Cold War Conversations

Today we’re talking to Alison Lewis, a professor in German at the University of Melbourne.

She is the author of several books, including one in German about love and gender in literature during Germany's reunification and a book in German about the Stasi's infiltration of the literary underground. We spoke to Alison in episode 71.

 In this episode we talk about her latest collaboration a new book called "Cold War Spy Stories from Eastern Europe."

The book brings together a wide range of accounts compiled from the East German Stasi, the Romanian Securitate, and the Ukrainian KGB files. 

Now many of our fans are the proud owners of a Cold War Conversations Coaster, a gift from me to thank them for helping the podcast financially. In July Peter Lawaetz Winkler, Simon Curtis, Remy Louviere, Hack Green Secret Nuclear Bunker and Thomas Pohlentz joined this select band.

For the price of a couple of coffees a month to cover the show’s increasing costs and keep us on the air you can get a coaster too? Just go to Patreon.com/coldwarpod

So back to today’s episode. We recorded in Manchester Central Library so do forgive us for any weird background noises. I’m delighted to welcome Prof Alison Lewis to Cold War Conversations.

Show notes available here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode75/

Buy the book on this link and help support the podcast.

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I’m here today at the RAF Burtonwood Heritage Centre, near Warrington in the UK. Based on what was once the largest and longest-running military airbase in Britain. The Heritage Centre was established to preserve and uphold the history of the men, women and activities that occurred here.

Now many of our fans are the proud owners of a Cold War Conversations Coaster, a gift from me to thank them for helping the podcast financially. 

For the price of a cup of coffee a month to cover the show’s increasing costs and keep us on the air you can get a coaster too?

Just go to Patreon.com/coldwarpod

Over 8,500 Americans were based at RAF Burtonwood during WW2 and over 70,000 service personnel served here during its 54-year history until closure in 1993. The heritage centre packs a lot of history in and make sure your listen to my visit to the cockpit of an actual C54 Skymaster as used in the Berlin Airlift – an unforgettable experience.

Back to today’s episode, we welcome John Coterill, the Heritage Centre Manager at RAF Burtonwood to our Cold War Conversation

Visit the show notes here. 

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We speak today with Alistair Coleman who joined BBC Monitoring as a technician in 1989, just in time for the Berlin Wall. 

He was on a console night shift at Caversham, on the night of the coup against Soviet Leader Gorbachev in 1991 and describes that night as the highlight of his career at the time. 

Thanks to Andrew Adolfson, Rick Mason, Mike Smith, Ade Bryant and Ole Bjørsvik, the latest members of our select band of supporters who are helping us financially for the price of a cup of coffee a month to help keep us on the air. They will shortly be the proud owners of a CWC coaster- don’t you want one too? 

Just click here

Back to today’s episode, Alistair spent 15 years in short wave radio, radio telegraphy and satellite reception and research, providing the signals for monitors and editors to see foreign media. He tells a fascinating story of how the BBC obtained information about activity behind the Iron Curtain. 

We welcome Alistair Coleman to our Cold War Conversation. 

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In a world divided by the ideological struggles of the Cold War, the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement, more than one-fifth of the people on the planet paused to watch the live transmission of the Apollo 11 mission. To watch as humanity took a giant leap forward exactly 50 years ago.

Now before we start a special thanks to our select band of supporters who are helping us financially for the price of a cup of coffee a month to cover our increasing costs and keep us on the air. They are the proud owners of a CWC coaster- this years must have household accessory! Click here for more information.

Today we speak with Robert Stone an Oscar- and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker and Alan Andres co-authors of the book “Chasing the Moon” companion book to the landmark documentary series on BBC TV, PBS and other channels around the world.

We Welcome Robert Stone and Alan Andres to Cold War Conversations

There’s loads more content including videos, audio and links to the book and documentary in the show notes - just click here. 

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In this episode we speak with Dr Alison Lewis is Professor of German in the School of Languages and Linguistics, The University of Melbourne, Australia. She is the a co-author of Cold War Spy Stories from Eastern Europe which is published in August 2019.

