Best Steven Spicer Podcasts (2025)

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200. From Biffy to Bond: The Real Spy Who Inspired "From Russia, with Love" with Tim Spicer 57:17

6h ago57:17

57:17

Today Justin is joined by Tim Spicer. Tim served for 20 years in the British Army where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and saw active service in Northern Ireland, the Falklands Campaign, the Gulf War, and the Balkans, as well as serving in the Far East, Cyprus, and Germany. After retiring, he founded private security company Aegis in 200…

1
199. [ARCHIVE] Flying for the CIA: a Continental Air Services Contractor with Toby Scott 1:45:37

8d ago1:45:37

1:45:37

Today we're going back into the archives again with a replay of episode 60, originally published in September 2022. We're excited to reintroduce you to the incredible story of Toby Scott and Jerry Daniels. Randolph Toby Scott is a former smoke jumper with the US Forest Service, who later worked in Southeast Asia under contract with Continental Air…

1
198. Project Mind Control: The Dark Secrets of MK Ultra with John Lisle 1:09:19

15d ago1:09:19

1:09:19

Today Justin sits dow with repeat guest John Lisle. John has a PhD in history from the University of Texas where he is now a professor of The History of Science. He's received research and writing awards from The National Academy of Sciences, The American Institute of Physics, and The National Endowment for the Humanities. His work has been publish…

1
197. The Hidden History of Nazi POW Camps on US Soil with William Geroux 1:06:25

22d ago1:06:25

1:06:25

Today's guest is William Geroux. Bill graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia before becoming an author. He spent more than 25 years as a newspaper reporter and editor in Virginia and Northern Idaho, winning numerous awards for breaking news coverage, feature writing, and investigative reporting. He also worked as a…

1
196. Housewife Assassin: The Sara Jane Moore Story with Geri Spieler 1:10:27

29d ago1:10:27

1:10:27

Today Justin sits down with Geri Spieler. Geri is a graduate of the University of California in Los Angeles and is a journalist and investigative reporter whose work has appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, and other publications. Geri is also a former president of the California Writers Association and has w…

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195. Nuclear Physicist or Soviet Spy? The Enigma of Bruno Pontecorvo with Dr. Frank Close 1:09:20

1M ago1:09:20

1:09:20

Today Justin talks with Dr. Frank Close. Frank is Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics and Fellow Emeritus at Exeter College at the University of Oxford. He was formerly the head of the Theoretical Physics Division at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Vice President of the British Science Association, and Head of Communications and Public Un…

1
194. The Secret War: A Medic in Laos with Steven Schofield 1:33:53

1M ago1:33:53

1:33:53

This episode contains particularly graphic descriptions of violence and gore. Know your own limits and proceed accordingly. Today Justin sits down with Steven Schofield. Steve enlisted into the US Army and completed training as an 18 Delta Special Forces Medic in 1967. He then deployed to Okinawa and later to Vietnam, where he served with Military …

1
193. Cairo Cold Case: Solving the Murder of David Holden with Emanuele Midolo 54:24

2M ago54:24

54:24

This week Justin talks with Emanuele Midolo. Manu is a journalist based in London and writing for The Times and The Sunday Times. His work has appeared in Forbes, Wired UK, and publications across the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. Today he's here to discuss his new book, which he co-authored with Peter Gillman. It was just published last month…

1
192. Inside the Bulgarian Spy Ring with Trevor Barnes 1:17:22

2M ago1:17:22

1:17:22

Today just sits down with Trevor Barnes, a former senior reporter and producer for the British Broadcasting Corporation and retired attorney you're a longtime listener. You may remember Trevor from his first appearance here on the podcast for episode number 33. Today he's here to discuss another spy ring operating in the UK and throughout Europe th…

1
191. Espionage in the NFL with Kevin Bryant 1:02:38

2M ago1:02:38

1:02:38

Today Justin interviews Kevin Bryant. Kevin graduated from the University of California - Santa Cruz with a B.A. in History and graduated with top honors from American Military University with an M.A. in Intelligence Studies and an M.S. in Sports Management. He served more than 20 years with the United States Army both as a soldier and civilian, du…

