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Artwork for Cold War Conversations

Cold War Conversations - "vivid & compelling" The NY Times

Ian Sanders
Cold War
Soviet Union
East Germany
Berlin Wall
Nuclear Weapons
Korean War
Romania
CIA
Vietnam War
Hungary
KGB
Czechoslovakia
West Germany
Stasi
Espionage
Communism
Poland
Berlin
Nicolae Ceaușescu
Australian Army

"Listening to even one episode of "Cold War Conversations" will make this sprawling, potentially intimidating period of history feel vivid and compelling." The New York Times Experience the Cold War like never before with Cold War Conversations — an award-winning podcast. Each week, host Ian Sanders brings you raw, firsthand accounts from the people who lived through one of history’s most tense an... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes471Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DocumentarySociety & CultureHistory

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Artwork for Cold War Conversations

Latest Episodes

Richard Lyntton’s life has taken him from Cold War Moscow to the deserts of the Gulf War and the shattered streets of Sarajevo.

In this powerful episode, he recalls studying in the Soviet Union during the hopeful Gorbachev years, travelling across R... more

Step behind the wire of one of NATO’s most elite tactical fighter squadrons—the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron—during the tense final years of the Cold War and into Operation Desert Storm.

Former US Air Force officer Michael Makatura’s new book, The... more

YouTube

Antonia Senior’s new book, "Stalin’s Apostles", challenges what you may have believed about the Cambridge Five, a group of British citizens who spied for the Soviet Union.

Antonia argues that their actions during the Cold War have long been romantic... more

YouTube

Mark Thompson shares his captivating journey as the child of Royal Air Force personnel during the Cold War. From the moment his parents met in Singapore to their adventures across various military bases, Mark's stories are filled with nostalgia and i... more

YouTube

Key Facts

Accepts Guests
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Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

Recent Guests

Antonia Senior
Author and historian focused on The Cambridge Five
Author, Stalin's Apostles
Episode: The Cambridge Five - new files reveal untold stories (462)
Mark Thompson
Guest with firsthand RAF childhood memories
Royal Air Force family background, later IT work in civilian life
Episode: Malta & West Germany - Memories of an RAF Childhood Abroad (461)
Tony Shaw
Co-author of Cold War Football, A History in 10 Matches
University of Liverpool / Academic author
Episode: Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches (460)
Alan McDougall
Co-author of Cold War Football, A History in 10 Matches
University of Glasgow / Academic author
Episode: Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches (460)
Stephen Long
Author of A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit, CIA & MI6 Covert Action in Communist Albania at the Dawn of the Cold War
Author
Episode: CIA and MI6 Covert Action in Communist Albania at the Dawn of the Cold War (459)
Tony Dobbie
Former RAF V-Force bomber pilot (Victor, Canberra)
Royal Air Force
Episode: On the edge of war: A V-Force pilot during the Cuban Missile Crisis (458)
Rory Cormac
Author of Fakers, A Top Secret Tale of Phantoms and Forgeries on the Disinformation Front Line
Author, Historian
Episode: Fakers: A Top-Secret Tale of Phantoms and Forgeries on the Cold War Disinformation Front Line (456)
Martin Fitzgerald
Author, The Umbrella Man and Other Stories
Author
Episode: The JFK Assassination: The human narratives behind one of history's most scrutinised events (454)
Michael G. Stroud
Historian and writer
Independent historian / author
Episode: Soviet - Afghan War, Mujahideen Resistance: The Brutal Fight for Zhawar (450)

Host

Ian Sanders
Host of Cold War Conversations

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 1.9k ratings
  • All the angles, with a talented interviewer who allows his subjects to lead. Snapshots from all manner of experts in and witnesses to a worldwide period which was formative of the time in which we live.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    JohnThunderboots
    a month ago
  • Very interesting to me. The interlocutor allows people the space to tell the stories.

