Alex Grant on John Vassall: the neglected 1960s spy scandal

Biteback Chats Books

English - January 31, 2024 17:30 - 26 minutes - 36.1 MB
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Alex Grant is a writer, researcher and lecturer specialising in politics, biography and modern history. Having been a journalist in Parliament and a Labour councillor in Greenwich for sixteen years, he writes with great insight into the British establishment.

He is the author of the new John Vassall biography, Sex, Spies and Scandal. Vassall’s story is one of intrigue: in the 1960s while working in Moscow, he was blackmailed into espionage after Soviet spies trapped him in compromising positions. For seven years, Vassall traded secrets. In 1962, he was arrested and imprisoned.

In this episode, we discuss Vassall’s character and suitability for espionage, plus some more contemporary reflections on the LGBTQ+ element of the story. Also, catch who Alex thinks would make a good Vassall in a biopic!

Get your copy of Sex, Spies and Scandal here:

https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/sex-spies-and-scandal

Music

Funkorama by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3788-funkorama

Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/