The Spy Who

Mere weeks after the terrorist attacks of 9/11, CIA linguist David Tyson found himself on the ground in Afghanistan. He and his colleague Mike Spann were part of Team Alpha, a CIA team sent in to help overthrow the Taliban and gather intelligence from suspected al-Qaeda fighters. But when the captured fighters rise up, things take a fatal turn. In this gripping interview, David Tyson tells host Charlie Higson walks us through his experiences in Afghanistan. As well his current efforts as part of the non-profit ‘Badger Six’ to provide aid to Afghan allies who were left behind. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Battle of Qala-i-Jangi is underway. David Tyson is trapped with no way out and al-Qaeda moving in. And if help doesn’t arrive soon, America’s first victory in Afghanistan will also become its first defeat. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lauren Malloy was a baby when her mother, Lori, was murdered in East Providence, Rhode Island. For thirty years, no one told her. Everyone said Lori died of natural causes. Then a stranger sent Lauren a message — and the lie collapsed. Now Lauren is investigating her own mother’s murder. She’s recorded hundreds of hours of interviews with law enforcement, family, childhood friends, and people who won’t stop contradicting each other. Every answer opens a darker question. Every person she trusts seems to be hiding something. And the closer she gets to the truth, the more she realizes the people she trusts may be the ones with the most to hide. A 10-part true crime investigation hosted by the victim’s daughter. Lauren’s mission: to finally uncover the identity of Lori’s killer. Audible subscribers can binge all 10 episodes early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible App or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. Listen now: HERE See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy…

CIA Team Alpha and the forces of Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum are closing in on the crucial city of Mazar-i-Sharif. But what will it take to convince the Taliban and its allies in al-Qaeda to surrender? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. is preparing to invade Afghanistan. It wants to overthrow the Taliban so it can locate Osama bin Laden and eliminate al-Qaeda. But to succeed, it needs the country’s anti-Taliban warlords on side – and that’s where an elite squad of CIA operatives come in… See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tony Camerino is Ali Soufan's former colleague at the Soufan Group. A combat veteran and Special Agent, Tony conducted and supervised over 1300 interrogations during the Iraq War for a Special Operations Task Force. In this eye-opening conversation, he tells Charlie Higson about the incredible headway he made with detainees working for al-Qaeda, thanks to his use of non-violent interrogation methods. And speaks candidly about the harsh brutalities of war, and its lingering traumas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At a CIA black site, FBI agent Ali Soufan is questioning the first high-value terrorist captured by the US since 9/11. But with the detainee’s wounds going septic and the CIA’s patience fading, the window for uncovering al-Qaeda’s next plot is closing fast. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Yemen, FBI counter-terrorism agent Ali Soufan is trying to uncover who bombed the U.S. destroyer USS Cole. Now he’s got a suspect who could blow the case wide open: al-Qaeda operative Fahd al-Quso. But al-Quso’s also got intel about another plot. One that will shake America to its core. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ali Soufan is a rookie FBI agent convinced that an almost unknown terror group called al-Qaeda, and its leader Osama Bin Laden, are a threat to America. When the naval destroyer USS Cole is attacked by suicide bombers, he knows it’s al-Qaeda. But now he has to prove it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As we say goodbye to our series on Ursula Kuczynski (‘Agent Sonya’), we also say goodbye to a singular and formidable agent, who navigated the high-wire act of balancing life as a spy for the Soviet Union...and motherhood. And so, who better to talk to than a woman who's walked that fine line herself, Ann E. Butler. For almost 30 years, Ann juggled raising five children all while maintaining the responsibilities of working for the CIA. And now she's pulling the curtain back on the struggle of the juggle. Plus, whether she ever put the needs of her country, ahead of her family... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the Nazis in retreat, the U.S. hopes to get spies on the ground in Berlin before the Soviets take the city. But Ursula Kuczynski has different plans. She’s going to co-opt the American mission to give Stalin an edge in the coming Cold War between capitalist and communism. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With her operation in Japanese-occupied Manchuria now over, Ursula Kuczynski is awaiting fresh orders from Moscow. But the Centre’s new instructions are about to break her heart. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

