Cold War Conversations - "vivid & compelling" The NY Times
Ian Sanders"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
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 467 | Founded | 8 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | DocumentaryHistorySociety & Culture | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
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
The Cold War was a huge battle for hearts and minds — a true “people’s war.” But where did the “people’s game” fit into it?
In their new book, Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches, Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall explore the surprising and fasci... more
In June 1949, the US and British governments secretly agreed to mount a joint covert action operation to overthrow the communist government in Albania. The top-secret plan would use exiled dissidents to conduct subversive intelligence, paramilitary a... more
I had the honour of speaking with Tony Dobbie, a former RAF V- Force bomber pilot who joined the RAF in 1960.
Tony shares amazing anecdotes from his training, including his experiences flying jets like the Meteor and the Vampire, and the transition ... more
Key Facts
Similar Podcasts
People also subscribe to these shows.
Recent Guests
Host
Reviews
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 Addict523 days agoJohnThunderbootsVery interesting to me. The interlocutor allows people the space to tell the stories.
Podcast Addict5a month agoRed Flag- 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 Podcasts3JoeP001
United States2 months ago - Valuable and insightful record
Great work!
Apple Podcasts5FourpointoUnited 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 Podcasts5Nick Name James 2026United States2 months ago
Listeners Say
Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.
Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #245 | United States/History |
Apple Podcasts | #85 |  United Kingdom/History |
Apple Podcasts | #225 |  Canada/History |
Apple Podcasts | #218 |  Australia/History |
Apple Podcasts | #21 |  Finland/History |
Apple Podcasts | #155 |  Ireland/History |
Talking Points
Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.
Audience Metrics
Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.
| Listeners per Episode | |
|---|---|
| Gender Skew | |
| Location | |
| Interests | |
| Professions | |
| Age Range | |
| Household Income | |
| Social Media Reach |
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
Where can I find podcast stats for Cold War Conversations?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Cold War Conversations. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Cold War Conversations and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Cold War Conversations get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Cold War Conversations, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for Cold War Conversations?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Cold War Conversations, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does Cold War Conversations have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Cold War Conversations has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to Cold War Conversations?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Cold War Conversations:
1. SpyCast
2. Secrets and Spies Podcast: Espionage | Global Issues | Current Affairs
3. SPYCRAFT 101
4. True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics
5. The Unconventional Soldier
How many episodes of Cold War Conversations are there?
Cold War Conversations launched 8 years ago and published 467 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Cold War Conversations?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Cold War Conversations?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Cold War Conversations from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Cold War Conversations?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Cold War Conversations. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on Cold War Conversations?
Recent guests on Cold War Conversations include:
1. Stephen Long
2. Tony Dobbie
3. Rory Cormac
4. Martin Fitzgerald
5. Michael G. Stroud
6. David Bickford
7. Dr. Paul Brown
8. Rob Zettel
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.