PODCAST
Join us as we hear from some bad-ass female spies who share their favourite real world missions with Vanessa Kirby and Hayley Atwell.
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Sisters & Spies
Q, FOLLOWED BY U
It's World War I and German submarine technology terrorizes the British Navy. Fortunately, Captain Gordon Campbell is anything but traditional. He's at the helm of the first 'Q-boats' - heavily armed sub-busters ingeniously disguised as civilian ships. Vanessa Kirby sets sail with Captain Campbell on a secretive mission to take back the oceans. Could you stare down a torpedo?
CATCHING NORIEGA
It's 1989, and the US has invaded Panama. The country's corrupt leader, General Manuel Noriega, goes into hiding. Martha Duncan of the Defense Intelligence Agency is tasked with tracking him down - and she'll do whatever it takes to bring him into the open. Vanessa Kirby joins the hunt for Panama's most wanted. Could you catch a dictator?
LORD OF THE HIGHWAY
Uruzgan Province, Southern Afghanistan. An Army convoy rumbles in on the dangerous highway from Kandahar, bringing vital supplies to American troops. This is facilitated by Matiullah Khan, a local warlord with connections in the Afghan government. When two US soldiers are assassinated by an Afghan ally, Naval intelligence officer Matt Cricchio suspects that Khan might be behind the attack. Vanessa Kirby joins Matt on a mission to bring him down.
HAVANA SYNDROME SPECIAL
Debilitating neurological symptoms have affected US officials worldwide. Former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos has been suffering since 2017 - he joins Russia expert and former CIA Station Chief John Sipher, and Dr. James Giordano to analyze Havana Syndrome.
THE ACE OF SPIES
Who was Britain's Ace of Spies? Nobody really knows but the name he used was Sidney Reilly - and nobody did it better in the early 20th century. Reilly reckoned with oil barons, his personal pride, and the rise of Communism during his decades on the edge.
OPERATION BLACK BISCUIT
Undercover ATF Agent Jay Dobyns was shot during his first week of work. He went on to spend 27 years in the field. That should tell you something about a man who risked his personal health and happiness to infiltrate one of America's toughest biker gangs, the Hells Angels. Jay had to prove himself worthy of membership - and the price of admission was murder. Could YOU earn your patch?
THE MOLE
When health issues ended Ulrich Larsen's career in the kitchen, the Danish chef embarked on an altogether more dangerous livelihood - spying on North Korea. After gaining the trust of the Korean Friendship Association in Denmark, he was sent to the isolated dictatorship as an envoy, where he gathered evidence of sanction-busting deals in arms and narcotics. Could YOU become the Mole?
OPERATION GOLDENROD
During the 1980s, a rash of hostage situations in the Middle East threatened American lives. In response, President Ronald Reagan authorized legislation that empowered the FBI to hunt the hostage takers down - any time, any place. Former Assistant Director Oliver 'Buck' Revell led the first operation of this kind - a daring plot to capture a Lebanese hijacker off the coast of Cyprus. Vanessa Kirby joins Buck for a make-or-break mission in the Med. Could YOU make history?
HUNTING THE WOLVERINE
In the desert of Southern Afghanistan, CIA case officer Douglas Laux is on the hunt. He's traced a number of deadly IED attacks to a shadowy figure with ties to the Taliban. Now, his mission is to bring him down before more US personnel are killed. To do so, he'll have to push himself - and his assets - to the limit. How long could you take the heat?
THE CONSULTANTS
Jeff Miller and Nick Brockhausen are two ex-Green Berets who share a brotherhood forged in battle. Their philosophy? Where there's war, there's money to be made. And if you can do a little good at the same time, all the better. In the 1990s, Jeff and Nick decided to open a commando training school for Bosnian forces in the besieged capital of Sarajevo. But first, they needed funding. Vanessa Kirby follows them on a gonzo adventure replete with political intrigue and deadly near-misses in the heat of war. Could YOU make a difference - and a fortune too?
UNDERCOVER WITH THE NIPSTERS
Writer and researcher Julia Ebner makes a living out of infiltrating extremist groups. In the divided political landscape of the 21st century, some of those groups are making a play for the mainstream. Enter Generation Identity - a European far-right organisation putting a millennial gloss on old and dangerous ideas. Vanessa Kirby follows Julia as she goes undercover with the Nazi Hipsters - Nipsters, for short. Could YOU blend in?
TRADECRAFT PART 4
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our fourth round of insights from the world of espionage, Vanessa Kirby meets brave investigators, wily whistleblowers and whip-smart spycatchers in the ultimate digest of the series so far. Could YOU master the craft?
