The Spy Who
These are stories you were never meant to hear. The invisible but vital work of the world’s intelligence services: secret operatives playing to very different rules. The Spy Who, hosted by Indira Varma, Raza Jaffrey and Emilia Fox, takes you deep inside that shadow world to meet spies who risked everything in the national interest – or, sometimes, their own. Audible subscribers can listen to all episodes of The Spy Who ad-free right now. Join Audible today by downloading the Audible app.
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Recent Episodes
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This episode chronicles the deployment of CIA Team Alpha into Afghanistan following the 9/11 attacks, focusing on CIA officer David Tyson and the agency's mission to overthrow the Taliban by partnering with Northern Alliance warlords. The team faces treacherous terrain, complex warlord politics, and deadly combat as they attempt to pave the way for America's invasion of Afghanistan.
- The CIA Takes Lead on the War Response
- Tyson's Pre-9/11 Mission to the Lion of Panjshir
The Spy Who Almost Stopped 9/11 | A US Military Interrogator on Getting Terrorists to Talk | 4
Sep 08, 2026Summary Preview
Charlie Higson interviews Tony Camerino, a former Air Force helicopter pilot turned special agent and military interrogator who worked alongside Ali Soufan. Camerino discusses his experiences conducting over 1,300 interrogations in Iraq, his vocal opposition to torture and enhanced interrogation techniques, and how rapport-based methods led to finding Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He critiques the failure of American leadership to maintain moral standards post-9/11, particularly after Abu Ghraib, and shares how treating detainees humanely proved far more effective than coercion in obtaining actionable intelligence.
- From Helicopter Pilot to Special Agent
- The Impact of 9/11 on Military Intelligence
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This episode examines the FBI-CIA tensions following 9/11, focusing on FBI agent Ali Sofan's interrogations of high-value Al-Qaeda detainees. The episode reveals how Sofan's rapport-based interrogation methods yielded actionable intelligence, while the CIA's enhanced interrogation program produced minimal results. The narrative exposes how interagency rivalry and the CIA's withholding of information both before and after 9/11 led to missed opportunities to prevent terrorist attacks, culminating in Sofan's testimony before the 9/11 Commission.
- Abu Zubaydah's Critical Condition and the Hospital Gambit
- Accidental Discovery: The 9/11 Mastermind Revealed
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FBI agent Ali Soufan's investigation into the USS Cole bombing uncovers critical intelligence about Al-Qaeda's network, including surveillance photos of future 9/11 hijackers that the CIA possessed but didn't share. The episode traces Soufan's work from interrogating Cole suspects in Yemen through the tragedy of 9/11, revealing how intelligence failures and inter-agency politics may have prevented the attacks from being stopped.
- The Malaysia Summit: A Missed Opportunity
- Breaking Fahad Al-Qasa: The Cole Interrogation
Listen Now: Audible True Crime
Aug 24, 2026Summary Preview
This episode chronicles the story of James Arthur Ray, a charismatic self-help guru whose extreme methods led to tragedy. The narrative follows Ginny Brown and her daughter Kirby as they attend Ray's Harmonic Wealth Weekend seminar in March 2009, where Ray's powerful stage presence and psychological manipulation tactics are on full display. Despite Ginny's professional concerns as a clinical social worker about Ray's public interrogation methods, Kirby becomes captivated by his teachings. The episode builds toward the devastating conclusion when Kirby attends Ray's Spiritual Warrior retreat in Sedona, Arizona later that year, spending her life savings on an experience that would ultimately cost her life.
- The Charismatic Guru and His Dangerous Promise
- The Harmonic Wealth Weekend Experience
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FBI counter-terrorism agent Ali Soufan emerges as America's leading expert on Al-Qaeda in the years before 9/11, tracking Osama bin Laden's network despite bureaucratic obstacles and inter-agency rivalries. This episode chronicles his journey from rookie agent to lead investigator on the USS Cole bombing, revealing how crucial intelligence was withheld and how Soufan fought both terrorists and his own government to uncover the truth about the looming threat.
