SPYCRAFT 101 - Justin Black

Latest Episodes:

21. Highly Unusual Friendship: The Bond between a CIA Case Officer and a KGB Agent with Eric Dezenhall Oct 18, 2021

Show notes

Today, hear from author, crisis manager, and public relations expert Eric Dezenhall about one of the strangest friendships in Cold War history. Jack Platt and Gennady Vasilenko forged a strong brotherly connection despite their respective loyalties to the CIA and the KGB. They shared a love of shooting and a thirst for adventure, but one of their greatest feats is revealing the FBI's most notorious double agent: Robert Hanssen. Listen to hear stories of Jack and Gennady's misadventures and what it took to bring down one of the worst spies in history.
Connect with Eric:
dezbooks.net
Buy Eric's book, Best of Enemies, here or here on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Best-Enemies-Last-Great-Story/dp/1538761319
Connect with Spycraft 101:
IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Buy the book: here on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628473373&sr=1-2

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/spycraft101)

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20. The True Story of the Poison Gun and the KGB Defector with Dr. Serhii Plokhy Oct 04, 2021

Show notes

Today, Dr. Serhii Plokhy shares the story of KGB assassin Bogdan Stashinsky. Stashinsky is best known for assassinating a man on a bridge using a gun that contained a poison pellet as opposed to a bullet, ultimately killing his target in a way that appeared to be natural causes. Following his defection, his case involved a highly publicized assassination trial in 1962. Thanks to his honesty, Soviet leaders were finally implicated in many of the killings they had ordered and the KGB was put under pressure to reform their cruel tactics.
Check out Dr. Plokhy's book, The Man with the Poison Gun, here.
https://www.amazon.com/Man-Poison-Gun-Cold-Story/dp/0465035906/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Connect with Spycraft 101:
IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Buy the book: here on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628473373&sr=1-2

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19. Licensed to Kill: The Couple that Inspired James Bond with Dr. Richard Wooldridge Sep 28, 2021

Show notes

It's Mason, Peter Mason. Today, guest Dr. Richard Wooldridge dives into the interesting lives of talented MI6 agents Prudence and Peter Mason. Part of a specialized unit called the Baker Team that sought to even the score with war criminals who had faced no repercussions following World War II, Peter Mason was literally licensed by the British government to kill. Speculation suggests that Peter--who knew Ian Fleming himself--is the chief inspiration for the most famous fictional intelligence agent in our cultural lexicon: James Bond. And what about Prudence? Despite a slim information available, we know she played a formative part in many missions abroad (in high-stakes locations like British Palestine) thanks to her impressive linguistic skills.
Check out the Combined Military Services Museum, founded by Dr. Wooldridge, here.
https://cmsm.co.uk/
Connect with Spycraft 101:
IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Buy the book: here on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628473373&sr=1-2

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18. KGB Agent to US Informant: Nikolai Khokhlov Sep 20, 2021

Show notes

Today, Justin tells the story of former KGB officer Nikolai Evgenievich Khokhlov. Starting his career as a vaudeville performer before being recruited by pre-KGB Russian intelligence, Nikolai was highly skilled, and lived an incredible life. Hear all about his story from assassinating world leaders to testifying about the true cruelty of the KGB on national television.
Connect with Spycraft 101:
IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Buy the book: here on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628473373&sr=1-2

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17. 9/11 and Beyond with Toby Harnden Sep 13, 2021

Show notes

Today, author and journalist Toby Harnden provides timely reflection on the events leading up to and following the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center. Hear unique details on the CIA mission launched to avenge those lost, as well as an interesting comparison between the current state of global politics and the very beginning of the war on terror.
Connect with Toby:
www.tobyharnden.com
Twitter: @tobyharnden
Check out Toby's book, First Casualty: The Untold Story of the CIA Mission to Avenge 9/11, here.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RYQY1KQ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
Connect with Spycraft 101:
IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Buy the book: here on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628473373&sr=1-2

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16. An NSA Agent Abroad with Dr. Eric Haseltine Sep 06, 2021

Show notes

In this episode, Dr. Eric Haseltine (self-proclaimed neuroscientist gone bad) tells the story of NSA agent Charles Gandy. Gandy was part of an uncharacteristic collaboration between the CIA and the NSA to find out what was happening in Cold War-era Moscow. Secret information was constantly ending up in Soviet hands, and assets were compromised left and right. It's a true tale of American hubris (and psychology) Haseltine believes we can learn from today. There may be people out there who are smarter than we are--and have better tech. Instead of ignoring or laughing off these threats, it's imperative to investigate and prepare.
Connect with Dr. Haseltine:
www.drhaseltine.com
Check out Dr. Hasletine's book, The Spy in Moscow Station, here.
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Moscow-Station-Counterspys-Deadly/dp/125078137X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Connect with Spycraft 101:
IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Buy the book: here on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628473373&sr=1-2

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15. Shadows of the Cold War: A Murder Investigation with Fred Burton Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

This week, Fred Burton shares details on the Cold War-era murder of an Israeli diplomat, Colonel Joe Alon, in the US. Fred is a former special agent and current executive director for the center for protective intelligence at ONTIC. Hear him share his personal connections to the case as well as what it took to finally solve who pulled the trigger.
Connect with Fred:
officialfredburton.com
Twitter: @fred_burton
IG: @officialfredburton
Fred's book, Chasing Shadows here on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Shadows-Special-Lifelong-Assassin/dp/0230620558
Connect with Spycraft 101:
IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Buy the book: here on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628473373&sr=1-2

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.

14. The Despondent Rise and Joyful Fall of the Berlin Wall with Helena Merriman Aug 23, 2021

Show notes

This week, Author and BBC reporter Helena Merriman shares the story of the covert construction of the Berlin Wall, and the way it tore families apart. Hear heartbreaking accounts of "orphaned" children whose parents were alive and well on the other side, lovers separated, and the desperate measures East German citizens took in attempts to escape oppression. How many were able to flee?
Helana's book, Tunnel 29: The True Story of an Extraordinary Escape Beneath the Berlin Wall

https://www.amazon.com/Tunnel-29-Extraordinary-Escape-Beneath/dp/1541788842
Connect with Spycraft 101:
IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Buy the book: here on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628473373&sr=1-2

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.

13. From Forest Fires to CIA Resuppliers with Lee Gossett Aug 16, 2021

Show notes

Lee Gossett (friend of Spycraft 101 alumnus Neil Hansen) shares his experience from starting his flight career as a smoke jumper fighting remote forest firs to flying for Air America, the CIA's secret airline, in Laos. Lee shares stories about friends who passed and what it was like flying above Laos and Vietnam. Do you know the difference between hard rice and soft rice? (Hint: one isn't actually rice.)
Check out Lee's book:
Smoke Jumper to Global Pilot: a True Odyssey here.
https://www.amazon.com/Smokejumper-Global-Pilot-True-Odyssey/dp/0578614715
Connect with Spycraft 101:
IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Buy the book: here on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628473373&sr=1-2

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.

12. Life in FBI Counterintelligence with James Gaylord Aug 09, 2021

Show notes

What you do if you found the man responsible for sharing classified Navy secrets with the Chinese government? Former FBI agent James Gaylord shares his story. From covert house searches to arresting Chinese spies at the airport tune in to this episode to hear what it's really like working counterterrorism for the FBI.

Connect with Spycraft 101:
IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101
Buy the book: here on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Shots-Tales-World-Espionage/dp/B09BY3WH71/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1628473373&sr=1-2

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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SPYCRAFT 101 – Justin Black

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