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
Mar 18, 2025 • 40min
The Misadventures of Martha Dodd, Part 1: The Pink Lady | KGB
Content Warning: This episode contains adult themes throughout.When defense journalist Brendan McNally stumbled across a long-forgotten name in 1990s Prague, he had no idea of the remarkable story he would uncover.It belongs to Martha Dodd: ambassador's daughter, mistress to Nazi officials, and Stalinist spy. In the first episode of this two-part True Spies special, Brendan traces Martha's journey from Chicago socialite to the toast of Berlin society - and the great loves that guided the course of her life.From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Mar 11, 2025 • 44min
True Spies Classic: Operation Inter | StB
In this True Spies Classic, it's the late 1980s, and change is in the air in Eastern Europe. For a young journalist like Mark Baker, Czechoslovakia is an interesting place to be. But Mark has attracted some unwanted attention - a fact that he'll only discover several decades later.Sophia Di Martino joins Mark to travel through the True Spies looking-glass, and discover what it's like to become the target of a recruitment effort by an intelligence agency - whether you know it or not.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
Mar 4, 2025 • 51min
True Spies Debriefs: Dr. Daniela Richterova on the Jackals in Prague
Dr. Daniela Richterova joins host Morgan Childs to discuss the relationship between Cold War intelligence agencies and non-state actors like the infamous Carlos the Jackal.Dr. Richterova is Senior Lecturer in Intelligence Studies at Kings College, University of London From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 25, 2025 • 39min
MI9 Unmasked, Part 2: Italian Jobs | WW2
Hear again from British historian Helen Fry, joining Rhiannon Neads for the second and final installment of a two-part dive into one of the most crucial, but little-known intelligence forces of the Second World War - MI9.Hear the conclusion to the gripping story of the department, and reasons behind their ultimate secrecy in a post-WW2 world... From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Max Bower. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 18, 2025 • 38min
MI9 Unmasked, Part 1: Escape and Evasion | WW2
Helen Fry, a British historian and author, brings to light the secretive world of MI9, focusing on its role in facilitating escapes for Allied POWs during WWII. She shares fascinating anecdotes, like the creation of a chocolate gun for covert operations and the audacious escape from Colditz Castle. Fry highlights the bravery of MI9 operatives and the unique tools they devised, while drawing parallels between these historical heroes and the fictional exploits of James Bond. Prepare for tales of daring rescues and unforgettable characters!
Feb 11, 2025 • 50min
True Spies Classic: Blinking Red | CIA
In this True Spies Classic, CIA analyst Gina Bennett shows Vanessa Kirby the origins of America's most infamous enemy. Throughout the 1990s, Osama bin Laden launched a series of attacks on American interests at home and abroad. Operating in the man's world of counter-terrorism, Gina had to fight to have the threat he posed taken seriously. Would YOU trust your gut? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Tim Mansel. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 4, 2025 • 55min
True Spies Debriefs: Gina Bennett on the new paradigm for national security
Gina Bennett, a former CIA counterterrorism analyst known for her early warnings about Osama bin Laden, shares her insights on the evolving landscape of national security. She discusses the need for ethical rethinking in intelligence and the significance of trust in governance. Bennett highlights the emotional toll on analysts and the delicate balance between personal life and national duty. With an innovative idea for a shadow cabinet, she advocates for better accountability in a tech-driven world while weaving storytelling to deepen understanding of security themes.
Jan 29, 2025 • 55min
Spying On The Reich | Historical
Roger Howard, an International Relations journalist and author of "Spying on the Reich," discusses the covert battles against Hitler before World War II. He narrates chilling tales of espionage, including a shocking discovery in Munich that hints at a web of undercover operations. Delving into the formation of the Z Organisation, Howard uncovers how unconventional spies operated amid rising Nazi extremism. He also examines the miscalculations in intelligence that profoundly impacted the West's understanding of Hitler's intentions and the disastrous consequences that followed.
Jan 21, 2025 • 53min
True Spies Classic: The Nuclear Superhighway | CIA
In this classic episode of True Spis, undercover CIA agent James Olson takes Vanessa Kirby on a nail-biting mission behind the Iron Curtain. In the late 1970s, James was tasked with tapping an underground communications line between Moscow and a top-secret nuclear weapons facility. Under constant surveillance from the KGB, he would need to use a combination of traditional spycraft and hi-tech gadgetry to intercept this priceless intel without risking a diplomatic catastrophe. From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 14, 2025 • 37min
True Spies Debriefs: Bob Dougherty on transnational repression
Do you know about the rising threats posed by transnational repression?Hear from Bob Dougherty, veteran of 26 years as a CIA undercover operations officer. Today, Bob works as an instructor for multiple government agencies, increasingly speaking on the dangers of transnational repression; the intimidation, harassment, or other human rights abuses perpetrated by countries on their own people beyond their borders.From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
