SpyCast

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SpyCast episodes

June 25, 2024"The Real James Bond Cars" – with Top Gear's Jason Barlow
Summary
Jason Barlow (X; Biography) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the iconic James Bond vehicles. Jason is the longstanding editor-at-large at Top Gear.

What You’ll LearnIntelligence
How the “Bond car” phenomenon came to be
Ian Fleming’s love for cars
The different “nationalities” of Bond cars
What it’s like to be behind the wheel of some of these iconic cars
Reflections
The making of pop culture
The “personality” of cars
And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week
“Something strange happens in popular culture, where worlds kind of collide and cars assume these sorts of statuses far in excess of what they're actually doing in the movies. I find it fascinating as a process. Nobody can predict how these things are going to go and it's wonderful when these things do happen.” – Jason Barlow.

Resources SURFACE SKIM*Spotlight Resource*
Bond Cars: The Definitive History, Jason Barlow (BBC Books, 2021)*SpyCasts*
The Real Ian Fleming with Nicholas Shakespeare (2024)
The James Bond Collector with Mike VanBlaricum (2024)
Bond After Fleming, the Continuation of an Icon with Mark Edlitz (2023)
70th Anniversary of James Bond, Special with Alexis Albion on 007 (Part 1 of 2) (2023)
70th Anniversary of James Bond, Special with Alexis Albion on 007 (Part 2 of 2) (2023)
*Beginner Resources*
A Complete List of James Bond Cars, J. Osborn, Man of Many (2023) [List of cars]
Aston Martin DB5 and 007 - A Special Bond, Aston Martin, YouTube (2021) [1 min. video]
Why are cars interesting anyway? R. Meester, Medium (2021) [Short article]
DEEPER DIVECars Mentioned
Aston Martin DB5
AMC Hornet
Mustang Mach 1
Lotus Esprit
Aston Martin V8
Toyota 2000GT
Aston Martin V12 Vanquish
BMW 750iL
*Wildcard Resource*
“Oh Lord, won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz …”
We’ve now firmly established that film can immortalize cars for decades to come. Well, it’s the same in music – Think “Little Red Corvette” by Prince, or “Ol’ 55” by Tom Waits. Perhaps one of the most iconic cars in music is Janis Joplin’s 1964 psychedelic Porsche, now remembered fondly through her 1971 song “Mercedes Benz.”
1 hr 2 min
June 18, 2024“The World’s Preeminent Collection of SPY Artifacts” – with Laura Hicken and Lauren VonBechmann
Summary
Laura Hicken (LinkedIn) and Lauren vonBechmann (LinkedIn) join Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the collection of the International Spy Museum. SPY’s collection consists of 10,000 espionage-related artifacts.

What You’ll LearnIntelligence
The ins and outs of getting into the museum field
Why Museums?
SPYs largest, smallest, and coolest artifacts
The challenges of being a “spy” museum
Reflections
Following your passions
A dedication to lifelong learning and teaching
And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week
“It's that ability to give accessibility to our audiences so that they can see like parts of history – So it's not only to preserve it, but it's so that people can see it as well. That's what we want to provide – A place for people to see the unseen.” – Lauren vonBechmann.

Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts*
The James Bond Collector with Mike VanBlaricum (2024)
The Most Famous Art Detective in the World with ex-FBI Legend Robert Wittman (2023)
Secrets Revealed – Curators Alexis and Andrew on SPY’s Pop-Up Exhibit (2023)
SPY@20 – “The Spy of the Century” – Curators Alexis and Andrew on Kim Philby (2022)
*Beginner Resources*
A look at the International Spy Museum in Washington D.C., FOX 5 Washington DC, YouTube (2023) [5 min. video]
About the Collection, International Spy Museum (n.d.) [Short article]
Collections Management, American Alliance of Museums (n.d.) [Short article]
DEEPER DIVEArtifacts
James Bond's Omega Seamaster Diver 300M Watch (2021)
Primo’s Bionic Eye (2021)
Clock with Concealed Receiver (1970s)
Disguise Kit (1960s)
Berlin Tunnel Segment (1954-1956)
Four Rotor Enigma Machine (1943-1944)
Sleeping Beauty Submersible (1943)
George Washington Spy Letters (1777)
*Wildcard Resource*
Here’s something many don’t know about the International Spy Museum:
On the side of our building, built in 2019, is a secret message written in binary code. Can You Crack the Code?
1 hr 2 min
June 17, 2024 SpyCast Trailer
2 min
June 11, 2024“U.S. Army Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT)” – with Dennis Eger & Shawn Nilius
Summary
Dennis Eger (LinkedIn) and Shawn Nilius (LinkedIn) join Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss open-source intelligence. Combined, the two have over six decades of service to the U.S. Army.

