Summary:

Dr. Aaron Bateman is an assistant professor of history and international affairs at George Washington University. Prior to graduate school, he served as a US Air Force intelligence officer. In this episode, he discusses his book Weapons in Space: Technology, Politics, and the Rise and Fall of the Strategic Defense Initiative (MIT Press, 2024).

What You'll Learn:

• What the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) actually was and how it fit within the broader legal and political landscape governing military activities in space.
• Vulnerabilities in Cold War communication systems and the development of layered global networks stretching from undersea cables to satellites in space.
• The realities of space warfare today, from satellite hacking to the Golden Dome project.

And much, much more...

Music Credit: Secret Room by Luminbird & Endless Puzzle by AVBE

Summary:

Shaun Walker, The Guardian’s central and eastern Europe correspondent, discusses his latest book, The Illegals: Russia’s Most Audacious Spies and their century-long mission to infiltrate the West.

The Illegals is out in the US today and will be available in the UK on April 17.

What You'll Learn:

• The enduring nature of the illegals program, from the Bolsheviks through to the modern day
• The history and psychology of people living under false identities
• How “Virtual Illegals” carry forward the legacy of human intelligence

And much, much more...

Music Credit: Secret Room by Luminbird & Underworld by Revo

Summary:

Dr. David Alvarez, professor at Saint Mary's College of California, discusses his adventures researching in the Vatican Secret Archive, and delves into one of his books Spies in the Vatican: Espionage and Intrigue from Napoleon to the Holocaust.

What You'll Learn:

• The Catholic Church, the Vatican and the Soviets
• Nazi Germany's Operations against Vatican City
• “Vessel” and "Dusty": Virgilio Scattolini, the fabricator who provided false intelligence on the Vatican to the OSS

And much, much more...

Music Credit: Secret Room by Luminbird & Glimmering by Dan Phillipson

Summary:

Dr. David Alvarez, professor at Saint Mary's College of California, discusses his adventures researching in the Vatican Secret Archive, and delves into one of his books Spies in the Vatican: Espionage and Intrigue from Napoleon to the Holocaust.

Stay tuned for Part II of this discussion, which will be available a week from today.

What You'll Learn:

• How-to guide to navigating the Vatican Secret Archive, known today as the Vatican Apostolic Archive
• Evolving Role of Intelligence for the Papacy from the beginning of the 19th Century to World War II
• What makes the Vatican's relationship with intelligence distinct

And much, much more...

Music Credit: Secret Room by Luminbird & Glimmering by Dan Phillipson

Summary:

Dr. Kate Vigurs, historian and author of Mission France (2021) and Mission Europe (2025), is a research fellow at the University of Warwick and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society. In this episode, she discusses the history of the 39 women who served in the Special Operations Executive's F Section.

What You'll Learn:

• Approaches and Methods of writing about the SOE, including sources such as interviews of Pearl Witherington and Yvonne Baseden (as well as Bob Maloubier)
• The Process of Recruitment and Extensive Training of SOE agents
• The rise and fall of the PROSPER circuit and D-Day

And much, much more...

Music Credit: Secret Room by Luminbird & United in Purpose by Revo

Summary:

Dr. Niccolò Petrelli, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Studies at the University of Roma Tre and author of numerous works on international security, counterinsurgency, and war, discusses US-Italian intelligence cooperation during the Cold War, covert operations, and the evolution of Operation Gladio.

What You'll Learn:

• Evolution of the Asymmetric Relationship between US and Italian Intelligence Agencies
• James Jesus Angleton's role in Italo-American relations
• Network "Los Angeles"

And much, much more...

Music Credit: Secret Room by Luminbird & Dangerous Science by Apex Music

Summary:

Steven R. Ward, a retired CIA intelligence analyst who specializes in Iran and the Middle East and is currently working for the Joint Chiefs of Staff History and Research Office, talks about his recently published book Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence: A Concise History.

What You'll Learn:

• The Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s origins and operations
• The role of Politics, Ideology and the Judiciary
• MOIS’s international and domestic activities

And much, much more...

Music Credit: Secret Room by Luminbird & Momentum by Iros Young

Summary:

Dr. Kevin P. Riehle, a lecturer in Intelligence and Security Studies at Brunel University London and a professional with over thirty years of experience in the U.S. national security sector, discusses his latest book, The Russian FSB: A Concise History of the Federal Security Service.

What You'll Learn:

• Methods and challenges of researching the Russian FSB
• The pre-Soviet, Soviet-era and post-Soviet influences on the FSB
• The President's relationship with the FSB and the possibility of a non-chekist future

And much, much more...

Music Credit: Secret Room by Luminbird & Mystic Forests by AK

Summary:

Bestselling author and historian Dr Helen Fry talks about her book, Women in Intelligence: The Hidden History of Two World Wars.

What You'll Learn:

• Recruitment of women in WWI and WWII
• Diverse roles of Women in Intelligence and Double agents like Olga Gray
• The image of women within intelligence institutions versus the public at large

And much, much more...

Music Credit: Secret Room by Luminbird & Labyrinth of Secrets by Vocalista

Summary

Dr Evren Altinkas, Adjunct Professor in the Department of History at the University of Guelph, talks about his article Istanbul Under Allied Occupation: Venues Of Resistance and future work on intelligence.

What You'll Learn

• Surveillance and Intrigue in Istanbul
• Covert Activities of Secret Societies like the Committee of Union and Progress
• Karakol Organization, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (codenamed 'Noah') and the establishment of the modern Turkish Republic

And much, much more...

Music Credit: Secret Room by Luminbird & Undercurrents by Tobias Voigt