Podcasts to Listen To: Espionage and the best spy podcasts to listen to

The practice of espionage has existed since ancient times and has fascinated the public for just as long. Tales of the secret art of intelligence-gathering and sabotage captivate us with crazy-but-true acts of bravery and daring feats by daring individuals. Here are a few espionage podcasts to listen to.

Espionage

Shying away from the fanciful spies like James Bond and Ethan Hunt, this podcast tells the tales of what it takes to be a real spy. Each week, they cover a real-life spy mission: the stakes, the deception, the gadgets and how it changed the course of history. Each mission is covered in two-part episodes. Recent episodes include "Sidney Reilly Pt. 2," "Sidney Reilly Pt. 1" and "Best of 2019: Aldrich Ames Pt. 2."

Find it: https://www.parcast.com/espionage

I Spy

Hosted by three-time Emmy award-winning actress Margo Martindale, I Spy gets the real people involved in the world of espionage to open up. Martindale talks to the operations people: the spies who steal secrets, who kill adversaries and who turn agents into double agents. Each episode features one spy telling the story of one operation. Recent episodes include "The Jumper," "The Art Dealer" and "The Counterspy."

Find it: https://foreignpolicy.com/podcasts/ispy/

SpyCast

International Spy Museum curator Dr. Vince Houghton hosts a weekly show featuring interviews and programs with ex-spies, intelligence experts and espionage scholars. Dr. Houghton specializes in intelligence, diplomatic and military history, with an expertise in the late-World War II and early-Cold War eras. Recent episodes include "Spy Chat with Chris Costa," "Avoiding the Terrorist Trap: A Conversation with Tom Parker" and "How Haven’t I Heard of This??: A Conversation with William Rosenau."

Find it: https://www.spymuseum.org/multimedia/spycast/

DryCleanerCast

Freelance writer and director Chris Carr takes a look at the "War on Terror," geopolitics and espionage in the 21st century. Each month Carr interviews authors, scholars and former professionals from the world of espionage. Each episode is a long-form interview, allowing for a deeper dive into each subject. Recent episodes include "The Spy in Moscow Station," "Director Chris Carr discusses his spy film ’The Dry Cleaner’" and "Tim Tate - Hitler’s British Traitors."

Find it: https://www.drycleanercast.co.uk/cast