The 2 Best A History of the World in Spy Objects Podcast Episodes
1) James Grime: Enigma Machine
How much depended on breaking Enigma’s code? Mathematician James Grime and host, Alice Loxton peer beneath the hood of one of the most storied inventions in military history: the near-unbreakable Enig...Show More
2) Jason Isaacs: B-2 Spirit
How many secrets weigh 1500 lbs, cost $100 million, and travel at 600 mph? Only one that we can think of. Acclaimed actor Jason Isaacs and host Alice Loxton take us inside the cockpit of Northrop Grum...Show More
3) Jung Chang: Chairman Mao Badge
Can you ever truly suppress a curious mind? If there was one aim of Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, it was that. The lauded writer Jung Chang joins Alice Loxton to revisit a childhood characterized ...Show More
4) Manya Kullmann: Castro’s Keepsakes
Where does a leader like Fidel Castro place his trust? The answer comes in the form of a box of romantic mementos, carried from Cuba to Russia. Print designer Manya Kullman tells Alice Loxton the stor...Show More
5) Tim Marlow: The Welbike
What would you need to go it alone behind enemy lines? For the agents of the notoriously brave Special Operations Executive in World War II, a select toolkit of spy gadgets represented the difference ...Show More
6) Alexander Cary: Kim Philby Papers
How does the old spy regard himself, when he’s left alone with his thoughts? The answer to this question can be found in the aborted memoir of one of the most notorious traitors in history: Kim Philby...Show More
7) Kengo Kuma: Nijo Jinya Hotel
If Nijo Jinya’s walls could talk, what story would they tell? World-renowned architect Kengo Kuma joins host Alice Loxton to discuss a still-standing Kyoto guest house where, in Japan’s Edo era, power...Show More
8) Gary Powers Jr: U2 Spy Plane
What’s it like to be the child of a world-famous spy? Gary Powers Jr. takes his name and his inspiration from his father, Francis Gary Powers – the pilot of the U2 spy plane that was shot down over th...Show More
9) Tom Ayling: Secret Service Payments Book
Who pays for all the King’s secrets? In between the lines of a tired old accounts ledger, a hidden history of espionage and scandal lies in wait. Antiquarian bookseller Tom Ayling and host Alice Loxto...Show More
10) Trevor Paglen: Skynet
How dangerous is metadata? According to the artist and author Trevor Paglen, it can be deadly. Paglen joins host Alice Loxton to shine a light on Skynet – a network of all-seeing satellites – and the ...Show More