Spybrary Spy Podcast

40: Vote in the Spybrary Shelf of Fame!

What are your favorite Spy Books? Spybrary is holding a vote for the Spybrary Shelf of Fame, choose from over 100 spy books suggested by our listeners Spybrary needs you to vote for your favorite Spy novels. What Spy Books would make your shelf of fame? Spybrarian in Chief – Jeff Quest of SpyWrite canvassed Spybrary listeners for their 5 favorite spy books. He has channeled his inner ‘Connie Sachs’ to index the hundreds of spy book suggestions and categorize them as follows:   – Pre-C...

39: Spybrary at Spy Con 2018

On Episode 39, Spybrary Spy Podcast host Shane Whaley brings you interviews from the inaugural Spy Con. Shane caught up with former Spybrary Podcast guests Lt Col Michael Brady (author of Into the Shadows) and Matthew Kresal. He also got to chat Ian Fleming books with RC Layton who owns over 400 Ian Fleming related 007 books and James Strickland the owner of several James Bond tribute cars. Shane talks about his experience on various Spy Con panels including defending John le Carre on the...

38: Soviet Spies in...Canada with Joyce Wayne

And now for something completely different. A spy story that is not set in Berlin, DC, London or Moscow but in Ottawa, Canada of all places. On Episode 38 of the Spybrary Spy Podcast author Joyce Wayne reveals more about her novel 'Last Night of the World'.   'On a hot Ottawa night in August 1945, Soviet agent Freda Linton’s world is about to fall apart. She’s spent the war infiltrating the highest levels of the Canadian government as an undercover operative for the fledging Canadian Com...

37: Restless by William Boyd Review

  On Episode 31, Professor Penny Fielding of Edinburgh University (and organiser of Edinburgh spy week) told Spybrary listeners that she felt the spy novel with the most convincing female characters is Restless by William Boyd.     Spybrary podcast listener Clarissa Aykroyd has some well documented issues on the portrayal females in spy books.  She loves the work of John le Carre and admits that even his female characters are pretty thin. So she sought out Restless and very kindly br...

36 Michael Smith - No Man Dies Twice

Former Intelligence Expert and Journalist Michael Smith talks to Spybrary about his debut fiction novel No Man Dies Twice. English journalist Michael Smith (Killer Elite and Foley the Spy Who Saved 10,000 Jews) has penned his first ever fiction novel. On this our 36th episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast, host Shane Whaley talks to Smith about his new book, what jobs he carried out working for British Intelligence, what he did at the BBC Monitoring Service and what spy fiction he enjoys rea...

35: The Wende Museum Review

Its time to party like its 1989 on this edition of the Spybrary Spy Podcast. Spybrarian Gary Dexter recently visited the Wende Museum and has transmitted his brush pass review of the Wende Museum for fellow Spy and Cold War Fans. Gary reveals why the Wende Museum is a must visit for Spybrarians. The Mission of the Wende Museum: Preserve, Inspire, Explore The mission of the Wende Museum is to preserve Cold War art, culture, and history from the Soviet Bloc countries, inspire a broad und...

34: Mick Herron interview - London Rules and Slough House

  Spybrary Podcast: Episode 34 With Author MICK HERRON!   In this very special episode of the Spybrary Podcast, Shane turns the mic over to special agent David Craggs (from Episode 23) who interviews award-winning British author Mick Herron about his Slough House spy series. Often called ‘the heir to John le Carré,’ Herron’s popularity and critical acclaim has been (rightly) gathering momentum over the past several years. Spybrary is thrilled to bring you this special one-on-one inte...

33: Yesterday's Spy by Len Deighton

Yesterday's Spy by Len Deighton is the subject of our Brush Pass Review. Listen in to this bite size review from Spybrary contributor Agent Palmer.

32: John Le Carre and the Cold War with Toby Manning

About John Le Carre and the Cold War Toby Manning recently published his work which critically examines John Le Carre and the Cold War. Toby joins Shane Whaley on the Spybrary Spy Podcast to tell us more.