To her fellow Westerners in colonial Shanghai, Ursula Kuczynski is just another devoted housewife and mother. But beneath the bourgeois exterior, she’s a vital cog in the communist insurgency and about to become one of the greatest spies of the 20th Century. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Right on schedule for America's 250th birthday, we’ve wrapped our arc on Benedict Arnold - the American military officer who turned his back on his own country to spy for the British Army. Tucked away within this complex story, lives the unsolved identity (identities?) of Agent 355. The female spy who helped her country by gleaning military secrets from the British. In this episode, Charlie Higson explores just who this woman (or women) might have been, with ‘355: The Women of Washington's Spy Ring’ author, Kit Sergeant. Together, they break down this remarkable tale of betrayal and deception… all in the name of freedom. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With his plot to hand West Point to the British unravelling fast, Benedict Arnold is running for his life. And if George Washington’s men can’t stop him in time, Benjamin Tallmadge’s New York spy ring will be in grave danger. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the French now helping the U.S. in its fight for independence, the tide’s turned against Britain. But disillusioned American hero Benedict Arnold is about to help the British Empire strike back. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the British advancing on Philadelphia, the American rebels face defeat. But new U.S. intelligence officer Benjamin Tallmadge is about to hit on a plan that’ll give the Continental Army the inside track on the King’s forces. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s 1775 and after years of rising tensions, rebellion is about to break out in British North America. The 13 rebel colonies want to shake off rule from London and form a new nation: The United States of America. But with their Patriot army no match for the might of the British Empire, they need to even the odds by turning to espionage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What do you think of when someone mentions the word: spy? Thanks to James Bond, they're often thought of as sleek, sexy and thrill-seeking. But what really goes on in the mind of a secret agent like Václav Jelínek? Charlie Higson is joined author, lecturer, and advisor on handling human sources of secret intelligence, John Taylor. He's pulling the curtain back on the fraught psychology of spies. Including, what kind of agent poses the biggest threat to a mission. And, who he thinks makes for a better spy - men or women? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the mid-1980s and the Czechoslovak spy living posing as Erwin van Haarlem has spent years convincing the mother of the real Erwin that he is her long-lost son. Now his deception faces a new threat: Britain’s Security Service MI5 are on his tail. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After years of preparation, Czech deep-cover spy Václav Jelínek is in London and living as Erwin Van Haarlem. But now, the Dutch mother of the real child whose identity he’s using has found him. And her inquisitiveness could blow his whole mission. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When a teenager is made to give up her baby, Czechoslovak secret police service the StB spot a chance to create a rock-solid fake identity for one of its deep-cover 'illegal' spies. But its spy is about to end up on a collision course with a mother seeking her long-lost son. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Not many people can say they helped dismantle the most dangerous nuclear weapons network in history. Then again, not everyone is former CIA operative, Jim Lawler. Jim speaks to Raza Jaffrey about his CIA career (that almost wasn’t), bringing A.Q. Khan’s nuclear network to its knees, and whether he thinks a similar Khan-level threat is lurking in the shadows... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With A.Q. Khan now fully rogue and his network working to fast-track Libya’s nuclear weapons program, the CIA and MI6 need to find a way to shut his network down permanently. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. A.Q. Khan is making millions selling nuclear secrets but when he decides to sell the nuclear bomb to Libya’s renegade ruler Colonel Gaddafi, the CIA and MI6 realise they need to act against Pakistan’s real-life Dr. Strangelove. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At a secure lab in Amsterdam, scientists are working on tech that can enrich uranium for nuclear bombs. But when India tests a nuke, employee Dr. A.Q. Khan, turns spy to help Pakistan get the bomb too. And soon he’ll spread atomic weapons worldwide. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How did someone so essential in war become so expendable in peace? In conversation with Charlie Higson, historian Clare Mulley explores the extraordinary life of Krystyna Skarbek - a woman more Bond than Bond girl. Together, they unpack her daring wartime exploits, the misogyny that shaped her postwar fate, and the unsettling truth of how a hero of such calibre was denied both the ending and the legacy she deserved. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Frozen out by the Special Operations Executive, Polish countess turned British spy Krystyna Skarbek is now stuck in the Middle East. But she’s determined to get back into the fight against the Nazis, no matter the personal cost. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the Nazis exert control over Continental Europe, British spy Krystyna Skarbek needs to stay one step ahead of the enemy. But she’s about to discover that the Axis powers aren’t her only problem. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Hitler invades her beloved homeland, Poland, Countess Krystyna Skarbek signs up to go behind enemy lines as Britain’s first female undercover agent. She outwits the Nazis again and again. Also known by the name Christine Granville, her beauty and daring heroism inspired the character of Vesper Lynd in the first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. But tragedy would see her fade into obscurity. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How did one CIA mole tip the scales of power between two superpowers? Investigative journalist Bethany Allen exposes the hidden world of Chinese espionage operations in America - from Larry Chin's decades-long infiltration of the CIA to the sophisticated intelligence network that emerged in its wake. In conversation with Bond author Charlie Higson, Bethany reveals how a single Cold War security breach evolved into a vast system of global influence, and examines the modern landscape of China's espionage capabilities today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In Washington, D.C., Larry Chin grapples with retirement, but back in Beijing, a new CIA agent is about to set the FBI’s spy hunters on China’s super-spook. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After years of cautious spying, Larry Wu-Tai Chin is about to hit the jackpot. He’s getting a promotion that will give him the inside track on President Richard Nixon’s plan to reset relations with China. But in Beijing, trouble’s brewing for Mao’s undercover agent. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With Mao Zedong’s communist army about to take China, desperate U.S. officials in Shanghai hire interpreter Larry Wu-Tai Chin. But little do they realise that he’s a spy for Mao and ready to play a long game to give China an edge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Christopher Boyce was sentenced to 68 years. He was supposed to die behind bars. Instead, in 2002, he walked free after just 23 years - and it was all because of one woman. Lawyer and author Cait Mills Boyce did the impossible. Speaking with Charlie Higson, she exposes how she dismantled a seemingly unbeatable case, the psychological battles she fought, and the shocking truth: she fell for her client. The FBI's most wanted became the man she loved - and later, the man she had to leave. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With drug deals to pay for, Daulton Lee’s desperate to get back into the KGB’s good books. So when Christopher Boyce finds a big new secret to sell, the pair spy an opportunity for one last payday. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Christopher Boyce and Daulton Lee’s plan to sell spy satellite secrets to the Soviets is working. But Lee’s also using his role as the courier between Boyce and the KGB to keep the majority of their espionage earnings for himself. But for how long can he get away with it? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s the 1970s. The Vietnam War, Watergate and the oil crisis are stoking turmoil in America. And in southern California two middle-class rebels are about to strike back at ‘The Man’ by selling CIA spy satellite secrets to the USSR. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Long before FBI informant David Rupert set foot in Ireland, a hidden web of espionage was already embedded in the North. In this episode, investigative journalist and author Cara McGoogan looks beyond the headlines to examine the depth of British involvement inside IRA operations. Speaking with Bond novelist Charlie Higson, she unpacks why the agent known as Stakeknife looms so large in a recently released official report - and what the case reveals about a wider culture of collusion, protection, and unchecked power. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With the Real IRA accelerating its bombing campaign, FBI-MI5 spy David Rupert is under pressure and about to make a possibly fatal mistake. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the Real IRA moves to derail Northern Ireland’s fragile peace with bombs, MI5 asks spy trucker David Rupert to get close to its ringleader Michael McKevitt. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

