Espionage
76 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 2K ratingsNot all spies look like James Bond and Ethan Hunt. Most of them look like ordinary people, which makes them all the more dangerous... So what does it really take to be a spy? Every week, we cover a real-life spy mission: the stakes, the deception, the gadgets, and how it changed the course of history. Each two-part series follows one mission of a historic spy, and if they made it out alive. Espionage is a Spotify Original from Parcast.
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Episodes
Introducing: Impostors
May 03, 2021 07:01 - 11 minutesWayne Simmons had a dramatic 27-year career with the CIA taking down cartels and busting arms smugglers — or did he? The ex-CIA military analyst and cable news star stands accused of being a fraud. Hosted by the reporter who broke the story, Impostors follows the investigation into who Wayne Simmons really is… Hero, or conman? Impostors is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Produced by Topic Studios and Transmitter Media. Hosted by Alex French.
Welcome to Hollywood Scandals
April 19, 2021 07:01 - 38 minutesThis awards season, pull back the curtain on Tinseltown’s most infamous controversies in the new Spotify Original from Parcast, Hollywood Scandals. You can hear the first episode on Hollywood’s sordid beginnings right here, then follow Hollywood Scandals for an episode every Monday. Listen free, only on Spotify!
A Bram Stoker Classic from Haunted Places: Ghost Stories
February 25, 2021 08:01 - 31 minutesDracula wasn’t the only frightful fiction conjured by Irish author Bram Stoker… In this retelling of “The Judge’s House,” a Cambridge student is overcome with curiosity — then dread — as he faces an evil man’s terrifying legacy. Listen to Part 1 right here, then search “Haunted Places: Ghost Stories” to hear Part 2, when the Judge himself comes calling… Haunted Places: Ghost Stories is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Every Thursday, find a new tale of terror from some of history’s greatest ...
New Limited Series: Criminal Couples
February 01, 2021 08:01 - 1 minuteThis season, “L” stands for love… and lawless… and lethal. Beginning February 1st, uncover history’s most infamous couples in this collection of episodes from across Parcast Network. Follow the misdeeds of married mafiosos. Enter the transgressions of casanova cult leaders. And demystify the lives of coupled kingpins, pirates, and spies… Because in this limited series, romance takes a sharp turn into the radical. Get a preview of Criminal Couples right here, then search “Criminal Couples” t...
Blind Dating: Finding Love on a Podcast
December 07, 2020 08:01 - 20 minutesYou know you can find love in a bar… on an app… Why not a podcast? Every week on Blind Dating, one hopeful single is introduced to two potential matches in a virtual hangout — no cameras allowed. This week, listen in as Pauler, a 33-year-old dancer from Australia, meets a tutor who falls for mama’s boys and a one-time swinger who’s “lived and learned” in LA. Is personality enough to spark a lasting connection? Listen to find out… and don’t miss the twist at the end! Blind Dating is free on Sp...
Espionage Now Exclusively on Spotify!
May 08, 2020 07:01 - 1 minuteYou can find all past and future episodes of Espionage exclusively on Spotify! And best of all, they’re free! Just download the Spotify app and simply type “Espionage” in the search bar to start listening. No payment is required! Follow Espionage only on Spotify to get new episodes as soon as they come out every Friday!
Espionage: Whistleblowers Special, Exclusively on Spotify!
May 04, 2020 07:01 - 1 minuteWhistleblowers are often prosecuted under the Espionage Act of 1917...but they’re far from your average spy. These operatives see injustice, and decide to act—whatever the consequences. Starting May 8th, Espionage’s six-part Whistleblowers special will be airing weekly, streaming exclusively on Spotify.
Christopher Boyce and Andrew Daulton Lee Pt. 2
May 01, 2020 07:01 - 49 minutesDuring the 1970s, California-bred spies Christopher Boyce and Andrew Daulton Lee found themselves knee-deep in espionage for the Soviet Union. Two years and several hundred vodka shots later, the mistakes started to pile up... and the authorities started to catch on.
