The Live Drop
Mark ValleyThe Live Drop is a HUMINT experiment — long-form conversations with intelligence professionals, diplomats, historians, authors, and analysts from around the world who think seriously about information collection, espionage, geopolitics, and national security. Hosted by former Army officer and actor Mark Valley.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
| Publishes | Monthly | Episodes | 80 | Founded | 8 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | HistorySociety & Culture | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
LD80: At the Coalface with Cat Connor
New Zealand crime and spy thriller writer Cat Connor joins Mark to explain how she went from traditional publishing to running her own imprint. Her first novel, Killerbyte, sold to a publisher that went bankrupt... more
Filmmaker Harry Stourton joins Mark from Kyiv, the morning after a heavy night of Russian strikes, to describe a war that has changed almost entirely since 2022. Stourton has produced feature films and documentaries, including Pizza Under Fire, which... more
Michael Sellers spent a decade as a CIA case officer, with postings in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. He landed in Cold War Moscow in 1984 under diplomatic cover where uhe worked on the Tolkachev operation - subject of the new film Billion Dollar s... more
LD077: In June 1949, the CIA and MI6 secretly agreed to overthrow Albania's communist dictator Enver Hoxha. The operation — codenamed BGFiend — would use exiled Albanian dissidents, paramilitary infiltration, propaganda broadcasts from a yacht in the... more
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Recent Guests
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Reviews
- Spy favorite
Marc is doing such a great job Interviewing guests from all areas of the spy genre. Always makes my day when I see new content is available.
Apple Podcasts5Jimmy-K2000
Switzerland5 years ago - Engaging interview, lively and great listen
I’m new to this podcast but just listened to the Damascus Station episode and the entire time was caught up the detailed and wide ranging knowledge from both Mark Valley and the author as they spoke.
This podcast was relaxed but also found the razor thin balance of high intellectual discussion with enough current events commentary to engage listeners who may not have nerd knowledge of spycraft or spy thrillers. I personally really get into how political authors and intelligence professionals s... more
Apple Podcasts5puggle5786
United States5 years ago - Great spy stuff; skip the snide political quips
There’s lots of excellent behind-the-scenes information on trade craft & the practical aspects of intelligence work. The guests are experts in their fields & the host does his homework , asking well-crafted questions which allow the guests to shine. The only downside is the host’s distracting habit of inserting references to his own political views into the interviews. The host doesn’t like Trump; I get it. I also don’t care. I’m tuning into the podcast because of a shared interest with the host... more
Apple Podcasts4TravelSproutUnited States6 years ago - Informative and interesting
First and only podcast I've ever fully listened to! There is a nice variety of guests, which keeps things very interesting. There is never a dull moment in the conversations, as there is always something new to learn. It's especially nice when the host contributes to the conversation, using parts of his own life to show that he can relate to what the guest is saying. I am looking forward to more episodes, which should be just as interesting as the previous ones!
Apple Podcasts5LorrainePezzUnited States6 years ago - Always fascinating and informing
I’ve been listening since the first episode and very much enjoy the conversations.
Well worth listening and taking some time to really hear these conversations.
Apple Podcasts5Cat Connor
New Zealand6 years ago
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Live Drop
What is The Live Drop about and what kind of topics does it cover?
The content primarily revolves around intelligence, espionage, and historical events surrounding these themes. The discussions feature guests from a variety of backgrounds, including former military operatives, authors, and journalists, providing unique insights into espionage activities and geopolitical situations. Conversations often touch on complex narratives such as the moral implications of espionage, historical perspectives on intelligence operations, and the evolution of mercenary tactics. This approach offers listeners a rich exploration of the intricacies of covert operations while connecting them to current events, making the series compelling for those interested in both past and present intelligence matters.
Where can I find podcast stats for The Live Drop?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Live Drop. 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 The Live Drop and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does The Live Drop get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for four million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for The Live Drop, 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 The Live Drop?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for The Live Drop, 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 The Live Drop have?
To see how many followers or subscribers The Live Drop 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 The Live Drop?
These podcasts share a similar audience with The Live Drop:
1. SpyCast
2. Secrets and Spies Podcast: Espionage | Global Issues | Current Affairs
3. SPYCRAFT 101
4. SpyTalk
5. True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics
How many episodes of The Live Drop are there?
The Live Drop launched 8 years ago and published 80 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 The Live Drop?
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 The Live Drop?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Live Drop 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 The Live Drop?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Live Drop. 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 The Live Drop?
Recent guests on The Live Drop include:
1. Cat Connor
2. Harry Stourton
3. Michael Sellers
4. Jack Beaumont
5. Shawnna Morris
6. James Stejskal
7. John Lechner
8. Kit Turner
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.