The Spy Who

Audible

These are stories you were never meant to hear. The invisible but vital work of the world’s intelligence services: secret operatives playing to very different rules. The Spy Who, hosted by Indira Varma, Raza Jaffrey and Emilia Fox, takes you deep inside that shadow world to meet spies who risked everything in the national interest – or, sometimes, their own.

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20 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes20

Newest first

Tuesday · 45 min
The Spy Who Became Stalin's Greatest | Traitor In The Home | 2
With her operation in Japanese-occupied Manchuria now over, Ursula Kuczynski is awaiting fresh orders from Moscow. But the Centre’s new instructions are about to break her heart. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 21 · 4 min
Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas
“I am not Nicholas Rossi!” gasps Arthur Knight through an oxygen mask in March 2022. Recently discharged from a Covid ward in Glasgow, he's in a wheelchair. The police say he’s Nicholas Rossi, suspected of faking his death and wanted for rape in Utah. The story makes headlines globally. When journalist Jane MacSorley meets Arthur Knight and his wife Miranda, she thinks the police have made a mistake. She embarks on a yearlong investigation, making a unique discovery which changes everything. Listen to I Am Not Nicholas Season 1 on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. You can binge all episodes early and ad-free by joining Audible on the Audible App or on Apple Podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 21 · 42 min
The Spy Who Became Stalin's Greatest | A Bomb In The Pram | 1
To her fellow Westerners in colonial Shanghai, Ursula Kuczynski is just another devoted housewife and mother. But beneath the bourgeois exterior, she’s a vital cog in the communist insurgency and about to become one of the greatest spies of the 20th Century. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 14 · 8 min
Listen Now: Dan Taberski’s Manifesto
Just in time for America’s 250th birthday, follow Dan Taberski (Hysterical, 9/12, Missing Richard Simmons) as he sets off on his most complicated quest yet: to reclaim the manifesto and write his own. Dan attempts to rescue the manifesto as a form from the sweaty clutches of cynical politicians and mass shooters and return it to its rightful place: with the artists, the warriors, the visionaries, and the mildly crazy regular folks with something to say, the passion to say it, and the courage to do something about it. From Audible Originals and Please & Thanks Productions, this 6-part series explores the power of the manifesto and asks: Can we get inspired again… and can we do it without a bullet? Listen to Dan Taberski's Manifesto wherever you get your podcasts. Or binge all episodes of Manifesto ad-free right now on Audible. Start your Audible subscription in the Audible App or on Apple Podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 14 · 34 min
The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | The Mystery of Agent 355 | 5
Right on schedule for America's 250th birthday, we’ve wrapped our arc on Benedict Arnold - the American military officer who turned his back on his own country to spy for the British Army. Tucked away within this complex story, lives the unsolved identity (identities?) of Agent 355. The female spy who helped her country by gleaning military secrets from the British. In this episode, Charlie Higson explores just who this woman (or women) might have been, with ‘355: The Women of Washington's Spy Ring’ author, Kit Sergeant. Together, they break down this remarkable tale of betrayal and deception… all in the name of freedom. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 7 · 46 min
The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | The Hangman’s Noose | 4
With his plot to hand West Point to the British unravelling fast, Benedict Arnold is running for his life. And if George Washington’s men can’t stop him in time, Benjamin Tallmadge’s New York spy ring will be in grave danger. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
July 2 · 38 min
The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | The Traitor and The Gentleman | 3
With the French now helping the U.S. in its fight for independence, the tide’s turned against Britain. But disillusioned American hero Benedict Arnold is about to help the British Empire strike back. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
June 30 · 38 min
The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | The Road to Betrayal | 2
With the British advancing on Philadelphia, the American rebels face defeat. But new U.S. intelligence officer Benjamin Tallmadge is about to hit on a plan that’ll give the Continental Army the inside track on the King’s forces. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
June 23 · 40 min
The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | Liberty and the Pursuit of Intelligence | 1
It’s 1775 and after years of rising tensions, rebellion is about to break out in British North America. The 13 rebel colonies want to shake off rule from London and form a new nation: The United States of America. But with their Patriot army no match for the might of the British Empire, they need to even the odds by turning to espionage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
June 16 · 36 min
The Czech Spy Who Stole a Son | What really goes on in the mind of a secret agent? | 4
What do you think of when someone mentions the word: spy? Thanks to James Bond, they're often thought of as sleek, sexy and thrill-seeking. But what really goes on in the mind of a secret agent like Václav Jelínek? Charlie Higson is joined author, lecturer, and advisor on handling human sources of secret intelligence, John Taylor. He's pulling the curtain back on the fraught psychology of spies. Including, what kind of agent poses the biggest threat to a mission. And, who he thinks makes for a better spy - men or women? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
June 9 · 37 min
The Czech Spy Who Stole a Son | Blue Eyes | 3
It’s the mid-1980s and the Czechoslovak spy living posing as Erwin van Haarlem has spent years convincing the mother of the real Erwin that he is her long-lost son. Now his deception faces a new threat: Britain’s Security Service MI5 are on his tail. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
June 2 · 40 min
The Czech Spy Who Stole a Son | The Prodigal Son | 2
After years of preparation, Czech deep-cover spy Václav Jelínek is in London and living as Erwin Van Haarlem. But now, the Dutch mother of the real child whose identity he’s using has found him. And her inquisitiveness could blow his whole mission. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 26 · 37 min
The Czech Spy Who Stole a Son | The Kidnap | 1
When a teenager is made to give up her baby, Czechoslovak secret police service the StB spot a chance to create a rock-solid fake identity for one of its deep-cover 'illegal' spies. But its spy is about to end up on a collision course with a mother seeking her long-lost son. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 19 · 40 min
The Spy Who Sold Nuclear Secrets to Iran | How a CIA Spy Recruiter Helped Stop Dr Strangelove | 4
Not many people can say they helped dismantle the most dangerous nuclear weapons network in history. Then again, not everyone is former CIA operative, Jim Lawler. Jim speaks to Raza Jaffrey about his CIA career (that almost wasn’t), bringing A.Q. Khan’s nuclear network to its knees, and whether he thinks a similar Khan-level threat is lurking in the shadows... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 12 · 37 min
The Spy Who Sold Nuclear Secrets to Iran | Cargo of Doom | 3
With A.Q. Khan now fully rogue and his network working to fast-track Libya’s nuclear weapons program, the CIA and MI6 need to find a way to shut his network down permanently. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
May 5 · 36 min
The Spy Who Sold Nuclear Secrets to Iran | Bombs for Sale | 2
Dr. A.Q. Khan is making millions selling nuclear secrets but when he decides to sell the nuclear bomb to Libya’s renegade ruler Colonel Gaddafi, the CIA and MI6 realise they need to act against Pakistan’s real-life Dr. Strangelove. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
April 28 · 37 min
The Spy Who Sold Nuclear Secrets to Iran | The Seeds of Revenge | 1
At a secure lab in Amsterdam, scientists are working on tech that can enrich uranium for nuclear bombs. But when India tests a nuke, employee Dr. A.Q. Khan, turns spy to help Pakistan get the bomb too. And soon he’ll spread atomic weapons worldwide. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
April 21 · 39 min
The Spy Who Inspired the First Bond Girl | Murdered, Then Forgotten | 4
How did someone so essential in war become so expendable in peace? In conversation with Charlie Higson, historian Clare Mulley explores the extraordinary life of Krystyna Skarbek - a woman more Bond than Bond girl. Together, they unpack her daring wartime exploits, the misogyny that shaped her postwar fate, and the unsettling truth of how a hero of such calibre was denied both the ending and the legacy she deserved. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
April 14 · 37 min
The Spy Who Inspired the First Bond Girl | Rescue from execution | 3
Frozen out by the Special Operations Executive, Polish countess turned British spy Krystyna Skarbek is now stuck in the Middle East. But she’s determined to get back into the fight against the Nazis, no matter the personal cost. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
April 7 · 35 min
The Spy Who Inspired the First Bond Girl | Don’t stop running | 2
As the Nazis exert control over Continental Europe, British spy Krystyna Skarbek needs to stay one step ahead of the enemy. But she’s about to discover that the Axis powers aren’t her only problem. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Spy Who

