SPYCRAFT 101 - Justin Black

Latest Episodes:

140. An Atomic Soviet Spy with Ann Hagedorn Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

This week Justin talks with Ann Hagedorn. Ann is a former staff writer for the Wall Street Journal and an award winning author of six narrative nonfiction books ranging in topics from thoroughbred horse racing to international kidnapping to unsung heroes of America's anti slavery movement and to the high drama of the tumultuous year 1919. She's a graduate of Denison University and holds a master's degree from the University of Michigan and Columbia University, plus an honorable honorary doctorate from Denison. Today, Ann tells the story of an almost completely unknown Soviet spy who infiltrated the Manhattan Project facilities at Oak Ridge, Tennessee and Dayton, Ohio and did so without raising any major suspicions for several years after his return to the Soviet Union.
Connect with Ann:
annhagedorn.com
Check out her book, Sleeper Agent, here.
https://www.amazon.com/Sleeper-Agent-Atomic-America-Away/dp/1501173944
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Tenderfoot TV
Real. Powerful. Storytelling. Tune in to "To Die For" wherever you listen to podcasts.
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139. Freddie Scappaticci: IRA Turncoat with Richard O'Rawe Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

This week Justin talks with Richard "Ricky" O'Rawe, a former member of the Irish Republican Army. Since leaving the IRA, Ricky has worked as a peace advocate and has written several nonfiction books as well as two novels about The Troubles. Today Ricky shares the story of Britain's greatest intelligence coup during The Troubles: the recruitment of Freddie Scappaticci, the man who ran the IRA's internal security unit. He vetted all the IRA recruits and hunted down informants within the ranks, all while reporting everything he saw, did, and learned to British intelligence.
Connect with Ricky:
Check out his book, Stakeknife's Dirty War, here.
https://www.amazon.com/Stakeknifes-Dirty-War-Scappaticci-Nutting/dp/1785374478
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

138. The Defection of a Communist Spy Queen with Kathryn Olmsted Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

This week Justin sits down with Dr. Kathryn Olmsted. Kathryn is a professor of history at the University of California, Davis, where she has taught since 2001. She's published five books and many journal articles focusing on the political and cultural history of the United States since World War I. Today she discusses the story of Elizabeth Bentley, a spy and agent handler for the Communist Party of the United States and for the Soviet Union from the late 1930s through World War II. But in 1945, she broke ties with both organizations and walked into an FBI field office to alert them to the presence of a massive and almost completely unknown espionage ring that had penetrated the U.S. government at many different levels. She became a media sensation and helped to alert Congress and the American public to the new Cold War that they found themselves in with the USSR.
Connect with Kathryn:
Check out her book, Red Spy Queen, here.
https://www.amazon.com/Red-Spy-Queen-Biography-Elizabeth/dp/0807827398
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

137. The Hitman, the Dissident, and the Detective with Ray Martinez Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

This week, Justin sits down with Ray Martinez. Ray served three consecutive terms as mayor of the city of Fort Collins, Colorado between 1999 and 2005. He was later elected to the Fort Collins City Council, serving a term from 2015 through 2019. Ray is an active member of several local advisory boards in the Fort Collins area. He's also the author of 15 books and he is the founder of RM Consulting Inc., where he provides consulting services in many different areas, including writing and publishing, business development, marketing, public relations, and more.
But long before Ray began his service as an elected official, he was a police officer and detective with the Fort Collins police department for 25 years beginning in 1974. Today, he's here to discuss what was arguably the biggest case of his career, which began one night in October, 1980 with a wife's frantic call reporting that her husband had been shot in their apartment. From there, it spiraled into a massive story involving international arms traffickers, an ex-Army Special Forces hitman, and a North African dictator and the Central Intelligence Agency.
Connect with Ray:
raymartinez.com
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

S.O.E. Expeditions
Follow in the footsteps of legends and retrace some of the most famous operations of WWII.
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136. A Vietnamese Agent Hidden for 20 Years with Dr. Larry Berman Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Today Justin talks with Dr. Larry Berman. Larry is a professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis. He has published four books dealing with the history of America's involvement in the Vietnam War. His work has also been featured on C-SPAN, The History Channel, and Vietnam: A Television History. Today Larry discusses the incredible double life of Phạm Xuân Ẩn, Time Magazine reporter and Vietnamese communist agent. It's the story of a spy in South Vietnam who went undiscovered for 20 years, even as he worked his way into the highest levels of the South Vietnamese government, the international media and the U. S. Military Assistance Command. Ẩn was a solo agent who gained the trust of everyone who knew him, and used that trust to deliver priceless information to the North Vietnamese time and time again.
Connect with Larry:
larryberman.net
Check out Larry's book, Perfect Spy, here.