What You’ll LearnIntelligence
What is Open-Source Intelligence
How the US Army utilizes and collects OSINT
OSINT across the Intelligence Community
How OSINT has impacted the War in Ukraine
Reflections
The power of information and how you use it
Cyber ethics
And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week
“If [civilians are] taking a video and posting it, they become in the cycle … The amount of things that people do on the internet that leaves their data or their information out there – Their data becomes big part of the intelligence cycle and they probably don't even know that they're doing it.” – Dennis Eger.

Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts*
My Life in American Intelligence with Barry Zulauf (2023)
Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy with Michael Vickers (2023)
Ukraine & the Alliance with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence David Cattler (2023)
Irregular Warfare & Intelligence with IWC Director Dennis Walters (2023)
*Beginner Resources*
A Brief History of the US Army, R. Guina, The Military Wallet (2024) [Short article]
What is Open-Source Intelligence? OSINT Dojo, YouTube (2023) [7 min. video]
A Brief History of Open Source Intelligence, C. Colquhoun, Bellingcat (2016) [Short article]
DEEPER DIVEBooks
OSINT Techniques: Resources for Uncovering Online Information, M. Bazzell (2023)
Deep Dive: Exploring the Real-world Value of Open Source Intelligence, R. L. Baker (Wiley, 2023)
Open Source Intelligence Methods and Tools: A Practical Guide to Online Intelligence, N. A. Hassan & R. Hijazi (Apress, 2018)
Primary Sources
The IC OSINT Strategy (2024)
Invasion of Ukraine on Google Maps (2022)
Ethical Frameworks in Open-Source Intelligence (2022)
Open-Source Intelligence, Department of the Army (2012)
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act (2004)
*Wildcard Resource*
While OSINT may seem like the new kid on the intelligence block, its foundations have actually been around perhaps longer than any other -INT.
During the Civil War, the Bureau of Military Information collected open-source information from Southern newspapers to track the Confederate army. Check out this letter from Abraham Lincoln citing intelligence gathered on the location of Southern troops.
1 hr 4 min
June 04, 2024“Alan Turing: Codebreaker, Visionary, Enigma” – with Andrew Hodges
Summary
Andrew Hodges (Website, Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the life and work of Alan Turing. Andrew is an emeritus senior research fellow of mathematics at the University of Oxford.

What You’ll LearnIntelligence
Turing’s early foundations for artificial intelligence
Interwar cryptanalysis
Bletchley Park, Hut 8, and British Naval Intelligence
The mechanics of the Bombe machine
Reflections
Legacy changing alongside social history
The weight and pressure of genius
And much, much more …
Quotes of the Week
“Everything that you do with the digital, everything that we're doing now through these computers, flows from his perceptions. And that in turn came through his practical experience during the Second World War on breaking the enemy codes.” – Andrew Hodges .

Resources SURFACE SKIM*SpyCasts*
The Real Ian Fleming with Nicholas Shakespeare (2024)
ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL: “The D-Day Deception” – with National WWII Museum Curator Corey Graff (2023)
Hitler’s Trojan Horse – Nazi Intelligence with Nigel West (2023)
How Artificial Intelligence is Changing the Spy Game with Mike Susong (2023)
*Beginner Resources*
Alan Turing, B.J. Copeland, Britannica (2024) [Short biography]
How Did the Enigma Machine Work? Science Museum Group, YouTube (2019) [2 min. video]
How Alan Turing Cracked the Enigma Code, Imperial War Museum (n.d.) [Short article]
DEEPER DIVEBooks
The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park, J. D. Turing (Arcturus, 2020)
Turing’s Vision: The Birth of Computer Science, C. Bernhardt (MIT Press, 2017)
Alan Turing: The Enigma, A. Hodges (Burnett Books/Hutchinson, 1983)
Primary Sources
Alan Turing Obituary and Tributes (1954)
Can digital computers think? (1951)
Computing Machinery and Intelligence (1950)
Proposed electronic calculator (1946)
Turing’s Treatise on the Enigma (1939-1942)
On Computable Numbers (1936)
*Wildcard Resource*
Alan Turing’s School Report Card
Didn’t do very well in high school? Neither did Alan Turing. Amongst hopeful comments about his promising skills in mathematics, teachers noted Turing’s carelessness and severe lack of neatness in his work.
1 hr 2 min
May 28, 2024“Zelensky, Ukraine & Intelligence” – with Simon Shuster
Summary
Simon Shuster (X, Website) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine. Simon is a senior correspondent at TIME.