1
190. Churchill's Spy Ring in Rockefeller Center with Thomas Maier 57:06

2M ago57:06

57:06

Today Justin speaks with Thomas Maier, an award-winning investigative journalist who has worked at Newsday since 1984. Thomas has written several books over the years, including When Lions Roar about the Churchills and the Kennedys and Masters of Sex, which was produced as a series on Showtime for four years. This is Thomas's second time here on th…

1
189. Marguerite Harrison: Socialite, Reporter, and Military Intelligence Operative with Janet Wallach 58:39

3M ago58:39

58:39

Today Justin sits down with Janet Wallach. Janet attended New York University and her work has been published in The Washington Post Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, and other periodicals. She's the author of 10 books and has written extensively about notable women in history, including Queen Noor of Jordan, Coco Chanel, and Gertrude Bell, among oth…

1
188. Cuban Exiles vs. Guevara's Forces in the Congo with Frank Villafana 40:29

3M ago40:29

40:29

This week's guest is Frank Villafana. Frank was born in Havana, Cuba, and moved to the United States after graduating high school to attend the University of Alabama, where he earned his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in engineering. He spent the next three decades working in various positions in the field of engineering before retiring in 1998. A…

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187. The Wagner Group: Rise and Fall of a Russian Mercenary Collective with John Lechner 1:13:30

3M ago1:13:30

1:13:30

Today Justin talks to John Lechner. John graduated from Georgetown University with a master's degree in foreign service. He speaks several languages, including Russian, French, Turkish, and Georgian. He now works as an independent journalist and his reporting has been featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, BBC, and many …

1
186. Defeating Noriega: Inside Operation Just Cause with Rick Yell 1:24:50

3M ago1:24:50

1:24:50

This week Justin talks with Rick Yell. Rick served as a civilian agent with the Naval Investigative Service, later renamed the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. In 1986, he was assigned to the resident agency at Fort Amador, Panama. He was present along with his family before, during, and after Operation Just Cause, when the U.S. military ouste…

1
185. The Invisible Battlefield: Subversion in the Age of Information with Andreas Krieg 52:25

4M ago52:25

52:25

This week Justin interviews Andreas Krieg. Andreas is a senior lecturer at the School of Security Studies at King's College London and at the Royal College of Defense Studies. He spent more than 10 years living, studying, and working across the Middle East and North Africa, including in Lebanon, Syria, and Qatar. He is a co-author of the book, Surr…

1
184. How to Deliver a Ransom with Rob Phayre 1:09:38

4M ago1:09:38

1:09:38

Today Justin sits down with Rob Phayre. Rob served for seven years in the British Army as a helicopter pilot and commander. After leaving the service, he moved to Kenya and opened his own business before moving into a second career in security and crisis management a few years later. Much of his time involved responding to Somali piracy and hostage…

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183. My Life As a Canadian Spy with Andrew Kirsch 54:09

4M ago54:09

54:09

Today Justin sits down with Andrew Kirsch. Andrew grew up in Toronto, Canada, and is a graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He worked as an investment advisor in London before applying for a position with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service or CCIS. He spent nearly 10 years as an intelligence officer working in several p…

1
182. The Most Damaging Espionage Case in History with Joe Navarro 42:53

4M ago42:53

42:53

Today Justin talks to retired Special Agent Joe Navarro. Joe spent 25 years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, primarily working on counterintelligence investigations. He is also a founding member of the National Security Division Behavioral Analysis Program, which focused on the behavior of spies, terrorists, and criminals. During his caree…

1
181. From Anthropology to Espionage and Authorship with Kit Turner 39:42

4M ago39:42

39:42

Today's guest is Kit Turner. Kit has worked as an anthropologist and archeologist in the U. S., Polynesia, and Southwest Asia. He later joined the Central Intelligence Agency where he spent 25 years working in East Asia, South Asia, and Europe, running sensitive operations against high priority objectives. He's been awarded the Intelligence Star, a…