https://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Spy-Incredible-Vietnamese-Communist/dp/0060888393
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Cloaked Entry Co.
Are you ready to learn practical skills used by covert operatives? Use code SPYCRAFT101 for $50 off.
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135. General James Wilkinson: American Traitor with Howard Cox Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

Today Justin talks with Howard W. Cox. Howard is a former federal prosecutor, criminal investigator, and senior intelligence service officer. After graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, he served as a trial attorney for the U. S. Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps, followed by many other investigative and prosecutorial assignments throughout The federal government, his final position before retiring from federal service was as the assistant inspector general for investigations at CIA. Howard has come on the podcast discuss his general James Wilkinson's betrayal of the young USA and escape from justice. It's the story of the highest ranking federal employee to ever be investigated for espionage. As the commander in chief of the United States Army, Wilkinson served for more than 40 years under America's first four presidents, all while acting as a secret agent for the government of Spain.
Connect with Howard:
howardwcox2@gmail.com
Check out Howard's book, American Traitor, here.

https://www.amazon.com/American-Traitor-Wilkinsons-Betrayal-Republic/dp/1647123429
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

SLNT
Protect your data and devices. Use code SPYCRAFT101 to save 10% off your order.
Whale Hunting Newsletter
Read about the world's richest and most dangerous individuals, often unknown to the public.
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Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

134. North Vietnamese and Viet Cong Intelligence with Dr. David Strachan-Morris Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

This week, Justin sits down with Dr. David Strachan-Morris. David is a lecturer in intelligence and security at the University of Leicester, where he runs the M. A . in Intelligence and Security program, as well as being Director of Distance Learning for the School of History, Politics, and International Relations. Before embarking on an academic career, he served in the Intelligence Corps in the British Army and worked at intelligence management roles in the private security industry in Iraq. Today, David shares his work on the subject of North Vietnamese and Viet Cong intelligence activities during the Vietnam War.
Connect with David:
Twitter/X: @DrDavidSM
LinkedIn: David Strachan-Morris, Ph.D., SFHEA, FISRM, MSecII
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

133. A Double Agent in the Canadian Mounted Police with Justin Ling Feb 05, 2024

Show notes

This week's guest is Justin Ling. Justin is an award winning investigative journalist whose work has appeared in Vice, Maclean's Foreign Policy, and The Globe and Mail, among other publications. He's also the author of the book Missing from the Village, which is about Toronto based serial killer Bruce MacArthur and has hosted two seasons of the Uncover Podcast for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Today, Justin dives into a story he wrote in April, 2021 titled "The Rise and Fall of a Double Agent". It's the story of Cameron Ortis, a senior member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who was arrested after a classified document was found in the possession of a businessman providing encrypted phones to criminal organizations worldwide.
Connect with Justin:
substack.com/@justinling
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Whale Hunting Newsletter
Read about the world's richest and most dangerous individuals, often unknown to the public.
SLNT
Protect your data and devices. Use code SPYCRAFT101 to save 10% off your order.
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

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

132. Noel Field: Stalin's Last American Spy with Kati Marton Jan 29, 2024

Show notes

This week, Justin sits down with Kati Marton. Kati is an author, journalist, and correspondent who has worked with National Public Radio and later ABC News, where she was the Bureau Chief in Germany. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Times of London, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, and many other publications. She has also published nine books and has served as an advocate for human rights all over the world, including as the chair of the International Women's Health Coalition and on the board of directors for the International Rescue Committee. I invited Kati onto the podcast to discuss the story of Noel Field, a State Department Foreign Service officer and devoted communist ideologue, who was part of a Soviet spy network inside the U.S. government in the years leading up to World War II. Noel ultimately suffered tremendous consequences for his role as a spy, but not as a result of a trial in the U.S. Instead, despite his unfailing loyalty to the communist party, he spent years in a Hungarian prison as a suspected double agent.
Connect with Kati:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kati_Marton
Check out Kati's book, True Believer, here.
https://www.amazon.com/True-Believer-Stalins-Last-American/dp/1476763763
Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

131. A Bombing in Sheridan Circle with Alan McPherson Jan 22, 2024

Show notes

This week Justin chats with Dr. Alan McPherson. Alan is a historian of U.S. foreign relations at Temple University and the director of the Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy. He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his M.A. in history from San Francisco State University. He has also published 11 books and dozens of articles on U. S. foreign relations, particularly regarding Latin America. Today Alan discusses a story which culminates in a bombing in Washington, D.C. in September 1976, which took the lives of two people and wounded a third. The perpetrators were linked to the government of General Augusto Pinochet and to the Central Intelligence Agency.
Connect with Alan:
X/Twitter: @AlanMcPherson1
Check out his book, Ghosts of the Sheridan Circle, here.

https://www.amazon.com/Ghosts-Sheridan-Circle-Washington-Assassination-ebook/dp/B07NMVXD24

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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