Sneak Peek: DAILY QUOTE, A Parcast Original Series!
April 26, 2020 07:01 - 3 minutesWhether you’re jumpstarting the morning, searching for that midday pick-me-up, or trying to finish the evening off strong… Daily Quote offers some of history’s most inspirational quotes whenever you need them—365 days a year. In this 2-3 minute podcast, you’ll be given a quote that will motivate, uplift, and renew your outlook on life. You’ll also dive deeper into the context surrounding the quote—learning more about its origin and the meaning behind it. Enjoy this sneak peek of Daily Quote ...
NEW: Christopher Boyce and Andrew Daulton Lee Pt. 1
April 24, 2020 07:01 - 41 minutesWe are thrilled to bring you a brand new episode of Espionage today and for the foreseeable future. We thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time. During the Cold War, Californian 20-something Christopher Boyce got a job at a defense plant. Before long, he and his drug dealer, Andrew Daulton Lee, had discovered just how easy it was to sell American secrets to the Soviet Union.
George Washington’s Spies Pt. 2
April 17, 2020 07:01 - 49 minutesHis spy network would become America’s first official spy agency. But before the end of the Revolution, George Washington’s Culper Ring would need to use every espionage tactic in the book to capture the most notorious traitor in American history: General Benedict Arnold.
George Washington’s Spies Pt. 1
April 10, 2020 07:01 - 46 minutesBefore he became President George Washington in 1789...he was the spymaster. The first spy agency was founded during the American Revolution by General Washington to gather intelligence on the British. The techniques developed by his "Culper Ring" laid the foundations for modern espionage.
Introducing SUPERNATURAL WITH ASHLEY FLOWERS, A Parcast Original Series!
April 08, 2020 07:01 - 15 minutesJoin Parcast and Crime Junkie’s Ashley Flowers as they dive deep into the strange and surreal to explain some of the world’s most bizarre true crime occurrences in the new series, Supernatural with Ashley Flowers. Every Wednesday, Ashley digs into a different mystifying crime—where the most fitting theory isn’t always the most conventional. Was there a special committee formed under President Truman to recover and investigate alien spacecraft? Sort through the details with Ashley and decide ...
Parcast Classic: Giacomo Casanova Pt. 1
April 03, 2020 07:01 - 48 minutesDue to the unfortunate spread of COVID-19, Parcast has decided to halt recording for the time-being. This is a precautionary measure taken to ensure the safety of our hosts and staff. In the meantime, we're excited to share one of our classic episodes that we know you'll enjoy! In the 1700s, the Venetian State Inquisitors arrested anyone they deemed a security threat: Spies. Blasphemers. Gamblers. Social climbers. Anyone who upset the traditional order. All of these traits applied to Giacomo...
Marie Chilver Pt. 2
March 27, 2020 07:01 - 46 minutes“Agent Fifi” was a central part of Britain’s SOE training program during the 1940s, with new recruits having to take her test before they were released into the field. And Chilver’s tests were thorough.
Marie Chilver Pt. 1
March 20, 2020 07:01 - 44 minutesKnown as “Special Agent Fifi,” British agent Marie Chilver was a smart, beautiful woman—and an expert at coaxing secrets out of unsuspecting targets. In the midst of World War II, that was just the kind of person the newly formed Special Operations Executive needed.
Pearl Witherington Cornioley Pt. 2
March 13, 2020 07:01 - 40 minutesIn 1944, Pearl Nicholson lead her squad of resistance fighters into the Gitanes Forest in France to attack retreating Nazi units before they could reach Germany. Her successful sabotage missions would secure her place among the legends of British spy history.