1
180. Evolution of Drone Warfare From Vietnam to the War on Terror with David Axe 37:10

5M ago37:10

37:10

Today's guest is David Axe. David is a journalist and filmmaker. His work has appeared in The Daily Beast, Vice, Reuters, Wired.com, The Washington Post, Forbes, and many other publications. He's published several books including fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels. He's also written, produced, or directed several independent films. David is he…

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179. Who Was D. B. Cooper? with Pat Boland 1:17:09

5M ago1:17:09

1:17:09

This week Justin talks with Pat Boland. Pat has worked in several different positions in sales and marketing, including as a Portfolio Analyst, Consultant, and Senior Account Executive. She's currently working as a writer and researcher. But aside from her career, she's also devoted a great deal of time to investigating one of the most intriguing m…

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178. Czechoslovakia's Cold War Liaisons with the Palestinian Liberation Organization with Dr. Daniela Richterova 1:12:22

5M ago1:12:22

1:12:22

Today Justin sits down with Dr. Daniela Richterova. Daniela received her master's degree from King's College London and her PhD from the University of Warwick. She is an associate professor of intelligence studies at the department of war studies at King's College London, as well as the co director of the King's Center for the Study of Intelligenc…

1
177. Traitor or CIA Double Agent? The Richard Craig Smith Story 34:30

5M ago34:30

34:30

In this solo episode, Justin share some of his own research. Today he discusses the very unusual case of Richard Craig Smith. Craig was a former army counterintelligence agent who was arrested in April, 1984 for passing classified information to a KGB officer in Japan on several occasions. There are two very different versions of Craig's story. He …

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176. First to Afghanistan: The Earliest Days of the War on Terror with David Tyson 1:55:26

6M ago1:55:26

1:55:26

This week's guest is David Tyson. David served in the U. S. Army first as an enlisted artilleryman and later as an intelligence officer. During his time in the Army, he discovered he had an affinity for learning languages, and after leaving the service, he began working towards a graduate degree, focusing his studies on Central Asia. He was recruit…

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[BONUS] Espionage in TV: The Sandbaggers 16:34

6M ago16:34

16:34

Join Justin for a special review episode of The Sandbaggers, a British television series that ran for three seasons between 1978 and 1980 following characters who worked at MI6. In Justin's opinion, this show is one of the best ever fictional portrayals of covert operations and the day-to-day running of an intelligence agency. You can find more rev…

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175. The Real Miss Moneypenny: Forgotten Women of the British Secret Service with Dr. Claire Hubbard-Hall 1:15:05

6M ago1:15:05

1:15:05

This week Justin sits down with Dr. Claire Hubbard-Hall. Claire received her doctorate in European history from the University of Hull. She has lectured and taught history courses at several British universities over the past 16 years with a particular focus on secret intelligence. She's also appeared in several television documentaries and written…

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174. A German Spy Ring on Staten Island with Robert Weingartner 1:04:15

7M ago1:04:15

1:04:15

This week Justin talks with Robert Weingartner. Rob is a lifelong resident of Staten Island, New York. He graduated from Drake Business School in Manhattan in 2002, and he enjoys reading and learning about history. Over the past few years, Rob has been researching an espionage story that began right in his own hometown. I invited Rob onto the podca…

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173. The Real Secrets of Area 51 with Peter Merlin 1:12:36

7M ago1:12:36

1:12:36

Today Justin sits down with Peter Merlin. Peter is an author, historian, and college instructor. He received his Bachelor's of Science degree in Aeronautical Studies from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and has just completed his Master's degree in Aviation Management from Southern Illinois University. He's been a freelance writer and research…

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[ARCHIVE] The Green Beret Defector with Greg Walker 1:29:53

7M ago1:29:53

1:29:53

This week Justin replays one of his personal favorite episodes, number 26, when author and former special forces officer Greg Walker shared the little-known story of a David Baez, a green beret defector. Baez was a Nicaraguan national whose father was killed by U.S.-backed President Samosa after voicing his displeasure with inequalities that had ri…

