SPYCRAFT 101

Apr 06 2025 195 ep. 63 mins 923
SPYCRAFT 101 Podcast artwork

Welcome to your clandestine classroom.

  History  Government  Education
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191. Espionage in the NFL with Kevin Bryant

Apr 06 2025 62 mins  
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, during which he conducted national s

190. Churchill's Spy Ring in Rockefeller Center with Thomas Maier

Mar 30 2025 57 mins  
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 the podcast. You may remember him fr

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

Mar 23 2025 58 mins  
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 others. Janet is here today to discus

188. Cuban Exiles vs. Guevara's Forces in the Congo with Frank Villafana

Mar 16 2025 40 mins  
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. Afterwards, he devoted himself to w

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

Mar 09 2025 73 mins  
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 more. He's here to discuss the sto

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

Mar 02 2025 84 mins  
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 ousted Panamanian dictator Manuel Norie

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

Feb 23 2025 52 mins  
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, Surrogate Warfare: The Transformation

184. How to Deliver a Ransom with Rob Phayre

Feb 16 2025 69 mins  
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 taking in East Africa. He's helpe

183. My Life As a Canadian Spy with Andrew Kirsch

Feb 09 2025 54 mins  
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 positions, including analyst, inves

182. The Most Damaging Espionage Case in History with Joe Navarro

Feb 02 2025 42 mins  
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 career, Joe developed tremendous expert