What You’ll LearnIntelligence
Zelenskyy’s career pre-Presidency
Reactions to the 2022 Russian invasion
Ukrainian public opinion of Zelenskyy
Zelenskyy’s relationship with Ukrainian intelligence
Reflections
Contagious courage
Leadership styles, techniques, and unique skills
And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week
“In researching [Zelenskyy’s] transformations as a person from comedian to politician to wartime leader, I also thought a lot about what qualities have remained consistent in him. And one of them for sure is this kind of, “go get ‘em” confidence … He just has this abiding confidence in his own ability to think on his feet, to not lose his balance, to just go into a new and unfamiliar space or a set of challenges and wing it, so to say.” – Simon Schuster

Resources SURFACE SKIM*Spotlight Resource*
The Showman : Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky, Simon Shuster (William Morrow, 2024)*SpyCasts*
David Petraeus on Ukraine & Intelligence with the former CIA Director & 4* General (2023)
Spies: The Epic Intelligence War Between East vs. West with Calder Walton (2023)
Ukraine & the Alliance with NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Intelligence David Cattler (2023)
Ukraine & Intelligence: One Year On with Shane Harris (2023)
*Beginner Resources*
What to know about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, I. Pereira & P. Reevell, ABC News (2022) [Short article]
A Brief History of Modern Ukraine, BBC, YouTube (2022) [3 min. video]
Ukraine conflict: Simple visual guide to the Russian invasion, BBC (2022) [Short article]
DEEPER DIVEBooks
Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian Invasion and Ukraine's War of Independence, Y. Trofimov (Penguin Press, 2024)
Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine, D. Petraeus & A. Roberts (Harper, 2023)
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine, S. Plokhy (Basic Books, 2021)
Primary Sources
All Intelligence Agencies of Our Partners are Informed of the Current Threats and Prospects – Address by the President (2024)
Freedom must always prevail when challenged – speech by the President of Ukraine at the National Defense University of the United States (2023)
Address by the President: Ukrainians are a symbol of invincibility (2022)
Address by the President to Ukrainians at the end of the first day of Russia's attacks (2022)
Constitution of Ukraine (1996)
Act of Declaration of the Independence of Ukraine (1991)
Act of Proclamation of Ukrainian Statehood (1941)
Ukrainian Proclamation of Independence (1917)
*Wildcard Resource*
As Simon mentioned in this episode, President Zelenskyy won the Ukrainian version of one of Erin’s favorite shows, Dancing With The Stars, in 2006.
Watch some of his winning dances with partner Olena Shoptenko here.
1 hr 2 min
May 21, 2024“The Real Ian Fleming” with Nicholas Shakespeare
Summary
Nicholas Shakespeare (X; Website) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the life and legacy of Ian Fleming. Nicholas is an award-winning novelist and biographer.

What You’ll LearnIntelligence
Fleming’s family and upbringing
Debunking misconceptions about Fleming’s character
Fleming’s career in intelligence
British Naval Intelligence operations during WWII
Reflections
Life influencing literature
The lasting impact of storytelling
And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week
“Whatever the ingredients of Bond – As a kind of, both a hero of modernization, but also as a symbol of retrospective power – The films have allowed this protean creature to exist in the future, in the present, and so that almost all over the world, the words, the names “Bond, James Bond” will ignite a smile.” – Nicholas Shakespeare.