1
172. Secrets of the Spycatcher Affair with Tim Tate 1:21:18

7M ago1:21:18

1:21:18

Today Justin sits down with repeat guest Tim Tate. Tim has worked as a documentary filmmaker and an investigative journalist for more than 40 years, and in that time has published 19 books and produced 80 documentaries. Some of the topics he's covered in the past include China's slave labor gulags, the worst child murderer in British history, and t…

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171. Out of the Shadows and Into the Boardroom: Intelligence in the Private Sector with Dr. Lewis Sage-Passant 1:10:37

8M ago1:10:37

1:10:37

This week's guest is Dr. Lewis Sage-Passant. Lewis is a former British military intelligence officer and holds a PhD in Intelligence Studies. He's currently the global head of intelligence for one of Europe's most valuable companies, where he helps the firm navigate geopolitical, security, and industrial espionage risks. He also teaches courses in …

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170. The Secret History of the Civil War with Patrick K. O'Donnell 1:02:41

8M ago1:02:41

1:02:41

This week, Justin welcomes back Patrick K. O'Donnell. Patrick is a combat historian who has covered the war in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004, where he was armed and participated in the battle alongside the U.S. Marines. He's an expert on special operations units and irregular warfare. He's published 13 books so far on combat history, covering stories from…

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169. MKUltra and the Real Mind-Altering Potential of Psychedelics with Norman Ohler 43:36

8M ago43:36

43:36

Today Justin talks with Norman Ohler. Norman is a best selling novelist, a journalist, and a screenwriter. He's written three novels, which comprise the City Trilogy, and while working in the West Bank in 2004, he interviewed Yasser Arafat in what turned out to be the final interview of his life before he passed away in November of that year. He's …

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168. Unveiling the October Surprise: The Treason That Put Reagan in the White House with Craig Unger 1:00:37

8M ago1:00:37

1:00:37

This week Justin sits down with Craig Unger. Craig is a journalist and the author of eight books. He's a graduate of Harvard University, where he worked as an editor for The Harvard Crimson. He's written articles which have appeared in The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New Yorker, The New York Times, Esquire, and other publications. He also se…

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167. The Real Guns of 007 with Caleb Daniels @CommandoBond 1:10:37

8M ago1:10:37

1:10:37

This week Justin talks with Caleb Daniels. Caleb is a lifelong fan of the James Bond films and novels, as well as a firearms enthusiast from Kansas City, Missouri. For seven years, he worked in the firearms industry. In 2020, he started the website and social media pages titled Commando Bond, which are a passion project of his to bridge the gap bet…

1
166. My Father Defected to Russia for Love with Vladimir McMillin 58:00

9M ago58:00

58:00

Today Justin sits down with Vladimir McMillin. Vlad was born in Moscow and worked for 20 years for the TASS Russian news agency as a sports reporter. He immigrated to the United States in 1990 and has lived here since then. At a very young age, Vlad realized that there was something different about his family, because they were the only family name…

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165. Secrets of the Subcontinent: Post-Colonial Intelligence in India with Dr. Paul McGarr 1:13:42

9M ago1:13:42

1:13:42

Today Justin talks with Dr. Paul McGarr. Paul is a researcher, lecturer, and author who has focused particularly on security and intelligence interventions by the U.S. and U.K. governments into the global south. He's published more than two dozen articles in professional journals over the past 15 years and teaches several courses on intelligence an…

1
164. An OSS Memoir Reborn with Jacek Waliszewski 1:02:25

9M ago1:02:25

1:02:25

Today's guest is Jacek Waliszewski. Jacek is an Army Special Forces warrant officer. During his career, he has served primarily with 10th Group and has deployed 18 times on three different continents to date and trained more than 2, 500 soldiers worldwide in special operations tactics and strategies. He's also published two novels. He's here to dis…

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163. Covert Captures: Bringing Spies Back Alive 41:45

9M ago41:45

41:45

In this solo episode, Justin discusses how the world's intelligence agencies have captured foreign case officers, spies, and even their own defectors alive after they've already escaped to other countries. Killing a target in another country is difficult enough, especially when they are enjoying the security of the host nation that welcomed them in…