Pearl Witherington Cornioley Pt. 1
March 06, 2020 08:01 - 41 minutesIn 1943, 29-year-old Pearl Nicholson parachuted into France to lead a small band of resistance fighters in sabotaging the Nazi invasion. She was a member of the Special Operations Executive, a British spy network on the continent that operated at the height of World War II. Pearl's career would bring her to the brink of death as the Nazis closed in on the resistance.
Harold “Jim” Nicholson Pt. 2
February 28, 2020 08:01 - 39 minutesIn July 1997, 46-year-old Jim Nicholson was admitted to the Federal Correctional Institution in Sheridan. Although he was locked up, Jim’s desire to work with the Russians was far from over. Even from behind bars, Jim was looking for ways to reach his contacts in the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service, or SVR, without U.S. interference.
Espionage Rewind: Alan Turing Pt. 1
February 23, 2020 08:01 - 56 minutesOn the last Sunday of every month, Parcast Rewind replays a classic episode of Espionage that you might have missed! One of the most important figures in World War II wasn’t a military commander or a powerful statesman: he was a mathematician. From a secretive mansion 50 miles north of London, Alan Turing and his fellow cryptanalysts broke the codes that led the Allies to victory.
Harold “Jim” Nicholson Pt. 1
February 21, 2020 08:01 - 45 minutesIn 1994, 43-year-old Jim Nicholson was a bona fide U.S. intelligence star. But a series of challenges in Jim’s personal life led him to sell top-secret U.S. intelligence secrets to the Russian spy service, the Service of the Russian Federation. His betrayal would put countless American lives at risk.
Duško Popov Pt. 2
February 14, 2020 08:01 - 51 minutesWhile on assignment in America, he secured information that could have stopped Pearl Harbor—but his efforts were thwarted by the FBI’s politics of suspicion. As Duško Popov returned to Europe and his Nazi spymasters, he had to work harder than ever before to keep his cover intact—and ensure that D-Day happened.
Duško Popov Pt. 1
February 07, 2020 08:01 - 49 minutesHe was recruited by both Germany’s Abwehr and Britain’s MI6, cementing himself as one of World War II’s foremost double-agents. Promptly after Duško Popov started his life as a spy, he was given information that could have stopped Pearl Harbor.
Morris and Lona Cohen Pt. 2
January 31, 2020 08:01 - 44 minutesAfter the success of their atomic mission in 1945, Morris and Lona Cohen’s work was far from over and the USSR wanted more intel. The FBI, meanwhile, wanted them behind bars...
Espionage Rewind: Henri Dericourt Pt. 1
January 26, 2020 08:01 - 54 minutesOn the last Sunday of every month, Parcast Rewind replays a classic episode of Espionage that you might have missed! Born in 1909, Henri Dericourt went from quiet beginnings in a small hamlet northeast of Paris, to working his way to the center of one of the most consequential clandestine operations in WW2.
Morris and Lona Cohen Pt. 1
January 24, 2020 08:01 - 43 minutesIn 1945, American activists Morris and Lona Cohen provided the Soviet Union with a complete diagram and description of the atomic bomb, expediting the development of Russia’s own A-bomb and giving them a substantial advantage during the Cold War.
Sidney Reilly Pt. 2
January 17, 2020 08:01 - 49 minutesSidney Reilly had escaped the clutches of the Soviet secret police before, but his mission wasn't complete. He would need to create a new alias for himself to return to Russia, even if it meant risking his entire career.
Sidney Reilly Pt. 1
January 10, 2020 08:01 - 59 minutesHe was a British intelligence agent who was the inspiration behind Ian Fleming’s fictional spy James Bond. Sidney Reilly traveled the world on covert missions, but his womanizing, gambling, and lavish lifestyle were what made him a legend in the world of spycraft.
Best of 2019: Aldrich Ames Pt. 2
January 03, 2020 08:01 - 52 minutesHere’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: Despite his below-average job performance and his secret work as a soviet spy, Aldrich “Rick” Ames managed to keep his CIA position well into the 1960s. In the hunt for their elusive mole, the Agency was battling against their own inefficiency and ineptitude.
