exploring the aftermath of the Soviet-Afghan war and the radicalization of Afghan Arab veterans.
Oct 31, 2022 • 35min
The Legal Attaché, Part 2/2: Lobsters in a Box | FBI
The men and women of the FBI are entrusted with defending Americans from their enemies at home and abroad. As an FBI Legat, Kathy Stearman performed that service in a variety of foreign locales. But even as she faced off against terrorists, she was fighting another insidious threat - one that affects women in every field.Vanessa Kirby joins Kathy for a no-holds-barred look at the realities of misogyny and sexism at the heart of the Bureau - and how those realities affected her in some of the world's most dangerous environments. In Part 2, Kathy becomes a key witness at the trial of a deadly terrorist - and reaches the limits of her patience. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 27, 2022 • 3min
True Spies: A New Era
Prepare for a new era of True Spies stories, as told by Sophia Di Martino. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 24, 2022 • 38min
The Legal Attaché, Part 1/2: Kentucky Windage | FBI
The men and women of the FBI are entrusted with defending Americans from their enemies at home and abroad. As an FBI Legat, Kathy Stearman performed that service in a variety of foreign locales. But even as she faced off against terrorists, she was fighting another insidious threat - one that affects women in every field.Vanessa Kirby joins Kathy for a no-holds-barred look at the realities of misogyny and sexism at the heart of the Bureau - and how those realities affected her in some of the world's most dangerous environments. In Part 1, Kathy finds herself in the white heat of the Sri Lankan civil war.From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 17, 2022 • 33min
The Fourth Man, Part 2/2: The Rock Star | CIA
In the late 80s and early 90s, the Agency was rocked by a series of high-profile turncoats Aldrich Ames, Robert Hanssen, and Edward Lee Howard all leaked secrets to the Russians, with often-deadly consequences for agents on the ground. 20 years later, former CIA officer Bob Baer caught wind of a disturbing possibility - that a fourth, and even more insidious mole might have been active at the heart of America's intelligence community.In Part 2, Vanessa Kirby joins Bob Baer in the present day, where renewed interest in the Fourth Man case throws up more questions than answers...From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
