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Justin Black

SPYCRAFT 101

Today's guest is Peggy Wirgau. Peggy is a graduate of Michigan State University and George Mason University. She's an active member of American Christian Fiction Writers, The Historical Novel Society, and The Colorado Authors League. Her debut novel, The Stars in April, was published in 2021. She's also written for Appleseeds, Insight, Learning through History, and more. She's here today to discuss the story of Agent 355, the only female spy from the Culper Ring, which was a network of American colonial spies who operated in and around the New York area during the American revolutions. 

Connect with Peggy:

peggywirgau.com

IG: @peggywirgau

Check out the book, To Outwit Them All, here.

https://a.co/d/8SQpI6u

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com

Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

218. Who Was Agent 355? A Revolutionary Spy Story with Peggy Wirgau

This week Justin talks with Kati Marton. Kati is an author, journalist, and correspondent who has worked with National Public Radio and later with 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's 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. You might remember Kati from her first appearance on the podcast for episode 132 when they discussed her book, True Believer: Stalin's Last American Spy. Now she's back to discuss her own life and family. Kati's parents were journalists in Hungary who were both arrested and imprisoned as spies prior to the 1956 revolution. 

Check out Kati's first appearance in ep 132 here. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1780478/episodes/14395405

Connect with Kati:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kati_Marton
Check out Kati's book, Enemies of the People, here.

https://a.co/d/4XTcC7l

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com

Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

217. Journalists Imprisoned Behind the Iron Curtain with Kati Marton

Today Justin sits down with Laken Pavan. Laken is a 19-year-old student from Vancouver, Canada. In April, 2024, he left Vancouver and traveled to Eastern Ukraine to join a volunteer group there called InterBrigade. Shortly after arriving, he was confronted by agents from the Russian FSB Federal Security Service, who recruited him to work on their behalf gathering information elsewhere in Europe. He first traveled to Denmark and later to Poland, communicating with his handlers online. Laken was arrested not long afterwards in Warsaw and sentenced to 20 months in prison for espionage. He's only recently been released and returned home to Vancouver and is telling his story here now for the first time.

Connect with Laken:

IG: @laken.ca

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com

Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

216. A Canadian Teen Recruited to Spy For Russia with Laken Pavan

Today Justin speaks with Dr. David Tuch. David is a technology entrepreneur and author. His writing uncovers overlooked stories at the intersection of organized crime and espionage. David is originally from New York and has lived in England and France, but now resides in Brookline, Massachusetts with his wife and children. He's here to discuss his new book about Harold Derber, a merchant sailor and radio operator during World War II who was later involved in some of the most pivotal events of the early Cold War and became one of the earliest kingpins of international drug trafficking. 

Connect with David:

davidtuch.com

Check out the book, The Wireless Operator, here.

https://a.co/d/8wTJnqx

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com

Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.
Kruschiki
The best surplus military goods delivered right to your door. Use code SPYCRAFT101 for 10% off!

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

215. From World War II Radio Operator to the OG Drug Kingpin with Dr. David Tuch

Today Justin sits down with Tim Willasey-Wilsey Tim is a visiting professor of War Studies at King's College London, and Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. He served for many years as a foreign office diplomat in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Europe. He has also published numerous articles and reviews in the national and international press, and for academic institutions and think tanks. He's here today to discuss the story of William de Ropp, who successfully earned the trust of members at the highest levels of the Nazi party in the 1930s, including Hitler himself prior to the beginning of World War II.

Connect with Tim:

kcl.ac.uk/people/tim-willasey-wilsey-cmg

Check out the book, The Spy and the Devil, here.

https://a.co/d/3kfZJoK

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com

Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.
Grayman Briefing Classified
Use code GBCSpycraft to save 20% on your subscription.

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

214. The MI6 Spy at the Heart of the Nazi Regime with Tim Willasey-Wilsey

Today Justin speaks with Reality Winner. Reality enlisted in the US Air Force after high school and served as a cryptolinguist assigned to the National Security Agency where she translated audio recordings in Pashtu and Dari from Afghanistan. Following her first enlistment, she was hired as a private contractor working at a different NSA facility in Augusta, Georgia. In June, 2017, she was arrested after leaking a classified report to The Intercept media outlet. Her story became a media sensation, and since then, she has been the subject of a 2021 documentary, as well as two film adaptations released in 2023 and 2024. She's here today to discuss her life, her arrest, and her incarceration, which she wrote about in her new memoir titled, I Am Not Your Enemy.

Connect with Reality:

IG: @reazlepuff 

Check out the book, I Am Not Your Enemy, here.

https://a.co/d/7WPCba5

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com

Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.
Grayman Briefing Classified
Use code GBCSpycraft to save 20% on your subscription.