Best of 2019: Aldrich Ames Pt. 1
December 27, 2019 08:01 - 50 minutesHere’s one of our listeners’ most requested episodes of 2019: He was a chronic underachiever—lazy, reckless, alcoholic, and barely hanging on to his desk job at the CIA in the 1960s. But all of these flaws made Aldrich Ames perfectly suited for a new career: leaking state secrets to the KGB.
Jeffrey Dahmer Special Pt. 3
December 23, 2019 08:10 - 50 minutesParcast Exclusive! DAHMER: A SERIAL KILLERS 3-PART SPECIAL While on probation after an early release from prison in March of 1990, Jeffrey Dahmer continued his wave of sadistic violence. A chance event would finally lead to his arrest, and a media spectacle would bring Dahmer to the masses.
Jeffrey Dahmer Special Pt. 2
December 23, 2019 08:05 - 41 minutesParcast Exclusive! DAHMER: A SERIAL KILLERS 3-PART SPECIAL It was a murderous rampage that could have possibly been stopped. Although Jeffrey Dahmer failed numerous times to turn his life around, his multi-year killing spree also went ignored by his family, neighbors, sentencing judges, and court-appointed therapists.
Jeffrey Dahmer Special Pt. 1
December 23, 2019 08:01 - 38 minutesParcast Exclusive! DAHMER: A SERIAL KILLERS 3-PART SPECIAL You know the name, but do you know the whole story? Jeffrey Dahmer—one of history’s most notorious serial killers, and our most requested episode, is now the subject of an exclusive 3-part special event. You can now listen to all 3 episodes within SERIAL KILLERS, and all of Parcast’s true-crime related feeds. He was one of the most infamous serial killers of the 20th century, murdering 17 young men between 1978 and 1991 through a va...
East German Spy Tech
December 20, 2019 08:01 - 50 minutesDuring the Cold War, East Germany’s state security service was the Ministry for State Security—later known as the Stasi. Their creative spy technologies would make them famous, inventing gadgets such as button and pen cameras.
Walter Schellenberg Pt. 2
December 13, 2019 08:01 - 51 minutesHe had the trust of the top Nazi powerbrokers but was also starting to doubt the Party’s ability to win its war. Walter Schellenberg needed to plan an exit strategy.
Walter Schellenberg Pt. 1
December 06, 2019 08:01 - 51 minutesShrewd and calculating, Walter Schellenberg wasted no time in climbing his way through the ranks to become the head of all foreign intelligence in Nazi Germany. His understanding of subterfuge and his relationships with some of the most dangerous men in the world boosted his ascent to the top.
Listen First! SPORTS CRIMINALS, A Parcast Original Series!
November 24, 2019 08:01 - 16 minutesThey’re sport’s greatest heroes… displaying superhuman-like abilities to overcome intense pressure. But when it comes to the downfalls of fame, money, and ego—they’re far more human than super. Every Thursday, Parcast’s original series SPORTS CRIMINALS keeps score on the darker side of sports. Each episode chronicles the meteoric rise and fall of some of sport’s biggest names. Enjoy this exclusive clip from the first of two captivating episodes on disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding. To fi...
Mata Hari
November 22, 2019 08:01 - 56 minutesFrom her experience as an exotic dancer in the early 1900s, Mata Hari was used to moving amongst powerful men and switching into whatever persona suited the situation. But when WWI struck Europe, her overtly sexual, international lifestyle started to look very suspicious to the French.
Bernard Boursicot Pt. 2
November 15, 2019 08:01 - 49 minutesWilling to do anything for his lover, Shi Pei Pu, and their young son—Bernard Boursicot would even go as far as betraying his own country. But as the authorities closed in on them by the 1980s, Bernard realized he wasn’t the only one capable of betrayal.
Listen First! MYTHICAL MONSTERS, A Parcast Original Series!