Resources SURFACE SKIM*Spotlight Resource*
Ian Fleming: The Complete Man, Nicholas Shakespeare (Harper, 2024)*SpyCasts*
Bond After Fleming, the Continuation of an Icon with Mark Edlitz (2024)
The James Bond Collector with Mike VanBlaricum (2024)
70th Anniversary of James Bond, Special with Alexis Albion on 007, Part 1 of 2 (2023)
70th Anniversary of James Bond, Special with Alexis Albion on 007, Part 2 of 2 (2023)
*Beginner Resources*
Ian Fleming – Life Story, Short Biographies, YouTube (2023) [8 min. video]
List of Books by Ian Fleming, Barnes and Noble (n.d.) [List of literary works]
Ian Fleming Life Timeline, Ian Fleming Publications (n.d.) [Timeline]
DEEPER DIVEBooks
Ian Fleming’s War: The Inspiration for 007, M. Simmons (Rare Bird Books, 2021)
The Man with the Golden Typewriter: Ian Fleming's James Bond Letters, ed. F. Fleming (Bloomsbury, 2016)
The Life of Ian Fleming, J. Pearson (Jonathan Cape, 1966)
Primary Sources
Diana Rigg Obituary (2020)
Ian Fleming about James Bond and himself (1964)
Our Spy-Boss Who Loved Bond by Allen Dulles (1964)
Allen Dulles and Ian Fleming (1964)
Operation “Mincemeat” Brief (1943)
Postagram Concerning Operation Mincemeat (1943)
Valentine Fleming Eulogy by Winston Churchill (1917)
*Wildcard Resource*
Spymaker: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming (1990)
A TV movie that stars Jason Connery as Ian Fleming. Jason Connery is the son of Sean Connery – the first actor to portray James Bond in film.
1 hr 18 min
May 14, 2024“Codebreaking and Codemaking Down Under” – with John Blaxland and Clare Birgin
Summary
John Blaxland (X, LinkedIn) and Clare Birgin (Wikipedia, LinkedIn) join Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss Australian codebreaking. John and Clare are coauthors of the new book Revealing Secrets.
What You’ll LearnIntelligence
The importance of SIGINT
Codebreaking in Australian intelligence
Australia’s role in WWII and the Cold War
The advent and evolution of cyber
Reflections
Strategic defense and offense
The power, and danger, of communication
And much, much more …
Quotes of the Week
"What I've noticed with the Australians, and I think it's similar in the other the other Five Eyes countries, these people tend to be quite patriotic to do [Signals Intelligence]. They want to, they love their country, and it also seems to preserve very good qualities.” -Clare Birgin.

Resources SURFACE SKIM*Spotlight Resource*
Revealing Secrets: An unofficial history of Australian Signals intelligence and the advent of cyber, Clare Birgin and John Blaxland (University of New South Wales Press, 2023) *SpyCasts*
I Helped Solve the Final Zodiac Killer Cipher with David Oranchak (2024)
Australian National Day Special: Intelligence Down Under with John Blaxland (2024)
My Father the Navajo Code-Talker with Laura Tohe (2023)
CYBER AUGUST: “So, You Want to Be a Codebreaker?” with Elonka Dunin and Klaus Schmeh (2021)
*Beginner Resources*
Australia's Involvement in WWII, Australian Broadcasting Service, YouTube (2020) [4 min. video]
A short history of cyber espionage, D. O’Brien, Medium (2017) [Short article]
Signals Intelligence (SINGINT) Overview, National Security Agency (n.d.) [Short article]
DEEPER DIVEPrimary Sources
WMD Report (2005)
The ANZUS Treaty (1951)
Role and effectiveness of Signals Intelligence in World War II (1945)
The Atlantic Charter (1941)
The Zimmerman Telegram (1917)
Oral History by Ruby Boye Jones (n.d.)
*Wildcard Resource*
Here’s a challenge – For their 75th Anniversary in 2022, the Australian Signals Directorate released a limited edition coin with multiple layers of code to crack on both sides.
Think you can solve it? Check out the link above and test your code-cracking skills.
1 hr 15 min
May 07, 2024“James Foley: Journalist, ISIS Hostage, Son” – with His Mother Diane Foley
Summary
Diane Foley (Website, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the legacy of her son, James Foley. James was held hostage and murdered by ISIS in 2014.

What You’ll LearnIntelligence
The enduring legacy of James’ murder
James’ time in captivity in Libya
A mother’s experience communicating with her son’s captors
How hostage recovery efforts have evolved since 2014
Reflections
Grief turned into action
Forgiveness, empathy, and resilience
And much, much more …
Quotes of the Week
“[Jim] could have been teaching or doing so many things, writing … but he just felt those stories were essential. And it really made me realize and recognize the courage of our current journalists going into Ukraine or Gaza. We wouldn't have any idea what's happening in that part of the world without those folks who dare to be there and dare to find ways to tell that story and bring it back to us.” – Diane Foley.

