Episode 73 – The Invisible Spy: Ernest Cuneo and the Secret Machinations of American Power

This episode visits the untold life of Ernest Cuneo—a professional football player turned journalist, turned presidential fixer, turned invisible architect of wartime espionage. Before the CIA existed, Cuneo was already moving between the White House, British intelligence at Rockefeller Center, and the most powerful media outlets in the country. He leaked, spun, and buried stories. He brokered quiet alliances. He coordinated sabotage, propaganda, and double agents—then slipped back into obscurity.

Thomas Maier returns to The Live Drop to talk about his riveting new biography, The Invisible Spy, and the life of the man who helped shape the American intelligence apparatus from the shadows. We follow Cuneo from gridiron glory to Roosevelt’s secret inner circle, through the propaganda wars of WWII and into the paranoia of the Cold War. Along the way, we explore the cost of silence, the lure of anonymity, and how one man’s life reflected—and manipulated—the American century.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAtLXsh4sEg

My Substack: Propaganda Lessons from WWII, Mark Valley

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Author John Lechner talks about his powerful new book, Death Is Our Business, a definitive investigation into Russia’s notorious private military company, the Wagner Group. With firsthand accounts, OSINT research, and a historian’s depth, Lechner traces Wagner’s evolution from covert operators in Ukraine to global players in Syria, Africa, and beyond.

The book opens with “Soldiers,” detailing Wagner’s early operations in Eastern Ukraine. The group’s early adoption of hybrid warfare tactics positioned Wagner as a deniable but essential extension of Russian force projection. Lechner highlights Wagner recruits—ex-soldiers, nationalists, and opportunists drawn to war by a mix of belief, desperation, and the promise of belonging.

In “Oil Men,” Lechner shifts focus to Wagner’s economic logic. From Syrian gas fields to African gold mines, Wagner leveraged military victories into lucrative contracts. The group effectively bankrolled itself through resource extraction deals, revealing how war and profit became indistinguishable in modern mercenary operations.

“Diplomats” explores Wagner’s expansion into the political sphere, particularly in fragile African states. Wagner’s combination of intimidation, diplomacy, and military threat reveals a new kind of state actor: both official and deniable.

In “Mercenaries,”The chapter compares Wagner to other modern paramilitary forces and underscores the absence of clear international frameworks for accountability. Wagner’s involvement in human rights abuses and alleged war crimes raise urgent legal and ethical questions about the future of privatized warfare.

“Liberators” looks at Wagner’s self-image. The group often justified its operations in Africa and the Middle East as counter-terrorism or anti-insurgency efforts. But beneath the liberation narrative, Lechner uncovers a darker story of extrajudicial killings, systemic abuse, and economic exploitation.

In “Heroes,” we get a rare look inside Wagner’s culture. Through interviews and leaked materials, Lechner reveals the motivations behind joining Wagner: nationalism, anti-Western sentiment, pay, and the desire for camaraderie. The chapter explores Wagner’s internal mythmaking—how it crafts a heroic, loyalist identity for its fighters.

“Traitors” Lechner chronicles the chaos, the confrontation with Moscow, and the fallout—including Prigozhin’s mysterious death in a plane crash. The group’s fate now remains in flux, with its remnants either disbanded or absorbed into Russia’s formal military apparatus.

In the Conclusion, Lechner reflects on what Wagner means for the future. Private military companies are no longer niche actors—they are shaping the modern battlefield.

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🎙️ The Live Drop – Episode 71: Kit Turner on the Cuban Revolution, Espionage, and Historical Fiction

In this episode, I speak with former intelligence officer and historical fiction author Kit Turner, whose latest novel Children of Outer Darkness dives deep into the origins of the Cuban Revolution. What begins as a conversation about Kit’s book quickly turns into a gripping exploration of insurgency, propaganda, and the murky world of mid-century espionage.

Kit shares how his background in counterinsurgency informed his portrayal of Cuba’s revolutionary figures, from Fidel Castro and Che Guevara to lesser-known but pivotal characters like Celia Sánchez and Vilma Espín. We discuss the revolution’s unlikely beginnings—a leaky yacht and a ragtag group of rebels—and the shadowy support from the CIA, GRU, and KGB during the Cold War chess match in the Caribbean.

We also explore the blend of fact and fiction in Kit’s work, including his stylistic influences from Graham Greene, Eric Ambler, and John Buchan, and why historical fiction can sometimes reveal deeper truths than memoirs—especially when you're still under a CIA publication review.

