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SpyCast

SpyCast
CIA
Espionage
Russia
China
FBI
National Security
Counterintelligence
Ukraine
Cybersecurity
World War II
Cold War
United States
NATO
Iran
Artificial Intelligence
Intelligence Community
Afghanistan
James Bond
Egypt
President's Daily Brief

SpyCast, the official podcast of the International Spy Museum, is a journey into the shadows of international espionage. Each week, host Sasha Ingber brings you the latest insights and intriguing tales from spies, secret agents, and covert communicators, with a focus on how this secret world reaches us all in our everyday lives. Tune in to discover the critical role intelligence has played through... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes758Founded20 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
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Latest Episodes

You might find Meredith Cavan playing music in an Irish pub. But long before her first album dropped, she clocked more than 20 years at the CIA. One of her jobs there was Southeast Asia Department chief, where she oversaw covert action, intelligence ... more

YouTube

For decades, Cuban intelligence has been seen as a force that punches above its weight. Shaped during the Cold War through cooperation with the Soviet Union, its intelligence officers received extensive training by the KGB. But where does Cuba’s spy ... more

YouTube

In Cold War Britain, a secret propaganda department saw its list of targets and tactics widen. Personnel inside the Information Research Department went beyond forgeries, fakes, and plants, conducting bold impersonations to smear critics and stoke te... more

YouTube

For those of you who have visited the International Spy Museum, you may be familiar with one of our most prized artifacts, the ice ax used to assassinate Leon Trotsky in 1940. Trotsky was the operational mastermind of the Russian Revolution of 1917, ... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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

Recent Guests

Peter Lapp
Retired FBI Special Agent, author of Queen of Cuba
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Episode: Cuba's Spies, Defectors, and the Ex-FBI Agent Who Met Them All
Rory Cormac
Author of Fakers, a top secret tale of phantoms and forgeries on the disinformation front line
Independent historian/author
Episode: Smears, Fakes & Phantoms: Cold War Britain's Secret Propaganda Department
Nigel West
Historian and author, co-author of The Assassination of Leon Trotsky, Espionage, Scandal, and the Crime of the Century
Author/Researcher
Episode: Murder in Mexico City: The Assassination of Leon Trotsky
Damien Van Puyvelde
Author of The DGSE and longtime analyst on French intelligence
Author, DGSE history expert
Episode: The Triumphs and Failures of France's Foreign Intel Service
Ahana Datta Fasel
Author of Full Stack Spies, Cyber Espionage in the Age of US-China Competition
Author
Episode: Inside China's Cyber Espionage Business
Mike Garzon
Case agent, Office of Special Projects (NCIS)
Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
Episode: The Navy Spy who Sold Secrets for $377 a Year
Candace Rondeaux
Expert on Wagner Group, Africa Corps; author of Putin's Sledgehammer
Author/Researcher
Episode: Putin’s Paramilitary 2.0
Bradley Hull
FBI agent involved in the case
FBI Cincinnati,
Episode: Tricked and Extradited: Inside the First FBI Operation to Lure a Chinese Spy to the US
Chris Feistl
Retired special agent, DEA; involved in Cali Cartel operations
Drug Enforcement Administration
Episode: The Flip That Broke the Cali Cartel

Hosts

Sasha Ingber
Host of SpyCast; affiliated with International Spy Museum
Dr. Mark Jacobson
Host of SpyCast; affiliated with International Spy Museum

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 2.5k ratings
  • The new host is more polished but I miss Andrew.

    The new host is more polished but I miss Andrew.

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    DWLNO60
    Canada2 months ago
  • Interesting But Not Brilliant

    Interesting topics but Sasha Ingber should learn to properly pronounce some names. Richard Sorge’s name is pronounced with a hard g. Also, does Palmer Luckey really think the past tense of drag is drug? Home schooling, eh?

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    VampireDugout
    Canada3 months ago
  • Embarrassing how far it has fallen

    This was the real deal under previous hosts, especially Dr. Hammond - now it’s kinda embarrassing for the Spy Museum. Clearly no one really knows what they are doing.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    JoeFalcon11
    United States5 months ago
  • Mike

    I enjoy all of your stories! Thank you !