Resources SURFACE SKIM*Spotlight Resource*
American Mother, Colum McCann and Diane Foley (Etruscan Press, 2024)*SpyCasts*
CIA Director, Defense Secretary, Gentleman with Leon Panetta (2024)
Intelligence, Special Operations, and Strategy with Michael Vickers (2023)
My Life Looking at Spies & the Media with Paul Lashmar (2022)
ISIS Leader al-Mawla: Caliph. Scholar. Canary. Snitch. with Daniel Milton, West Point CTC Director (Part 1 of 2) (2022)
ISIS Leader al-Mawla: Caliph. Scholar. Canary. Snitch. with Daniel Milton, West Point CTC Director (Part 2 of 2) (2022)
*Beginner Resources*
Syria: Seven Years of War Explained, BBC News, YouTube (2018) [5 min. video]
FACT SHEET: U.S. Government Hostage Policy, Office of the Press Secretary (2015) [Short brief]
Jim’s Story, James W. Foley Legacy Foundation (n.d.) [Background on James Foley]
DEEPER DIVEBooks
The Isis Hostage, P. Damsgard (Pegasus Books, 2017)
Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS, J. Warrick (Anchor, 2016)
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It, C. Voss & T. Raz (Harper Business, 2016)
Primary Sources
A Proclamation on U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day (2024)
Executive Order on Bolstering Efforts to Bring Hostages and Wrongfully Detained United States Nationals Home (2022)
FBI Hostage Rescue Team Policy Guide (2019)
Report on U.S. Hostage Policy (2015)
Murder of James Foley Press Statement (2014)
Hostage Negotiation: A Matter of Life and Death (1983)
Current Status of the Hostage Crisis and the Implications of US Policy Options (1980)
*Wildcard Resource*
“Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” by Tony Orlando and Dawn (1973)
This song was a #1 hit when it was originally released in 1973. Six years later, the song resurged and gained even more popularity during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. The song became an unofficial hostage recovery anthem, as the lyrics poignantly hint to welcoming a loved one home from captivity.
1 hr 10 min
April 30, 2024“Interstellar Intelligence” – with Harvard Astrophysicist Avi Loeb
Summary
Avi Loeb (Harvard Biography, Wikipedia) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in outer space. He is a Professor in the Department of Astronomy at Harvard University.

What You’ll LearnIntelligence
The Galileo Project & its goals
The Intelligence Community and Outer Space
Government positions on the existence of extraterrestrial life
Connections between intelligence and astrophysics
Reflections
The enormity of our universe
Evidence over opinion or speculation
And much, much more …

Quotes of the Week
“And my hope is that realizing that we have a smart neighbor that we can learn from would convince us to change our priorities from fighting over territories on this small piece of rock, trying to kill each other, to something more noble, just looking up and having bigger aspirations because there is so much more real estate out there than you find here on Earth.” – Avi Loeb.

Resources SURFACE SKIM*Spotlight Resource*
Interstellar: The Search for Extraterrestrial Life and Our Future in the Stars, Avi Loeb (Mariner Books, 2023) *SpyCasts*
I Helped Solve the Final Zodiac Killer Cipher with David Oranchak (2024)
The 18-Year-Old Soviet Spy on the Manhattan Project: Ted Hall with Director Steve James (2023)
Espionage and the Metaverse with Cathy Hackl (2023)
The Information Battlespace – Foreign Denial and Deception with Bill Parquette (2023)
*Beginner Resources*
What is Astrophysics? A. Belter, Space (2022) [Short article]
What You Need to Know About Astrobiology - The Search for Life in the Universe! NASA, YouTube (2020) [2 min. video]
Glossary of astronomical terms, International Comet Quarterly (n.d.) [Glossary]
DEEPER DIVEBooks
In Plain Sight: An Investigation into UFOs and Impossible Science, R. Coulthart (HarperCollins, 2023)
Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, A. Loeb (Mariner Books, 2022)
Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, N. deGrasse Tyson (W. W. Norton & Company, 2017)
Primary Sources
Report on the Historical Record of U.S. Government Involvement with Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (2024)
Preliminary Assessment: Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (2021)
UFO Files: The Untold Story (1979)
Space tests branded as propaganda (1964)
People Are Talking About … Little Green Men (1964)
Unidentified Flying Objects: Writer Says They’re a Dangerous Problem (1954)
*Wildcard Resource*
This week, our recommended music accompaniment to this episode is, of course, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie.
This 1972 album, a classic example of the Glam Rock and early Punk era, includes the single “Starman,” which Andrew mentions in this episode.
59 min

About SpyCast

From the publisher's feed

SpyCast, the official podcast of the International Spy Museum, is a journey into the shadows of international espionage. Each week, host Sasha Ingber brings you the latest insights and intriguing tales from spies, secret agents, and covert communicators, with a focus on how this secret world reaches us all in our everyday lives. Tune in to discover the critical role intelligence has played throughout history and today. Brought to you by N2K Networks, Podville Media, and the International Spy Museum.