TRADECRAFT PART 3
The tools in a spy's arsenal are more varied than you might think. But they all come under one name: Tradecraft. In our third round of insights from the world of espionage, Vanessa Kirby meets daring undercovers, sweet-talking case officers and spies who shaped history in the ultimate digest of the series so far. Could YOU master the craft?
STALIN'S ROMEO SPY
As a young Soviet journalist, Emil Draitser stumbled on a story that changed his life. He was summoned by Dmitri Bystrolyotov to hear the deep secret that he was a ‘Stasi Romeo’ spying on Germany for Moscow, taking advantage of vulnerable women to steal state secrets. It was a fascinating tale, but it could also land Draitser in prison.
WHITE TRAITOR
Sue Dobson was a white woman who wanted to spy for the African National Congress - making her a minority within a minority in apartheid-era South Africa. Dobson spent seven months training in the USSR to learn her tradecraft. Now she wasn’t just a traitor, she was a turncoat with the training to kill.
ASSET TERMINATED
Today, veteran CIA operative Doug Patteson is an expert in his field. But as a rookie Case Officer in South-East Asia, he still had a lot to learn. When the Agency put him in an awkward position, Doug was forced to find the middle-ground between his personal code and the life he chose. Could YOU always put the job first?
MOONLIGHT MAZE
It's 1999, and DoD intelligence officer Bob Gourley is at the vanguard of the US Government's defense against cyber-espionage. He's joined a task force charged with uncovering the shadowy hackers who have been siphoning America's scientific secrets for three years. If he wants answers, Bob needs to navigate cutting-edge tech, inter-agency backbiting, and the machinations of an old enemy. Could you stop a hacker in their tracks?
MONKEY BUSINESS
Spy. Counterspy. Mercenary. Informant. Ricardo 'Monkey' Morales was all these things and more. Rising from humble beginnings in Cuba, he served within various intelligence agencies before becoming notorious in the criminal underworld of 1980s Miami. But when the FBI came knocking, he mounted a daring wire-tap operation against the city's powerful drug lords - Operation Tick Talks. Which side would YOU choose?
ME AND THE MULLAH
Shawnee Delaney was a key part of the US team hunting Osama bin Laden in the wake of 9/11. One of her contacts was a Mullah with close ties to al-Qaeda but how could she win his trust? There was a language barrier and the Mullah refused to accept money for intelligence. This was shaping up to be Shawnee’s most challenging assignment yet.
THE WAR DRIVER
When it comes to cyber espionage, white-hat hacker Matt Devost is someone you want on your side. When a corporate client reported extortionate emails from an unknown aggressor, Matt was determined to unmask them. To do so, he'd need to test the limits of his considerable skills and step out from behind the keyboard. Could you become a hacker for hire?
Ten Episodes Not To Miss
Ready to unlock the secrets of the spying game? Here's a quick intro to our True Spies series.
Howard Hunt Unleashed, Part 1: The CIA & Animal Farm
In this special two-part True Spies miniseries, Daisy Ridley presents a dramatized encounter with Everette Howard Hunt Jr, based on our own historical research and Hunt's own writings. In Part 1, Hunt explains his role in one of the CIA's most unusual PsyOps - the backing of 1954's animated version of George Orwell's Animal Farm.
HAVANA SYNDROME SPECIAL
Debilitating neurological symptoms have affected US officials worldwide. Former CIA officer Marc Polymeropoulos has been suffering since 2017 - he joins Russia expert and former CIA Station Chief John Sipher, and Dr. James Giordano to analyze Havana Syndrome.
GRAY SUIT & THE GHOST
Eric O’Neill describes the hunt for the infamous FBI mole Robert Hanssen, who he was tasked with catching. Eric needs to get Hanssen into a hire car so his own car can be searched for evidence of his betrayal... but the hire car isn’t there and Hanssen is getting suspicious. What would you do in O'Neill's position?
THE ILLEGAL
'Jack Barsky' was a New York computer programmer for a well-known insurance firm. In real life, he was Albrecht Dittrich, a highly-trained Soviet sleeper agent dropped behind enemy lines in 1970s America. When the KGB recalled him to Europe, Barsky had a difficult choice to make: Should he leave his wife and 18-month-old baby behind or betray his country?
INSIDE NAMBLA
Bob Hamer had a colorful career as an undercover FBI agent but nothing prepared him for infiltrating Nambla, the North American Man/Boy Love Association. If he was going to put the pedophiles behind bars, Bob would have to hide his hatred and disdain - even if it ripped at the very fabric of his being. (Warning: This episode contains graphic details.)
WHITE TRAITOR
Sue Dobson was a white woman who wanted to spy for the African National Congress - making her a minority within a minority in apartheid-era South Africa. Dobson spent seven months training in the USSR to learn her tradecraft. Now she wasn’t just a traitor, she was a turncoat with the training to kill.