November 13, 2019 08:01 - 15 minutesDragons, serpents, giants, and demons… they aren't merely foils to a hero. They are primal symbols reflecting ancient truths. The Parcast original series, MYTHICAL MONSTERS, tells the stories of these legendary beasts, and explores what they represent to mankind. New episodes released every Monday. And now you can hear a special clip from the episode on the demonically-menacing Gargoyle. To finish this episode, subscribe to MYTHICAL MONSTERS free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcast...
Bernard Boursicot Pt. 1
November 08, 2019 08:01 - 46 minutesA Chinese opera singer and a french diplomat fell in love in 1960s China—and to protect that love, Bernard Boursicot began spying for the Chinese government. But Shi Pei Pu had secrets of her own...
Par for the History: POLITICAL SCANDALS, A Parcast Original Series!
November 03, 2019 07:01 - 12 minutesEvery Tuesday leading up to the 2020 election, POLITICAL SCANDALS counts down the 52 most controversial events in American history—uncovering the crimes and deceptions by some of our most infamous elected officials. And now you can hear a special clip from the first episode on the cutthroat circumstances surrounding the election of 1800. To finish this episode, subscribe to POLITICAL SCANDALS free on Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Vasili Mitrokhin Pt. 2
November 01, 2019 07:01 - 45 minutesAfter retiring from the KGB in 1984, Vasili Mitrokhin had a new challenge: escape the Soviet Union and expose some of the dark secrets the KGB was desperate to keep hidden.
Vasili Mitrokhin Pt. 1
October 25, 2019 07:01 - 50 minutesRussia. 1972. Explore why Vasili Mitrokhin switched from spying for the Soviet Union to spying on them, and how he secretly copied and smuggled thousands of documents right out from under the KGB’s nose.
Listen First! VILLAINS, A Parcast Original Series!
October 22, 2019 07:01 - 18 minutesBad guys. Black hats. Evildoers. They are the bane of every hero’s existence…and the subject of Parcast’s dastardly new original series, VILLAINS. Every Friday, VILLAINS dissects the greatest foils from history and fiction—uncovering origins, analyzing impacts, and exploring the complexity of character and motive. In this clip, we explore the creation of an iconic, modern-day psychopath of the silver screen—Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men. To finish this episode, subscribe to VILL...
Morten Storm Pt. 2
October 18, 2019 07:01 - 52 minutesAlthough he risked his life to catch some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists, when push came to shove, Morten Storm knew the CIA didn’t have his back. So in late 2011, with enemies on all sides, Morten is forced to choose between his personal safety and sharing his story.
Bonus: Today In True Crime - Arlis Kay Perry
October 13, 2019 07:01 - 13 minutesOn this day in 1974, 19-year-old newlywed Arlis Kay Perry was murdered inside Stanford Memorial Church.
Morten Storm Pt. 1
October 11, 2019 07:01 - 53 minutesAfter becoming disillusioned with his Muslim faith’s more radical aspects, former Danish criminal Morten Storm started working for Danish intelligence services—becoming one of the most valuable spies in the War on Terror.
Benedict Arnold Pt. 2: West Point
October 04, 2019 07:01 - 1 hourWith his new post at West Point, American turncoat Benedict Arnold plots to hand over the fort over to British general Henry Clinton. But Arnold's trust in the wrong people, and careless tradecraft, leads to his undoing. And the loss of his potentially lucrative payout.
Benedict Arnold Pt. 1: Turncoat
September 27, 2019 07:01 - 1 hourAs the War for Independence waged on, American General Benedict Arnold struggled to cope with increasing financial debt and injury. He had taken massive loans to marry the beautiful Peggy Shippen, and received a bullet in the leg in battle. Feeling disrespected, Arnold, with the whisper of his loyalist wife in his ear, decides that perhaps he could spy for the British. And in the process, make enough money to pay off his debts.