31: Edinburgh Spy Week 2018 with Penny Fielding

On Episode 32 of the Spybrary Spy Podcast, host Shane Whaley discovers more about Edinburgh Spy Week 2018 with one of the organisers, Professor Penny Fielding. Penny reveals a stellar line up of speakers  who will be starring at the fifth Edinburgh Spy Week.  Can't make Edinburgh? This interview is still worth listening to you as Shane finds out more about Prof Fielding's love for spy literature and movies. It’s fun being a podcaster. I just got to chat for over an hour with an English Lit...

30: All About Spy Con with Matt from BondFanEvents

Billed as 'Spy Con celebrates espionage and Spy Fiction in all media from literature to television and film. Come be a special agent for the weekend!' Spybrary Host Shane Whaley was keen to find out more, so he got chatting with one of the organizers of Spy Con Matt Sherman who was kind enough to come on the podcast to share more with our listeners.   On this episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast, Matt reveals more about the first ever Spy Con, including who is lined up to speak and what...

29:Interview with Thriller Author Tim Stevens

Thriller Author Tim Stevens, the man behind the John Purkiss books talks to Spybrary Today we are joined by a spy author who Jeremy Duns says ‘should be as well known as Lee Child.' Spywrite.com and Spybrary contributor Jeff Quest also gives our guests'  first spy novel 'Ratcatcher' a big thumbs up. (Hear Jeff talk about his favourite spy novels on Episode 008 of the Spybrary Spy Podcast.) The author is Mr Tim Stevens who joins us today to talk about his main spy character John Purkiss...

28: From Markus Wolf to Joseph Kanon - Dead Drop 5

Are you ready for our second installment of DEAD DROP 5? Today’s guest is no stranger to East Germany. He is deep under cover, embedded in Communist East Berlin, he has asked his SIS handler to leave him 5 of his favorite spy books in their dead drop location in the Friedrichshain park. Ian Sanders of the Manchester Military History Society has been reading spy books for many years and has written almost 400 reviews on military,cold war and espionage books on goodreads.  Today he is goin...

27: The Exphoria Code

Spybrary Brush Pass: Agent Jeff Quest shares his thoughts on Antony Johnston's The Exphoria Code Tune in to episode 27 of the Spybrary Podcast at hear what Spybrarian Jeff Quest had to to say about The Exphoria Code and why you might want to give it a go. What is The Exphoria Code all about then? Official blurb... “Very possibly the definitive espionage thriller of the early 21st century” – Alan Moore Brigitte Sharp, a cyber-espionage specialist with MI6, has been deskbound and in th...

26: The Ghost: The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton Review

Spybrary Brush Pass: The Ghost: The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton   Spybrarian Matthew Kresal shares his brush pass review on The Ghost: The Secret Life of CIA Spymaster James Jesus Angleton by Jefferson Morley which has recently been published. According to Tim Weiner, author of Legacy of Ashes -The History of the CIA 'The Ghost' is.. "The best book ever written about the strangest CIA chief who ever lived." - Listen to today's episode of Spybrary and hear wha...

25: The Lebensborn Spy with Christopher McIntosh

On Episode 25 of the Spybrary Spy Podcast, host Shane Whaley talks to author Christopher McIntosh about his cold war spy thriller 'The Lebensborn Spy' What is the Lebensborn Spy all about then? 'The Lebensborn Spy is a novel based on a real situation during the Cold War, in which former inmates of the Nazi Lebensborn maternity and children's homes were used as spies by the East German intelligence service. The story involves one such spy, who goes to Denmark to carry out espionage for th...

London Spy Tours with Brian Gray of the Intelligence Trail

Brian Gray of the Sunday Spy Show talks to us about his London Spy Tours and much much more! Ever wondered what its like to go on a London Spy Tour? Today we learn more about the Intelligence Trail's London Spy Tours. Spy Tours are becoming very popular with spy aficionados, both with those who enjoy the fictional spy books of James Bond or Tom Clancy right through to impressive non fiction spy writing from the likes of Nigel West and Ben MacIntyre. Many of us want to check out the loc...