📚 Children of Outer Darkness is available via Warpath Press and anywhere books are sold. Illustrated with rare photos, it brings the revolution to life in a way that’s both vivid and unexpected.

🔗 Learn more at kitturnerauthor.com

Check out my Substack piece based on this interview: What the Cuban Revolution Can Teach Democrats.

More at https://markvalley.substack.com/

1. Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene

A classic British spy novel set in pre-revolutionary Cuba. A strong influence on Kit Turner’s writing style and subject matter.

1. The 39 Steps by John Buchan

A foundational spy thriller featuring fast-paced action and a civilian protagonist pulled into global intrigue. Turner admired its momentum and structure.

1. A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler

One of the novels that helped shape the modern espionage thriller genre. Ambler’s morally ambiguous characters and realistic spycraft inspired Turner’s tone.

1. In the Midst of Wars by Edward Lansdale

A memoir by the legendary CIA operative involved in post-WWII counterinsurgency operations, especially in the Philippines and Vietnam. Turner cited this work while discussing how insurgencies are won or lost with people, not just weapons.

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My guest is a West Point classmate of mine, Chris Petty, a retired Brigadier General. He created the book and online resource Battle Digest to fill the gap in military history education, offering concise lessons from historic battles. A former Rugby player, he emphasizes how studying history builds battlefield awareness and strategic thinking. Each digest follows a clear structure, covering strategic context, maneuvers, tactical actions, and lessons learned, making evident the principles of warfare.

In this episode we discuss pivotal battles like Lexington and Concord, Yorktown, and the Alamo to show how intelligence, deception, and leadership shape outcomes. He points to examples like Washington’s Yorktown feint and the intelligence victory at Midway to stress the critical role of foresight. Reflecting on modern warfare, he emphasizes the importance of drones, intelligence, and learning from missteps in Iraq and Afghanistan. Petty argues that understanding history helps commanders recognize patterns and apply key principles like unity of command.

I share a legendary Chris Petty anecdote, whose service and work combine his passion for military excellence with a drive to make military history current and accessible.

12 Battles Every American Should Know, Chris Petty

BATTLEDIGEST.COM

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Eric O'Neill is a leading cybersecurity expert, former FBI operative, attorney, and founder of The Georgetown Group and NeXasure AI — which works with organizations to protect themselves against cybercriminals—whose activity on the dark web constitutes the world’s third largest economy.  Eric began his career in the FBI as a “ghost” — an undercover field operative tasked to surveil foreign and domestic spies and terrorists. In 2001, he brought down the nation’s first cyberspy: Robert Hanssen, a 25-year veteran of the FBI and a notorious Russian mole. This story is featured in the critically-acclaimed movie, Breach, and Eric’s book, Gray Day…

In this conversation we talk about how "there are no hackers, only spies" and how the crisis of cybercrime has been influenced by the best espionage attacks. We discuss some things you can do right not to protect yourself from cyber threats, some of what's happening on the dark web and how companies like Crowdstrike and Zscaler deploy defenses against cyberattacks. And lastly how cyber mirrors analog operations using trusted insiders and even deploys a familiar sounding tactic called 'honeytraps."

Currently, Eric is currently working on his new book, The Invisible Threat: Secrets from a Spyhunter in an AI World (HarperCollins, 2025) coming out next year. 

Resources and Links:

Gray Day, Eric O'Neill

The Invisible Threat, Eric O'Neill (advanced information)

EricOneill.net

The Georgetown Group

https://x.com/eoneill

Live Drop 69 

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From bestselling author and the producer of the hit cable series Masters of Sex, Thomas Maier, comes a true story of espionage and mobsters, based on the never-before-released JFK Files.

In this episode Mark talks with author and journalist Thomas Maier about his book Mafia Spies--A fact based look at a sensational event in intelligence history when the CIA approached the mafia to assist in the assassination attempts on Cuba's dictator Fidel Castro. In the early 1960s, two top gangsters, Johnny Roselli and Sam Giancana, were hired by the CIA to kill Cuba's Communist leader, Fidel Castro, only to wind up murdered themselves amidst Congressional hearings and a national debate about the JFK assassination.

Mafia Spies revolves around the outlaw friendship of these two mob buddies and their fascinating world of CIA spies, fellow Mafioso in Chicago, Cuban exile commandos in Miami, beautiful Hollywood women, famous entertainers like Frank Sinatra's Rat Pack in Las Vegas, Castro's own spies in Havana and his double agents hidden in Florida, J. Edgar Hoover's FBI snooping, and the Kennedy administration's "Get Castro" obsession in Washington.