The Spy Who Became Stalin's Greatest | Traitor In The Home | 2

Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas

The Spy Who Became Stalin's Greatest | A Bomb In The Pram | 1

Listen Now: Dan Taberski’s Manifesto

The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | The Mystery of Agent 355 | 5

The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | The Hangman’s Noose | 4

The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | The Traitor and The Gentleman | 3

The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | The Road to Betrayal | 2

The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | Liberty and the Pursuit of Intelligence | 1

The Czech Spy Who Stole a Son | What really goes on in the mind of a secret agent? | 4

The Czech Spy Who Stole a Son | Blue Eyes | 3

The Czech Spy Who Stole a Son | The Prodigal Son | 2

The Czech Spy Who Stole a Son | The Kidnap | 1

The Spy Who Sold Nuclear Secrets to Iran | How a CIA Spy Recruiter Helped Stop Dr Strangelove | 4

The Spy Who Sold Nuclear Secrets to Iran | Cargo of Doom | 3

The Spy Who Sold Nuclear Secrets to Iran | Bombs for Sale | 2

The Spy Who Sold Nuclear Secrets to Iran | The Seeds of Revenge | 1

The Spy Who Inspired the First Bond Girl | Murdered, Then Forgotten | 4

The Spy Who Inspired the First Bond Girl | Rescue from execution | 3

The Spy Who Inspired the First Bond Girl | Don’t stop running | 2