From Modesty Blaise to Mick Herron on Dead Drop 5

Today we launch a new series for Spybrary, it is called DEAD DROP 5. Today’s guest is deep under cover, behind the wall embedded in Communist East Berlin, he has asked his SIS handler to leave him 5 of his favorite spy books in their dead drop location in the Friedrichshain park. David Craggs has been reading spy books for over 50 years, he is a frequent contributor to the excellent Literary007.com and today he is going to share with us which books he wants deposited in his DEAD DROP 5 ...

22: So what exactly is The Prisoner all about?

We talk all about the British Cult Classic TV show 'The Prisoner' starting Patrick McGoohan on today's  Spybrary Spy Podcast You are a number, but it is not Number 6, you are number 22 as this is the number of this weeks Spybrary Podcast episode. Today we are going to do something a little different. As regular listeners know the reason I cannot put out a weekly show is that I insist on reading the book of a guest before we chat.  I think it makes for a much better conversation, after al...

21: The Bureau Review with Jeremy Duns

20: Go Into the Shadows with Michael Brady

 Into the Shadows – The Fever with Michael Brady Lt Col Michael Brady was an intelligence officer for over 20 years. Find out more about his first spy novel ‘Into the Shadows‘ on the Spybrary Podcast with Host Shane Whaley. This is the story of Michael Brennan, a career CIA non-official cover (NOC) intelligence officer and his quest to identify and disrupt a plot crafted by the Islamic State terror group. After Michael travels to Israel and meets with Israeli intelligence, he partners wit...

Running Blind – Desmond Bagley Review

Legacy of Spies -John Le Carre

An Evening with John Le Carre -Field Report

Barry Lancet and The Spy Across The Table

Author Barry Lancet reveals how an approach by a Soviet spy to recruit him inspired his 4th Jim Brodie book The Spy Across The Table published by Simon and Schuster.

Mike Ripley author of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Collecting Spy Books – Jeff’s secrets declassified!

Goodbye To An Old Friend - Brian Freemantle

Goodbye to an Old Friend 'Brush Pass' Review Goodbye to an Old Friend is the first novel written by Charlie Muffin creator Brian Freemantle. He wrote this book on his daily commute to and from work.  Spybrary Host Shane Whaley is a huge fan of Charlie Muffin so he decided to give Freemantle's debut spy novel a go. This is the first 'Brush Pass' episode on Spybrary. The aim of this format is to share our thoughts on a spy book or movie straight after finishing the last page of the novel o...

Becoming Bond – The George Lazenby Story

Jeremy Duns -Spy Reader Meet Spy Author

Charlie Muffin by Brian Freemantle – Spybrary Round Table

Summer of Spies with the Telegraph’s Jake Kerridge

Spywrite’s Jeff Quest talks about his favorite Spy books

Ian Fleming and the Books of Bond

George Smiley and Call for the Dead

Roger Moore Remembered 'For Your Ears Only' -Special Episode

Roger Moore Remembered 'For Your Ears Only' -Special Episode Sir Roger Moore, actor, UNICEF Ambassador, author and father passed away this week. This is the episode of Spybrary we never wanted to record. Spybrary host Shane Whaley and author Jeffrey Westhoff, two guys from opposite sides of the Atlantic who ruined many a school photo with their 'Roger Moore' eyebrow impressions fondly talk about why they are massive fans of Sir Roger Moore's work. (That lucky Jeffrey even got to interview...

The Spy Who was Left in the Cold - Jack Barsky part 2

Jack Barsky, the ex KGB undercover spy continues to share with us his story of life as a Russian Spy in the USA with Spy Podcast Spybrary Listen to Part 2 of our interview and learn: Which national figure did the KGB want Barksy to get close to and spy on? How did Jack Barsky cope with the loneliness of being a spy? Was Barsky afraid of getting caught? How did he communicate with Moscow Center? Why did the KGB put him on a Concorde? What instructions did the KGB give Barksy if h...

Jack Barsky, ex KGB undercover agent talks about his life as a spy! (Part 1)

Talking spy fiction with Author Jeffrey Westhoff

On this weeks Spybrary, author Jeffrey Westhoff talks to host Shane Whaley about his spy book 'The Boy Who Knew Too Much' and shares with us his thoughts on the spy genre and how he interviewed 5 of the actors who played James Bond 007

All about Len Deighton with Deighton Dossier’s Rob Mallows