After years of violence, peace is within reach in Northern Ireland. But then a mystery American is seen with IRA hardliners. But is he a friend, foe, or fortune hunter? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This Christmas, we're revisiting one of our favorite spy stories. Each December, a giant tree lights up London’s Trafalgar Square. Behind the custom: 007 author Ian Fleming and a secret mission to Norway. This is the story of how wartime espionage gave Britain its most spectacular festive tradition.The Spy Who will take a short break, and will be back with a brand new season on the 6th of January 2026. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

How did the Soviet Union infiltrate so many of Britain’s institutions? Investigative journalist Tim Tate dives into the dark underbelly of British-Soviet relations—uncovering a world where the Kremlin’s influence had already seeped into the heart of Britain’s highest echelons of power long before Oleg Gordievsky ever arrived. In conversation with spy writer Charlie Higson, Tim also reveals a shocking paradox: Gordievsky’s intelligence eased Cold War tensions, but after his exposure paranoia was sent spiraling out of control on both sides of the Iron Curtain.Have you got a spy story you would like us to tell? Email your ideas to thespywho@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oleg Gordievsky's back in Moscow and the KGB are tracking his every move, waiting for him to slip up. He’s got just one option left: MI6’s harebrained plan to smuggle him out of the USSR. And if it goes wrong he’s a dead man.Have you got a spy story you would like us to tell? Email your ideas to thespywho@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When a new job turns Oleg Gordievsky into MI6’s top spy in the KGB, the West is shocked to learn that Soviet nuclear paranoia isn’t just for show.Have you got a spy story you would like us to tell? Email your ideas to thespywho@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When KGB man Oleg Gordievsky is spotted shopping in Copenhagen’s red-light district, Western intelligence sees a chance to recruit him. But they’re going to get more than that. They’re going to get a Soviet insider who will help the world step back from the edge of nuclear war and end the Cold War.Have you got a spy story you’d like us to tell? Email your ideas to thespywho@wondery.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The ex spy at the heart of our story joins host Charlie Higson to unpack his days in a biker gang, his immersion in radical Islam, his rise within al-Qaeda’s ranks, and the dramatic fallout that followed. This high-stakes espionage led to the death of his friend - one of al-Qaeda’s top commanders. In a cruel twist of fate, Morten was subsequently betrayed by the spy agencies he risked everything for, and was left to grapple with PTSD and death threats. Here, he reflects on the cost of his choices and the life he’s rebuilt in the aftermath. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Danish spy Morten Storm is closing in on terrorist cleric Anwar al-Awlaki to secure a huge CIA bounty. But he’s about to be double crossed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As the threat from jihadi preacher Anwar al-Awlaki increases, Morten Storm goes to Yemen to spy on him for the CIA. But al-Awlaki’s got a surprise mission for Storm. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.