- Hunting Khalid: The First Break in Pakistan
- The Rise of Bin Laden: A Rookie's Expertise
The Spy Who Became Stalin's Greatest | Playdates And A Glock: The Life of a Mom and Spy | 4
Aug 11, 2026Summary Preview
Former CIA officer Anne E. Butler shares her remarkable 27-year career balancing undercover intelligence work with raising five children. She discusses the realities of being a female case officer, using pregnancy as cover, recruiting spies while managing family life, and the unique challenges of maintaining secrecy from her own children until retirement.
- From Job Seeker to CIA Officer
- The Reality of Being a Female Case Officer
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This episode chronicles Soviet spy Ursula Kuczynski's infiltration of an American OSS operation during WWII and her eventual retirement from espionage in East Berlin. Through her agent network, she helped the Soviets capture American intelligence technology and atomic secrets, ultimately becoming one of the USSR's most successful spies before growing disillusioned with the communist system she served.
- Operation Joan Eleanor: Infiltrating American Intelligence
- The Joan Eleanor System Captured
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This episode follows Soviet spy Ursula Kaczynski's turbulent journey from China to Switzerland to Britain during the 1930s and 1940s. After being separated from her lover Johan Patra, she builds spy networks across Europe, faces a devastating betrayal by her beloved childhood nanny Olga, and ultimately recruits Klaus Fuchs—the physicist who would pass atomic bomb secrets to Moscow. The episode reveals how personal sacrifice, moral compromises, and unwavering ideological commitment defined Ursula's transformation into one of the Soviet Union's most effective spies.
- Heartbreak in Beijing and Return to Europe
- Promotion and Assignment to Switzerland
Listen Now: I Am Not Nicholas
Jul 21, 2026Summary Preview
This episode features journalist Jane McSorley introducing her podcast 'I Am Not Nicholas,' which chronicles her four-and-a-half-year investigation into a bizarre case of alleged identity fraud. The story begins when a man was arrested in a Glasgow COVID ward in January 2022, with authorities claiming he was American fugitive Nicholas Rossi wanted for rape in Utah, while the man insisted he was an Irish orphan named Arthur Knight. McSorley recounts her first encounter with this mysterious figure at an Edinburgh Sheriff Court bail hearing, where his theatrical appearance and disruptive courtroom behavior immediately signaled this would be an extraordinary story.
- Discovery of the Nicholas Rossi Story
- First Courtroom Encounter
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This episode introduces Ursula Kuczynski, a German Jewish communist who became one of the Soviet Union's greatest spies. The story follows her journey from a teenage activist in 1920s Berlin to her first major espionage mission in Japanese-occupied Manchuria in the 1930s, where she conducted sabotage operations while posing as an ordinary mother.
- From Teenage Activist to Communist Commitment
- Shanghai Awakening: Meeting Agnes Smedley
Listen Now: Dan Taberski’s Manifesto
Jul 14, 2026Summary Preview
Dan Taberski's podcast 'Manifesto' explores the power and danger of manifestos through the lens of the 2013 Christopher Dorner case - a former LAPD officer who killed multiple people and left an 11-page manifesto. Taberski examines how manifestos channel rage into action, from revolutionary movements like the Black Panthers to individual acts of violence, while questioning whether we can harness inspiration without violence. The series investigates the thin line between righteous anger and dangerous extremism.
- The Christopher Dorner Case: A Killer's Manifesto
- The Search for a Manifesto in a World on Fire
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This episode explores the mystery of Agent 355, an unidentified female spy who worked with George Washington's Culper spy ring during the American Revolutionary War. Host Charlie Hickson speaks with historical fiction author Kit Sargent about the challenges of researching female spies from this era, the limited evidence surrounding Agent 355's identity, and how women's invisibility in society made them effective intelligence gatherers. The conversation examines various theories about who Agent 355 might have been and explores the crucial role of espionage in securing American independence.