Now several of our fans are the proud owners of a Cold War Conversations Coaster, a gift from me to thank them for helping the podcast financially. 

For the price of a couple of coffees a month to cover the show’s increasing costs and keep us on the air you can get a coaster too?

Just go click here 

Back to today’s episode Dr Lewis is also author of The Art of Betrayal: Prenzlauer Berg and State Security published in 2003 which is the subject of this episode.

If you can’t wait for the next episode do visit our Facebook discussion group where our guests and listeners like yourselves continue the Cold War Conversation. 

Radio GDR

If you are interested in East Germany we can highly recommend our friends over at Radio GDR.

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During the Cold War, six Dutch submarines secretly gathered intelligence about the Soviet Navy. Only a handful of people outside the Royal Netherlands Navy were aware of these operations, as they were not NATO operations. 

Thanks to our latest financial supporters Victor Osprey, Joe Collins, Eric Telander and Andrew Tyler who are helping us financially for the price of a cup of coffee or two a month to cover our increasing costs and keep us on the air. They will shortly be the proud owners of a CWC coaster- don’t you want one too? Click here

For the first time, In Deepest Secrecy describes these top-secret deployments in detail. On the basis of interviews and archival research, Jaime Karremann reveals how the Dutch submarines followed, photographed and listened to Soviet ships unnoticed, from the freezing Arctic Ocean to shallow waters near Egypt. 

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We continue the story of Victor Grossman the US Army soldier who defected to East Germany. He tells us of his life in the GDR, his close friendship with Dean Reed “The Red Elvis”, of shortages, his views on Egon Krenz and his first trip back to the US in the 1990s.

Thanks to our select band of supporters who are helping us financially for the price of a cup of coffee a month to cover our increasing costs and keep us on the air. They are the proud owners of a CWC coaster- don’t you want one too? Click here.

Visit the show notes here.

We welcome Victor Grossman back to Cold War Conversations

Radio GDR

If you are interested in East Germany we can highly recommend our friends over at Radio GDR.

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We talk with Vince Houghton – Curator of the International Spy Museum who has just written a new book called “Nuking the Moon & Other Intelligence Schemes & Military Plots left on the Drawing Board"

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Leaving reviews on Itunes also helps so thanks to our latest reviewers Cheeses Word 101, Martini Glass Bob, Zach 1998!, GM0WDD, Balint Kaman, Trilbyhat, Skjip1969, Peteyinmontreal, GDR Objectified

So back to today’s episode, do listen to the end as we talk Cold War Espionage whilst Vince answers my “Quick Fire” questions. 

We welcome Vince Houghton to our Cold War Conversation

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Todays episode is different, the interviewer is not me, but one of our listeners who contacted me to help produce content for the podcast. This gave me the idea for a new area of the podcast called “Cold War Contributions” where listeners can send in audio interviews for broadcast on the show. Email me at [email protected] if you are interested.

If you’d to send us a few quid to help me run the podcast click here. Thank you so much to our latest Supporters

Leaving reviews on Itunes also helps so thanks to our latest reviewers Cheeses Word 101, Martini Glass Bob, Zach 1998!, GM0WDD, Balint Kaman, Trilbyhat, Skjip1969, Peteyinmontreal, GDR Objectified

So back to today's episode. James has been a fan of the show from the start and in this episode he speaks with a work colleague who lived in East Germany. We give a warm welcome to James our latest Cold War Conversations Host…. 

Radio GDR

If you are interested in East Germany we can highly recommend our friends over at Radio GDR.

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Gareth Rubin is an author and journalist and today we’re talking to him about his latest novel, Liberation Square set in a Soviet occupied UK in the 1950s.

Thanks to our select band of supporters who are helping us financially for the price of a cup of coffee a month to cover our increasing costs and keep us on the air. They are the proud owners of a CWC coaster- don’t you want one too?

Just click here to learn more.

So back to Gareth’s novel, After the disastrous failure of D-Day, Britain is occupied by Nazi Germany, and only rescued by Russian soldiers arriving from the east and Americans from the west. The two superpowers divide the nation between them, a wall running through London like a scar.

We welcome Gareth Rubin to our Cold War Conversation.

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