PSYCHIC SPIES
Dr. Edwin May is an unusual scientist, a physicist who researches psychic phenomena. For decades he worked with psychics who believed they could ‘foresee’ events like potential terrorist attacks, which raised an interesting question: If you can see the future, are you condemned to experience it?
THE SOCIOPATHIC SPY
Working as a lawyer is one path to success, but Jim Lawler wanted adventure. He ditched his job in Texas and joined the CIA. On his first tour abroad, Jim had to recruit a spy working for a hostile government knowing she’d be killed if her cover was blown. That’s when Jim realized he was born with the type of sociopathic personality that would ensure success.
ME AND THE MULLAH
Shawnee Delaney was a key part of the US team hunting Osama bin Laden in the wake of 9/11. One of her contacts was a Mullah with close ties to al-Qaeda but how could she win his trust? There was a language barrier and the Mullah refused to accept money for intelligence. This was shaping up to be Shawnee’s most challenging assignment yet.
THE IRISHMAN
Sean Hartnett grew up in Ireland during the 'Troubles'. His family was Republican so they were shocked when Hartnett talked about joining the British Armed Forces. In fact, Hartnett went a step further. He joined the British Army’s most secretive covert counterterrorist unit in Northern Ireland, Joint Communications Unit Northern Ireland aka ‘The Det’.
And, if you're into covert operations and intelligence gathering, check out these episodes:
EPISODE 71
RISE AND KILL FIRST
Ronen Bergman is an investigative journalist specializing in the dark arts of espionage and Mossad. In the early ‘80s, he stumbled on the scoop of a lifetime involving PLO chairman Yasser Arafat.
TEAM ALPHA PART 1: THE TIP OF THE SPEAR
October 17, 2001. The dust of 9/11 has barely settled. America and the world are reeling. In Afghanistan, eight CIA officers - a crack team of linguists, tribal experts, and paramilitaries - are the first Americans to infiltrate Taliban territory after the attacks. Their mission is to ensure that al-Qaeda does not strike again.
EPISODE 87
STALIN'S ROMEO SPY
As a young Soviet journalist, Emil Draitser stumbled on a story that changed his life. He was summoned by Dmitri Bystrolyotov to hear the deep secret that he was a ‘Stasi Romeo’ spying on Germany for Moscow, taking advantage of vulnerable women to steal state secrets. It was a fascinating tale, but it could also land Draitser in prison.
ALDRICH AMES PART 1: THE ULTIMATE DOUBLE AGENT - SELLING SECRETS
The CIA is only as strong as the 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.
EPISODE 43
PUTIN'S PALACE?
Former Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny released a film in 2021 that sent shockwaves through the country. Part exposé, part-psychological portrait, his investigation claimed to reveal a culture of corruption within the Kremlin - with President Putin at its heart. The Kremlin and Putin deny everything.
LISTEN TO ALL TRUE SPIES EPISODES Find us on Apple Podcasts
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Spy SistersSee all episodes here
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FBI SecretsSee all episodes here
Russian SecretsSpy Sisters: Teaser
Hayley Atwell and Vanessa Kirby narrate true stories from the incredible women behind the world’s greatest espionage operations. What do they know? What are their skills? And what would YOU do in their position? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy.
The Philadelphia Wire
Northern Philadelphia, 1989. FBI agent Judy Tyler is on the hunt. Her target? A local entrepreneur with a lucrative side-line as a cocaine kingpin. From wiretaps to polygraphs to secret cameras, Judy has the Bureau's full arsenal of tradecraft tricks at her disposal - but can she get her man before someone gets hurt? Vanessa Kirby joins Judy on the mean streets of Philly. Could YOU clean them up? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producers: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
Mission in the Dog Meat Valley
CW: Animal cruelty. In South Korea, dog meat is a controversial delicacy. The farming of dogs for meat is largely unregulated, and animals are kept in horrendous conditions. Activists Nami Kim and Nina Jackel are on a personal mission to stop the slaughter. But to expose their enemies, they'll need to gather the right intelligence - and put their own safety on the line. Vanessa Kirby tells a story of courage in the face of cruelty. Could YOU defend the defenceless? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan.