- The Mystery of Agent 355 and the Culper Ring
- Myths and Speculation About Agent 355's Identity
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This episode chronicles the aftermath of Benedict Arnold's betrayal of the American Revolution, focusing on the execution of British spy chief John Andre, Arnold's escape to British lines, and the crucial role of American spies in securing victory at Yorktown. The episode culminates with the British surrender and explores the fates of key figures, including Arnold's ostracism in London and the struggle of spy James Lafayette for freedom.
- Arnold's Betrayal Revealed and Escape
- John Andre's Trial and Execution
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This episode chronicles Benedict Arnold's betrayal of the American Revolution, focusing on his plot to surrender West Point to the British in exchange for £20,000. The narrative follows Arnold's secret communications with British spymaster John Andre, the Culper spy ring's efforts to gather intelligence, and the dramatic unraveling of the plot when Andre is captured carrying incriminating documents. The episode culminates with Arnold's narrow escape and Andre's imprisonment.
- The Initial Contact Between Arnold and Andre
- Arnold's Ambitions and West Point Strategy
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This episode chronicles Benedict Arnold's journey from Revolutionary War hero to potential traitor. After his heroic actions at Saratoga are dismissed by rivals, Arnold becomes increasingly disillusioned with the American cause. Meanwhile, Patriot spymaster Benjamin Talmadge builds a covert intelligence network in British-occupied New York using invisible ink and trusted agents. Arnold's mounting debts, corrupt dealings as Philadelphia's governor, and eventual betrayal by George Washington push him toward a fateful decision that could change the course of the war.
- Benedict Arnold's Heroism at Saratoga
- Benjamin Talmadge Builds the Culper Spy Ring
The Spy Who Betrayed the American Revolution | Liberty and the Pursuit of Intelligence | 1
Jun 23, 2026Summary Preview
This episode chronicles Benedict Arnold's transformation from Revolutionary War hero to America's most notorious traitor, beginning with his passionate call to arms in 1775 and covering the early years of the American Revolution. The narrative follows Arnold's military achievements, including his daring naval battle on Lake Champlain, alongside the tragic story of Nathan Hale's failed spy mission and Benjamin Talmadge's emergence in intelligence work. The episode sets the stage for understanding how a decorated patriot became disillusioned with the cause he once championed.
- Benedict Arnold Rallies New Haven to War
- The Patriot Army's Desperate Retreat from Brooklyn
Listen Now: Foul Play
Jun 16, 2026Summary Preview
This episode is a teaser for 'Foul Play,' a new podcast series investigating an alleged CIA conspiracy to poison English football legend Gordon Banks during the 1970 World Cup in Mexico. Journalist Gabriel Gatehouse teams up with Ed Jervis, Gordon Banks' grandson, to explore whether the legendary goalkeeper's mysterious illness that cost England their World Cup defense was actually an act of Cold War sabotage rather than simple food poisoning.
- Introduction to the Investigation
- Discovery in Mexican Secret Police Archives
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In this Audible original episode, host Charlie Higson interviews John Taylor, author and expert on the psychology of spies, to understand what makes spies tick and how they cope with living double lives. Taylor draws on his extensive experience training intelligence services worldwide to distinguish between intelligence officers (handlers) and secret agents (those who collect information), explaining the psychological traits required for each role, the motivations behind espionage, and the ethical frameworks that guide Western intelligence agencies.
- The Psychology of Intelligence Officers vs. Secret Agents
- Motivations for Becoming a Spy
The Czech Spy Who Stole a Son | Blue Eyes | 3
Jun 09, 2026Summary Preview
This episode chronicles the unraveling of Václav Jelinek, a Czech spy who lived under the stolen identity of Erwin van Haarlem for nearly two decades. As MI5 closes in with intensive surveillance, Jelinek desperately tries to maintain his cover while requesting an emergency escape passport from Prague. The operation culminates in his dramatic arrest while receiving a coded radio transmission, followed by a groundbreaking trial where MI5's counter-espionage chief testified publicly for the first time in British history. The story concludes with the heartbreaking reunion between Johanna van Haarlem and her real son, while Jelinek faced deportation and a cold reception in post-communist Czechoslovakia.
- The Surveillance Net Tightens
- MI5 Plants an Agent in Jelinek's Building