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    fred436798
    United States7 months ago
  • Great podcast

    Great guests and amazing host. The conversations each week are unparalleled. My favorite era of this podcast so far.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BohemianFrank
    United States8 months ago

Listeners Say

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

Some reviews note a decline in depth or bias after a host change.
Audience often cites variety of expert guests and archival insights.
Listeners praise in-depth guest conversations and high production quality.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#152
United States/History
Apple Podcasts
#144
United Kingdom/History
Apple Podcasts
#129
Australia/History
Apple Podcasts
#41
South Korea/History
Apple Podcasts
#53
Sweden/History
Apple Podcasts
#73
New Zealand/History

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Cuba's Spies, Defectors, and the Ex-FBI Agent Who Met Them All
Q: So what was the learning curve? Take us into just day to day, what it was like learning about what the Cubans were up to.
The Cubans are a lot different than China and Russia. Cuba is a small intelligence service. It's not big, but it's mighty. They're always, in my opinion, accomplishing a lot more than their numbers in terms of how many people they have working for it.
Murder in Mexico City: The Assassination of Leon Trotsky
Q: Why was an ice axe chosen as the weapon over a pistol or knife, and what does that tell us about the operation?
The choice of an ice axe reflected a balance of stealth and lethality; a silent or near-silent weapon was preferred to avoid alerting guards, but practical constraints and the need to ensure a quick, decisive strike also shaped the decision, revealing the planners' emphasis on controlled, silent elimination rather than a noisy confrontation.
Murder in Mexico City: The Assassination of Leon Trotsky
Q: Why did Trotsky matter, and why was Stalin so obsessed with him as a threat?
Trotsky represented the leading rival to Stalin's leadership after Lenin's death; his charisma, political lineage, and continued influence made him the focal point of a broader struggle against Trotskyism and potential ideological subversion, which Stalin sought to neutralize through a comprehensive intelligence and security operation.
The Triumphs and Failures of France's Foreign Intel Service
Q: What happened in the Rainbow Warrior affair and how did it affect France and the DGSE?
The Rainbow Warrior operation resulted in the sinking of a Greenpeace vessel, deaths of a crew member, a diplomatic crisis with New Zealand, the resignation of the French Defense Minister and the DGSE director, and a lasting impact on the agency's public image.
The Triumphs and Failures of France's Foreign Intel Service
Q: So let's start off by discussing how this service, its origins trace back to World War II. What led to the start of the DGSE in particular?
The DGSE traces its origins to World War II, where France centralized foreign intelligence and covert action under civilian authority for the first time, creating a legacy and identity that continues to influence the service's culture and operations.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About SpyCast

What is SpyCast about and what kind of topics does it cover?

SpyCast offers in-depth conversations with former spies, historians, journalists, and current and former security professionals about intelligence history, espionage tradecraft, and contemporary covert operations. Recent episodes center on Cuban intelligence, Cold War propaganda, high-profile counterintelligence cases, cyber espionage, and dramatic insider-defection stories, providing granular operational detail and human-centered storytelling. The show often blends archival context with current implications for national security, making it a compelling listen for professionals in security, policy, and research who want thoughtful, widely sourced perspectives on intelligence history and practice.

Where can I find podcast stats for SpyCast?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for SpyCast. 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 SpyCast and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does SpyCast get?

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What are the audience demographics for SpyCast?

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How many subscribers and views does SpyCast have?

To see how many followers or subscribers SpyCast 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.

How many episodes of SpyCast are there?

SpyCast launched 20 years ago and published 758 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 SpyCast?

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 SpyCast?

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What guests have appeared on SpyCast?

Recent guests on SpyCast include:

1. Peter Lapp
2. Rory Cormac
3. Nigel West
4. Damien Van Puyvelde
5. Ahana Datta Fasel
6. Mike Garzon
7. Candace Rondeaux
8. Bradley Hull

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.

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