Surviving NXIVM
In 2005, actress Sarah Edmondson joined NXIVM, a company offering 'personal development' coaching. 12 years later, she realized that she had been brainwashed into a dangerous sex-trafficking cult. She borrowed techniques from the world of spy tradecraft to bring down the man behind the curtain - Keith Raniere. Vanessa Kirby joins Sarah on a journey that forced her to question everything she thought she knew. Could YOU take back control? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby, Joe Foley. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
Seven Female Spies
CW: This episode contains descriptions of Nazi war-crimes that some listeners may find upsetting. During the Second World War, Vera Atkins sent hundreds of British spies into Occupied France. Some of them never came back - and nobody knew why. Vanessa Kirby shares the story of one woman's mission to find answers in the rubble of post-war Europe. How far would YOU go for the truth? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Vera Atkins was voiced by Clare Wille. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
Codename: Madeleine
Vanessa Kirby lands in Nazi-occupied France with Noor Inayat Khan, the Allied spy who risked her life to aid the Resistance. Armed with a wireless radio, Noor relayed vital intelligence to the British Special Operations Executive, right under the nose of Hitler's secret police. The average life expectancy of a radio operator was just 6 weeks. Could YOU beat the odds? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. Featuring Radhika Apte as Noor Inayat Khan. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
Sister Spies
Vanessa Kirby meets Pat and Jean Owtram, two British sisters who played crucial roles as Allied codebreakers during World War 2. Bound by the Official Secrets Act, neither sister knew that the other was a spy until decades later. Now in their 90s, they reveal their hidden hands in planning D-Day, aiding the Resistance, and cracking the Enigma code. Tune in to True Spies to hear their story. Would YOU have the skills to make a difference? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan.
The Limping Lady
Vanessa Kirby goes behind enemy lines with Virginia Hall, one of the bravest Allied heroines of WWII. As part of ‘Churchill's Secret Army’, Virginia was sent into occupied France to organize resistance efforts and disrupt Nazi plans ‘by any means necessary’. As the Germans closed in, betrayal was a constant threat. Would YOU know who to trust? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. Featuring Sarah Megan Thomas as Virginia Hall. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Joe Foley. Music by Nick Ryan.
Blinking Red
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.
Exit Strategy
CIA analyst Sarah Carlson drops Vanessa Kirby into the pressure-cooker of post-revolutionary Libya. In 2011, the Arab Spring swept Colonel Gaddafi from office, leaving a deadly power vacuum. Three years later, civil war engulfed the nation. Under a hail of rocket fire, Sarah had to figure out a way to extract 150 American personnel from the carnage. Could YOU get them to safety? From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets and skills. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Claire Crofton. Music by Nick Ryan.
The Targeter
Former CIA targeting officer Nada Bakos takes Vanessa Kirby on the controversial hunt for one of the Iraq War's deadliest terrorists. Abu Musab Al-Zaqarwi was a two-bit criminal until the US government named him as one the world's most dangerous insurgents. His presence in Iraq was part of the justification for the invasion - but did the facts stack up? It was Nada's job to find out. Could YOU find out the truth? 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.
The Spy Who Said No
Hayley Atwell meets ex-spy Katherine Gun and journalist Martin Bright, who tried to derail the course of history. On the brink of the Iraq War, Katherine leaked a top-secret memo which exposed a US plot to secure support for the invasion through blackmail. Would YOU have done the same? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Louise Clarke-Rowbotham. Music by Nick Ryan.
The Survivor
Hayley Atwell meets Marthe Cohn, the brave 100-year-old French spy who stole Nazi secrets during WWII. Disguised as a German nurse, Marthe fed top-secret information to the Resistance from behind enemy lines, right under the nose of the deadly SS. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by Mariana Des Forges. Music by Nick Ryan.
The Art Of Disguise
Hayley Atwell explains how an effective disguise can save your life, with former CIA Head Of Disguise Jonna Mendez. On a mission to bring in a notorious terrorist on foreign soil, Jonna found herself face to face with him, and he seemed to be onto her. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Produced by David Waters. Music by Nick Ryan.
The Rookie And Bin Laden
Hayley Atwell shares what went on during 9/11 inside The Vault, the CIA's top secret bunker, with Tracy Walder, a rookie operative who was there. 9/11 was only the second day of Tracy's first real CIA assignment, and she was tasked with hunting the world's most wanted terrorist, Osama Bin Laden, with President George W Bush looking on. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Producer: David Waters. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
Fair Game?
Hayley Atwell details a deadly conflict between espionage and politics with former CIA agent Valerie Plame. Valerie was outed in the press as an undercover agent when someone close to her challenged the government's line on Weapons Of Mass Destruction, placing her family and contacts in grave danger. What would YOU do? From SPYSCAPE, the headquarters of all things spy. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Gemma Newby. Music by Nick Ryan.
Fair Game?
The Rookie And Bin Laden
The Art Of Disguise
The Survivor
The Spy Who Said No
The Targeter
Exit Strategy
Blinking Red
The Limping Lady
Sister Spies
Codename: Madeleine
Seven Female Spies
Surviving NXIVM
Mission in the Dog Meat Valley
The Philadelphia Wire
Spy Sisters: Teaser
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