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SPYCRAFT 101

SPYCRAFT 101

By: Justin Black
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Welcome to your clandestine classroom.

© 2025 SPYCRAFT 101
Political Science Politics & Government World
Episodes
  • 208. From Cold War Counterintelligence to Project Stargate with Bill Ray
    Aug 11 2025

    This week Justin's gues is William "Bill" Ray. Bill is a retired army major and a Department of Defense civilian with more than 50 years of service as an intelligence and counterintelligence officer, including 20 years in Europe. During his career, he spent over three and a half years as a remote viewer at Fort Mead, including as the unit commander from 1985 to 1987, along with my previous podcast guest, Dr. Paul Smith from episode 201. Bill is hear to discuss his decades counterintelligence, both during and after the Cold War and his experiences as a remote viewer with Project Stargate.

    Connect with Spycraft 101:
    Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
    spycraft101.com
    IG: @spycraft101
    Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
    Patreon: Spycraft 101

    Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
    Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
    Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 17 mins
  • 207. Russia's Sleeper Agents Infiltrating the West with Shaun Walker
    Aug 4 2025

    Today just talks to Shaun Walker. Shaun worked as a reporter in Moscow for more than a decade starting in 2007, first for The Independent and later for The Guardian. He now lives in Warsaw, Poland, where he is the Central and Eastern Europe correspondent for The Guardian, and mostly covers the war in Ukraine. Besides his many articles for The Guardian and other media outlets, he's also the author of The Long Hangover: Putin's New Russia and The Ghost of the Past. He's here this week to discuss his newest book which tells the story of decades of painstaking effort to select, train, and deploy a very small number of highly-effective spies all across the world, and their successes and failures at infiltrating Russia's greatest adversaries for years at a time.


    Connect with Shaun:

    Twitter/X: @shaunwalker7

    Check out the book, The Illegals: Russia's Most Audacious Spies and Their Century-Long Mission to Infiltrate the West, here.

    https://a.co/d/82GyXpt

    Connect with Spycraft 101:
    Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
    spycraft101.com
    IG: @spycraft101
    Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
    Patreon: Spycraft 101

    Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
    Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
    Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

    History by Mail
    Who knew? Not me! Learn something new every month. Use code JUSTIN10 for 10% off your subscription.

    Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 6 mins
  • 206. Behind the Lines from Belfast to Sierra Leone with Tim Spicer
    Jul 28 2025

    Today Justin is joined once more 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. Today, he's back to discuss his own life and career, which has been full of danger and adventure as well. Tim wrote about it all in his autobiography which covers his service all over the world, as well as his work as the founder of a private military company not long after he left the British Army.

    Check out Tim's first appearance in ep 200: 'From Biffy to Bond: The Real Spy Who Inspired "From Russia, with Love"' here.


    Connect with Tim:

    penguin.co.uk/authors/208198/tim-spicer

    IG: @timspicerauthor

    Check out the book, An Unorthodox Solider, here.

    https://a.co/d/6wZaj6Y

    Connect with Spycraft 101:
    Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
    spycraft101.com
    IG: @spycraft101
    Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
    Patreon: Spycraft 101

    Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
    Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
    Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

    History by Mail
    Who knew? Not me! Learn something new every month. Use code JUSTIN10 for 10% off your subscription.

    Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

    Support the show

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 15 mins
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