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

213. Beyond the Leak: Life, Justice, and Redemption with Reality Winner

Today Justin sits down with Jen Gatien. Jen is a filmmaker and producer based in New York City. Some of her film credits include Hound Dog starring Dakota Fanning and Robin Wright, Holy Rollers starring Jesse Eisenberg, and For Ellen starring Paul Dano. In her spare time, Jen serves as a board member on the Lower East Side Girls Club, as well as a volunteer for Pup Stars Dog Rescue and the Mercer Houston Dog Run. She's here to discuss her new documentary film, Men of War, which is debuting this week on streaming video on demand services. It's the story of the Ill-fated Operation Gideon, which took place in May, 2020. A small group of former Army Special Forces soldiers teamed up with Venezuelan rebels to stage a coup against the government of Nicholas Maduro. But the plan went awry immediately and nearly everyone involved was either killed or arrested, which further inflamed tensions between Venezuela and the United States. 

Connect with Jen:

IG: @deerjen

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com

Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Grayman Briefing Classified
Use code GBCSpycraft to save 20% on your subscription.

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

212. Operation Gideon: Inside the Failed Venezuelan Coup with Jen Gatien

Today's episode is another solo episode where Justin shares his own research with you. This time he's talking about Ralph Sigler, a US Army warrant officer, and one of the best double agents in Army history who died under mysterious circumstances in a Maryland hotel room in 1976. We briefly discussed Sigler's death way back in episode 76 in December, 2022, but Justin decided this case was worth a much more in-depth exploration. Once you finish this episode, if you'd like to learn more, checkout his article about the case along with photos and the bibliography on Patreon page or Substack.

Read the article on Justin's Substack page here: https://spycraft101.substack.com/p/death-of-a-double-agent

Or find it on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/death-of-double-137703109

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Subtack: spycraft101.substack.com

Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.
Grayman Briefing Classified
Use code GBCSpycraft to save 20% on your subscription.

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

211. The Mysterious Death of Double Agent Ralph Sigler

This week Justin sits down with Robert Kerbeck. Robert is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and has worked extensively in theater, film, and television, appearing in lead roles in major shows, and earning several awards. He is a lifetime member of the Actor's Studio. He's also the founder of the Malibu Writers Circle and the author of Malibu Burning: The Real Story behind LA's Most Devastating Wildfire. His first account firsthand account of fighting the Woolsey Fire, which devastated the area surrounding Malibu, California in November, 2018. He's here today to discuss the story of his many years of work in corporate espionage cold calling employees at major firms and convincing them to give out proprietary company information over the phone. Robert started out earning just $8 an hour in an apartment in New York City and ended up making over $2 million a year in Malibu.

Connect with Robert:

robertkerbeck.com

IG: @robertkerbeck

Facebook: Robert Kerbeck

LinkedIn: Robert Kerbeck

Check out the book, Ruse: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street, here.

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.
History by Mail
Who knew? Not me! Learn something new every month. Use code JUSTIN10 for 10% off your subscription.

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

210. From Hollywood to Corporate Espionage with Robert Kerbeck

Today Justin sits down with Dr. Aviva Guttmann. Aviva has worked as a visiting researcher in war studies in King's Intelligence and Security Group, and a Marie Curie senior researcher at the Center for War Studies at Southern Denmark University. She's also worked for the Swiss Embassy in Nigeria and the Geneva Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces where she managed product projects on police cooperation in the Western Balkans. She's currently a lecturer in strategy and intelligence at Aberystwyth University in Wales. Aviva is also the founding founder and chair of the Women's Intelligence Network, which connects and promotes women, scholars and practitioners in the field of intelligence studies. She's here today to discuss the story of how Israeli operations targeting the Black September terror group following the Munich Olympics massacre, where aided both wittingly and unwittingly by European intelligence agencies. 

Connect with Aviva:

Bluesky: @guttmannaviva.bsky.social

Twitter/X: @guttmannaviva

Check out the book, Operation Wrath of God: The Secret History of European Intelligence and Mossad's Assassination Campaign, here.

https://a.co/d/5R2vvUx

Connect with Spycraft 101:
Get Justin's latest book, Murder, Intrigue, and Conspiracy: Stories from the Cold War and Beyond, here.
spycraft101.com
IG: @spycraft101
Shop: shop.spycraft101.com
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Find Justin's first book, Spyshots: Volume One, here.
Check out Justin's second book, Covert Arms, here.
Download the free eBook, The Clandestine Operative's Sidearm of Choice, here.

Support the show

209. Europe, Mossad, and Operation Wrath of God with Dr. Aviva Guttmann

In this episode, Dr. Albert Glinsky covers the life of Leon Theremin. Theremin invented the odd musical instrument that bears his name, but he also engaged in espionage in the US for the Soviet Union. His brilliance allowed him to invent a seemingly innocuous device known as The Thing, the world's fist covert listening tool. 

IG: @spycraft101
Patreon: Spycraft 101

Support the show

6. The Inventions and Espionage of Leon Theremin with Dr. Albert Glinsky

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