Thomas Maier is among the first to take full advantage of the National Archives' 2017-18 release of the long-withheld JFK files, many of which deal with the CIA's top secret anti-Castro operation in Florida and Cuba.

Also we talk about Maier's first foray into fiction, with his new crime novel, Montauk to Manhattan, Thomas Maier

Find more of Thomas Maier's work here ==> http://www.thomasmaierbooks.com/

Mafia Spies - Book

Mafia Spies Official Trailer ==> AIRS JULY 16TH, 2024 ON PARAMOUNT PLUS

Summary paraphrased from promotional materials.

Live Drop 68 Thomas Maier

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Phil Gurski, an author and renowned Canadian intelligence professional. Phil worked as an analyst at the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), Canada's equivalent of the NSA, and as a senior strategic analyst at the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). He contributes to the Ottawa Citizen and­­ has published six books on counter-terrorism, including his recent work, The Peaceable Kingdom: A History of Terrorism in Canada from Confederation to the Present.

I interviewed Phil in an actual face to face Live Drop in the town of Russell, Ontario, where he talked about his forthcoming book on the Fenian Raids of the mid-19th century. The first terrorism threat Canada faced came from across the border from disgruntled Irish Nationalists after the American Civil War. In this wide-ranging discussion, we delve into a primer on the ramshackle but spirited Fenian Raids and explore the history of Canada, immigration along the border, Five Eyes intelligence sharing, modern terrorism threats, and the challenges facing the Canadian intelligence community at large. Turns out Canada doesn't have a CIA equivalent, nor a foreign intelligence collection mandate... only for direct threats to their national security.

Phil Gurski is the CEO of Borealis Threat and Risk Consulting. You can find him on X at @borealissaves, and on his blog and website borealisthreatandrisk.com

Live Drop Episode 67

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Trevor Aaronson is an award winning investigative journalist and contributing writer to The Intercept. His podcast ALPHABET BOYS and the subject of his other works focuses on the use of informants in Law Enforcement. We discuss the use of sting operations and how the informant has evolved into a more proactive role over the last few decades. Season 2 of Alphabet Boys centers around a singular motivated informant who somehow ends up working for the FBI, DEA and, he claims, the CIA. Live Drop 66

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Professor Dahl asserts that the pandemic was a global failure of intelligence, including not only the traditional intelligence agencies that should have been able to do better, but perhaps even more importantly, a failure of the complex system of medical and public health surveillance that is designed to anticipate threats just like this one. He specifically cites a lack of warning and failure of receptivity.

Secondly, although the US and the rest of the world have taken some useful steps to improve our intelligence and warning about disease threats, we are still vulnerable to what experts say could be an even worse pandemic next time. We still have a 'Domaine Awareness Gap.'

Third, the lessons from the pandemic can and must be used to help us avoid other types of threats and challenges in the future, whether from climate change, natural disasters or man-made catastrophes.

Among his other recommendations we discuss how the NCMI, National Center for Medical Intelligence, can be enhanced as a central body to combine efforts of traditional intelligence agencies and information from the medical and public health sectors.

Professor Erik J Dahl, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA

The Covid-19 Intelligence Failure: Why Warning Was Not Enough, Erik J Dahl

Intelligence and Surprise Attack: Failure and Success from Pearl Harbor to 9/11 and Beyond, Erik J Dahl

National Center for Medical Intelligence (NCMI)

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Brittany Butler is a former CIA targeting officer with first-hand knowledge in the recruitment and handling of spies, and dismantling of terrorist networks abroad. A staunch advocate Middle Eastern women's rights, Brittany has worked to protect the rights of disenfranchised Afghan women and girls, and works within her local community to resettle Afghan refugees. The first in a series, THE SYNDICATE SPY combines facts with fiction, of how female intelligence officers utilize both intellect and skills to see beyond religious and cultural barriers in order to bring peace to this war-torn region. Find Brittany on Socials: brittanycbutler.com @formerspyl

Please consider donating your time or efforts to Lutheran Services who are assisting Afghan refugees across the country.

And, Women For Afghan Women – Providing a safe environment for internally displaced women and families in Afghanistan.

City of Refugees by Susan Hartman - Chronicles the lives of refugees in an upstate New York city and their impact on the community.

Intellipedia - yeah, it really exists...

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