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162. The Foundations of American Intelligence with Dr. Mark Stout 56:51

10M ago56:51

56:51

Justin's guest today is Dr. Mark Stout, who has held many positions, both inside and outside the U.S. intelligence community. He's worked as an intelligence analyst for the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research for the CIA, and was a civilian employee for the U.S. Army at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. He was also the histori…

1
161. The Self-Proclaimed Spy Who Went Broke with Constance Huff 1:22:37

10M ago1:22:37

1:22:37

Today Justin talks with Constance Huff. She retired from the U.S. Army as a Chief Warrant Officer IV. Connie spent more than 24 years in Army Intelligence, holding three occupational specialties, Interrogator, CI Special Agent, and Case Officer. She spent the majority of her career in counterintelligence, where she specialized in counterespionage i…

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160. How the FBI Sabotaged Soviet Tech Spies with Zach Dorfman 50:11

10M ago50:11

50:11

Today Justin is joined by Zach Dorfman. Zach is a national security reporter whose work has appeared in Politico, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, and many other publications. He received his Bachelor's degree from Skidmore College and a Master's degree in International Relations and Affairs from the University of Chica…

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159. Inside North Korea: Recovering American Remains with Bill Boik 1:31:58

10M ago1:31:58

1:31:58

Today, Justin sits down with William Boik. Bill served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve for more than 30 years before retiring in 2005 at the rank of colonel. Over the course of his military career, he served in various positions in the armor branch and in military intelligence in South Korea, Germany and the U.S. From 2001 to 2018, Bill was a sen…

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158. Unraveling the Octopus: Espionage, Conspiracy, and Murder with Christian Hansen 52:16

11M ago52:16

52:16

Today Justin is joined by Christian Hansen. Christian is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and now lives in New York City, where he has worked as a photojournalist since 2007. His work has previously appeared in The New York Times. In 2013, he began to follow a thread of a story about the unexpected death of a writer pursuing his own story …

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157. How to Rebuild a Life: Burned by Spanish Intelligence in Syria with Luis Munar Duran 59:35

11M ago59:35

59:35

Today Justin sits down with Luis Munar Duran. Luis received his law degree from the University of Valencia in Spain and was a practicing attorney for nearly 20 years beginning in 1998. He's also a certified pilot and served as a reserve officer in the Spanish Air Force. Luis also has extensive training and experience in security and human rights is…

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156. From Incarceration to Exoneration: The Kevin Barry Artt Story with Dan Lawton 1:00:48

11M ago1:00:48

1:00:48

This week Justin talks with Dan Lawton. Dan received his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and graduated with his Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986 and has been practicing and a practicing attorney in San Diego, California for many years. He's also taught at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law since 2001…

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155. The Hunt for the Assassin Who Killed Sweden's Prime Minister with Jan Stocklassa 53:16

11M ago53:16

53:16

Today just talks to Jan Stocklassa. Jan is an author and journalist focusing on large scale affairs in international politics. He served as a diplomat for Sweden in the Czech Republic from 1997 until 2003, and later helped found a newspaper paper in Prague. Jan spent more than a decade researching the 1986 murder of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palm…

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154. The Truth Behind Operation Eagle Claw with James Stejskal 50:03

11M ago50:03

50:03

Today, Justin talks with returning guest James Stejskal. James enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1973 and served for more than 20 years, including with the now famous Special Forces Detachment A in Berlin in the 1970s and 80s, among many other assignments. He was severely wounded in Somalia in 1992 and medically retired from the Army in 1996, after whi…

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153. The Year of Four Emperors with Rose Mary Sheldon 43:40

12M ago43:40

43:40

Today Justin chats with Rose Mary Sheldon. This is her third time on the podcast. Rose Mary taught history as a professor at Virginia Military Institute for more than 25 years, and is a world renowned expert on intelligence activities in the ancient world. She earned her PhD from the University of Michigan in 1987 and has published several books an…

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