Former Legal Director MI5 & MI6, David Bickford, takes us behind the scenes of one of the most unusual and precarious postings of the Cold War. Arriving in Berlin in 1979, the city is still technically under Allied occupation—surrounded by East Germany and governed through a complex web of agreements dating back to the Second World War.

He recounts the day-to-day realities of maintaining access routes into the city, negotiating with the Soviets without the backing of force, and managing constant disputes over transport, tariffs, and air corridors. Against the backdrop of rising tensions following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, David reveals how fragile the balance really was—and how close things could come to escalation.

We also hear extraordinary stories from inside Spandau Prison, home to Nazi war criminal Rudolf Hess, and the bizarre logistical and political challenges of managing a prison built for hundreds but housing just one inmate.

With vivid personal memories, this episode offers a rare, human perspective on life at the frontline of the Cold War—where ambiguity ruled, tensions simmered, and even the smallest incident could have international consequences.

Check our David’s books here https://amzn.to/4c0WfFD

Episode extras here ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode449/⁠

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Ihor reflects on his time serving as an officer in the Soviet Union’s Ministry of Interior troops. After volunteering for military service, he found himself travelling from Lviv to Lithuania to begin officer training in communications and field operations.

The training program brought together recruits from across the Soviet Union and beyond communications; these troops had a wide range of responsibilities—from guarding strategic facilities to responding to hostage crises and public disturbances.

This is a rare opportunity to hear the everyday realities of military service inside the Soviet security structure.

Listen to Ihor's first episode here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode447/

Episode extras here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode448/

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Born in Lviv in Ukraine, in 1958, Ihor grew up in a city where borders shifted, but memories endured. In this episode, he recalls a childhood shaped by silence, censorship, and family stories that could only be told in private.

While official history came from Moscow, a very different past survived in the countryside—passed down by grandparents who had lived through empire, war, and occupation.

This is a unique personal account of what it meant to grow up in Soviet Ukraine in the 1950s and 60s.

Episode extras here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode447⁠⁠

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During the Cold War, some of the most dangerous encounters between East and West took place far beneath the ocean’s surface.

I speak with historian Dr. Paul Brown, author of Secret Warriors: British Submarines during the Cold War. Brown reveals the extraordinary covert missions carried out by Royal Navy submarines as they monitored Soviet naval bases near Murmansk and the Barents Sea.

British boats gathered vital intelligence by recording the acoustic signatures of Soviet submarines, trailing enemy vessels, and observing major naval exercises. These missions were risky and occasionally resulted in collisions, such as the dramatic incident involving HMS Warspite in 1968.

Along the way, Brown shares remarkable stories of Cold War espionage at sea, including a daring intelligence operation where a British submarine secretly observed the Soviet aircraft carrier Kiev from just a few feet away.

This is a rare glimpse into one of the Cold War’s most secretive battlefields: the depths of the ocean.

Buy the book here and support the podcast⁠⁠

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Lt Col Rob “Z-Man” Zettel is the author of American MiG Pilot - Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles. He tells the Red Eagles story for the first time through the experiences of a pilot who flew Soviet MiGs to their maximum performance in simulated combat engagements, often several times a day, against some of the very best fighter pilots hand-picked from the ranks of the USAF, US Navy and US Marine Corps.

With controls labelled in Russian and the only spare parts being the ones they could salvage, the pilots who climbed into the MiGs - the Red Eagles - accepted all of the risks associated with operating these aircraft.

Rob’s vivid accounts of training engagements put the reader right in the cockpit as he describes what it was like to be there day in and day out at one of the most access-restricted airfields in the entire USAF, flying MiGs.

In part two of our story, we join him for his first interview for the Red Eagles.

Buy the book here and support the podcast⁠

Episode extras here ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode445

Listen to Part 1 here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode444/

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If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off donations via the same link.

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Rob “Z-Man” Zettel is the author of American MiG Pilot - Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles. In part one of a two-part episode, he reveals how he made it into this top-secret US operation that wouldn't feel out of place in 'Top Gun'.

From a high school student with no aviation background, Rob discovered he had a natural aptitude for flying via the USAF Reserve Officer Training Corps. He then joined the USAF, progressing to an Aggressor Squadron where his unit replicated enemy tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Rob shares anecdotes of training, close calls in the air, and the intense journey through pilot training. He provides a vivid account of training engagements that puts you right in the cockpit.

⁠Buy the book here and support the podcast⁠

Episode extras here ⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode444

Go to https://surfshark.com/coldwardeal or use code COLDWARDEAL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation,

You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and receive a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank-you, and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.

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If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, we also welcome one-off donations via the same link.

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I speak with Bruce Berglund, the author of The Moscow Playbook: How Russia Used, Abused, and Transformed Sports in the Hunt for Power, which is a fascinating journey through the world of Soviet sports and its intricate ties to politics as a means of soft power and national pride.

We learn how the Soviets achieved strategic advantage through women's sports, the abuse of amateur status, the controversial topic of doping and how sports science revolutionised the performance of athletes.

Listeners will also hear about the iconic "Miracle on Ice" ice hockey game in 1980, where the U.S. amateur team defeated the seasoned Soviet professionals, and how this event was perceived on both sides of the Cold War divide.

Buy the book here and support the podcast

Episode extras here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode443

Go to https://surfshark.com/coldwardeal or use code COLDWARDEAL at checkout to get 4 extra months of Surfshark VPN!

Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation,

You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.

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If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link.

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Susan Miller continues the story of her CIA career, recalling a harrowing experience of the 1991 US embassy fire in Moscow, and the unexpected humanity displayed by a KGB officer who helped save lives during the crisis. Episode one is here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode441/

In Poland, a KGB walk-in claims to have microfiche containing the names of every spy the KGB was running overseas.

And as CIA Chief in Vilnius, Susan is confronted by another KGB walk-in with a box of weapons-grade uranium

Listen to part one here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode441/

Episode extras ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode442/

Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation,

You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.

Just go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/⁠⁠⁠⁠

If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link.

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I explore the remarkable journey of a CIA operations officer who transitioned from a quiet childhood in California to the thrilling world of espionage.

What began as a joke application to the CIA turned into a life-changing opportunity.

The episode delves into her rigorous training, including paramilitary courses that prepared her for the realities of fieldwork and thrilling stories from her time in Moscow during the late 1980s.

Susan also gives tradecraft insights on surveillance techniques and the unique challenges faced by women in intelligence roles during that era.

Episode extras ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode441

Part two here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode442

Help me preserve Cold War history via a simple monthly donation,

You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.

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If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link.

Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to ⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/store/⁠⁠⁠

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This special episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Imperial War Museum London, in October 2025.

I speak with Colin Ferguson, a veteran from the British Army‘s covert Special Observation Post Troop.

This "stay behind" Special OP Troop consisted of selected soldiers in 6-man patrols whose task was to dig in large underground hides known as "mexe" shelters along the inner German border. They would then allow the main Soviet forces to pass over them before deploying to two smaller observation posts (Ops) where they would engage the enemy with the long-range guns and rockets of the British Army.

We speak in detail about selection, training and deployment. Do check out Colin’s podcast, “The Unconventional Soldier”, which offers first-hand accounts of past conflicts, military history, book and film reviews, plus guests, dits and digressions.

Episode extras ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode440

Help me preserve Cold War history and via a simple monthly donation,

You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history.

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If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link.

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