    Podcast Addict
    5
    Red Flag
    2 months ago
  • Race-baiting and shtlib politics

    The host implored listeners in the latest episode to rate and review the podcast. Well, here is my review: 3 very reluctant stars, for the host’s race-baiting with regards to the alleged lack of black witnesses interviewed by police after Kennedy was shot, and for the guest celebrating that Kamala Harris did well in one county in Texas. I don’t listen to podcasts about the Cold War because I want to endure 2020s shtlib political commentary.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    JoeP001
    United States2 months ago
  • Valuable and insightful record

    Great work!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Fourpointo
    United States2 months ago
  • History Alive

    What an unbelievable archive of Cold War history. Ian is a master interviewer who knows when to be quiet. The stuff-to-fluff ratio is amazing: there just isn’t any fluff or housekeeping or long introductions or a desire to inject his own ego into his guests’ monologues. Thank you thank you for this treasure. I hope it gets included in a national archive one day.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Nick Name James 2026
    United States2 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Diverse guest roster keeps coverage broad and engaging.
Some criticism about loud ad breaks and occasional political commentary affecting pace.
Deep research and calm interviewing style praised by listeners.
Vivid, centering on firsthand memories that bring the era to life.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#246
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#91
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#213
Canada/History
Apple Podcasts
#137
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#68
Brazil/History
Apple Podcasts
#95
South Africa/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Malta & West Germany - Memories of an RAF Childhood Abroad (461)
Q: What were your experiences like at the Malta school and in the German bases?
Mark describes Malta's Safi and Kalafrana as happy but formative, with strong memories of outdoor play and naval-related recreation, while in Germany (Laarbrück and Bruggen) he recalls the insular RAF family environment, the influx of American bases, and the social dynamics including post-war attitudes toward German locals and the experience of being an RAF kid on base.
Malta & West Germany - Memories of an RAF Childhood Abroad (461)
Q: Can you tell me about your mother and father and how they met?
Mark explains that both parents were involved with the RAF, meeting in Singapore and marrying there before returning to the UK in the early 1960s; his father was an electrician who specialized in radar, and his mother trained in catering before also serving in the RAF's catering path. This background set the stage for a childhood spent moving between bases rather than staying in one place.
Fakers: A Top-Secret Tale of Phantoms and Forgeries on the Cold War Disinformation Front Line (456)
Q: But can you talk about some of the black operations that they were attempting against him?
Rory describes how the IRD targeted Nasser through a range of operations, from overt to farcical, including attempts to expose chemical weapons usage via forged documents and phantom groups, while balancing credibility and local reception.
The JFK Assassination: The human narratives behind one of history's most scrutinised events (454)
Q: What was it like standing on Dealey Plaza as you researched and spoke with people who witnessed the day?
It was a profound experience that highlighted the contrast between the famous, crowded Main Street and the intimate, quieter perspectives of witnesses in Dealey Plaza, reinforcing the book's emphasis on memory and human experience.
The JFK Assassination: The human narratives behind one of history's most scrutinised events (454)
Q: What new did you find from talking to witnesses and researching this book that wasn't covered in other JFK investigations?
The discussion centers on ordinary witnesses and their life stories, showing how personal context and emotions around Dealey Plaza humanize the event, rather than focusing solely on conspiracy theories or the number of shots.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Cold War Conversations

What is Cold War Conversations about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Tapping into first-hand Cold War memories, this show gathers soldiers, spies, civilians, and experts to recount real-life experiences from across alliances and theaters. Episodes cover a wide swath of topics—from conscription in West Germany and nuclear-sharing dynamics to propaganda, espionage, submarine patrols, and urban upheavals behind the Iron Curtain. The format favors vivid, human-centered narratives, deep archival context, and nuanced discussions that connect personal memory with broader geopolitics. Listeners likely value rigorous research, captivating storytelling, and access to voices rarely heard in textbooks. A notable strength is the breadth of guests, spanning military personnel, historians, journalists, and authors, which k... more

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Cold War Conversations launched 8 years ago and published 471 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Cold War Conversations?

Recent guests on Cold War Conversations include:

1. Antonia Senior
2. Mark Thompson
3. Tony Shaw
4. Alan McDougall
5. Stephen Long
6. Tony Dobbie
7. Rory Cormac
8. Martin Fitzgerald

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