A History of the World in Spy Objects

Can you ever truly suppress a curious mind?

If there was one aim of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, it was that. The lauded writer Jung Chang joins Alice Loxton to revisit a childhood characterized by surveillance and prohibition. But even in Communist China – at a time when pins bearing the face of the great leader were worn on every chest – curious minds found a way to explore…

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produced by Alex Burnard, Morgan Childs, Claire Crofton, Joe Foley, Frank Palmer, Kellie Redmond and Isabel Sutton. Music by Nick Ryan.

Where does a leader like Fidel Castro place his trust?

The answer comes in the form of a box of romantic mementos, carried from Cuba to Russia. Print designer Manya Kullman tells Alice Loxton the story of her grandmother, Galina, a KGB spy who won the affections of a revolutionary leader at the height of the Cold War – and who kept his keepsakes close for decades to come.

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produced by Alex Burnard, Morgan Childs, Claire Crofton, Joe Foley, Frank Palmer, Kellie Redmond and Isabel Sutton. Music by Nick Ryan.

What would you need to go it alone behind enemy lines?

For the agents of the notoriously brave Special Operations Executive in World War II, a select toolkit of spy gadgets represented the difference between life and death. Design Museum CEO Tim Marlow and host Alex Loxton discuss the groundbreaking folding motorcycle that accompanied SEO operatives on their thrilling missions into war torn Europe – and continues to influence engineering and design right up to the present day.

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produced by Alex Burnard, Morgan Childs, Claire Crofton, Joe Foley, Frank Palmer, Kellie Redmond and Isabel Sutton. Music by Nick Ryan.

How does the old spy regard himself, when he’s left alone with his thoughts?

The answer to this question can be found in the aborted memoir of one of the most notorious traitors in history: Kim Philby. Screenwriter Alexander Cary and host Alice Loxton unpick the inner workings of a complicated spy.

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produced by Alex Burnard, Morgan Childs, Claire Crofton, Joe Foley, Frank Palmer, Kellie Redmond and Isabel Sutton. Music by Nick Ryan.

If Nijo Jinya’s walls could talk, what story would they tell?

World-renowned architect Kengo Kuma joins host Alice Loxton to discuss a still-standing Kyoto guest house where, in Japan’s Edo era, power was bought and sold, and silent ninjas stalked the corridors in search of secrets.

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produced by Alex Burnard, Morgan Childs, Claire Crofton, Joe Foley, Frank Palmer, Kellie Redmond and Isabel Sutton. Music by Nick Ryan.

What’s it like to be the child of a world-famous spy?

Gary Powers Jr. takes his name and his inspiration from his father, Francis Gary Powers – the pilot of the U2 spy plane that was shot down over the Soviet Union in 1960, sparking a major Cold War crisis. Here, Powers and host Alice Loxton discuss the legendary U2, and the life of its most famous pilot.

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produced by Alex Burnard, Morgan Childs, Claire Crofton, Joe Foley, Frank Palmer, Kellie Redmond and Isabel Sutton. Music by Nick Ryan.

Who pays for all the King’s secrets?

In between the lines of a tired old accounts ledger, a hidden history of espionage and scandal lies in wait. Antiquarian bookseller Tom Ayling and host Alice Loxton guide us through the secret affairs of King William III – with direct access to the payments that he kept away from prying eyes.

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produced by Alex Burnard, Morgan Childs, Claire Crofton, Joe Foley, Frank Palmer, Kellie Redmond and Isabel Sutton. Music by Nick Ryan.

How dangerous is metadata?

According to the artist and author Trevor Paglen, it can be deadly. Paglen joins host Alice Loxton to shine a light on Skynet – a network of all-seeing satellites – and the ominous AI algorithm that farms metadata and gets to decide who lives and who dies.

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produced by Alex Burnard, Morgan Childs, Claire Crofton, Joe Foley, Frank Palmer, Kellie Redmond and Isabel Sutton. Music by Nick Ryan.

Who keeps on moving the coffee pot?

That innocent question plunges one East German woman into a dangerous world of deception and betrayal. Photographer and archivist Simon Menner joins Alice Loxton to unravel a Cold War domestic mystery centered around the most inconspicuous of objects.

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produced by Alex Burnard, Morgan Childs, Claire Crofton, Joe Foley, Frank Palmer, Kellie Redmond and Isabel Sutton. Music by Nick Ryan.

How did Napoleon keep a sprawling empire under his thumb?

Ask Sheehan Quirke – who runs the popular history feed, The Cultural Tutor – and he’ll tell you that the great historical leader depended on a vast network of spies to keep him clued up. The fruits of their toil were delivered to him each morning in a leather briefcase. Here, Quirke and host Alice Loxton open up that tired old folio and explore the secrets hidden within.

From SPYSCAPE, the home of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series produced by Alex Burnard, Morgan Childs, Claire Crofton, Joe Foley, Frank Palmer, Kellie Redmond and Isabel Sutton. Music by Nick Ryan.