Graham Greene: The Novelist Who Never Stopped Spying
Spybrary Spy Podcast
The novelist Graham Greene ranks at number 6 on Tim Shipman's infamous Best Spy Writers list — and yet we haven't given him enough airtime on the podcast. Time to put that right. Graham Greene didn't just write about spies — spying was the family business. His uncle founded Naval Intelligence. His sister recruited him into SIS. And Greene himself walked out of the Service the day before D-Day. Why? The answer may involve his boss and drinking companion: Kim Philby. Guest host Matt Hurst debriefs Professor Kevin Ruane — Greene scholar and Director of the Graham Greene International...
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Charles Cumming Talks ICARUS 17, BOX 88 and Writing Modern Espionage
Spybrary Spy Podcast
In this episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast, Shane Whaley is joined by fellow Spybrarian and Head of Boston Station, Joe Modzelewski, to welcome bestselling espionage author back to the show. Support us on for even more content. Charles joins Spybrary to discuss his new Lachlan Kite thriller, , released on 2 July in the UK and 7 July in the United States. Billed as a nail-biting new entry in the series, ICARUS 17 sees Kite pulled back into fieldwork when Martha Rain, a woman from his past, asks for his help in finding her missing son, Max. Max and his girlfriend Yasmine have disappeared...
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Nine Years, 300 Episodes – The Future of Spybrary Spy Podcast
Spybrary Spy Podcast
Nine years after nervously recording episode one, Shane Whaley celebrates a major Spybrary Spy Podcast milestone: episode 300. In this reflective and forward-looking episode, Shane shares how Spybrary began, why the has kept it going, and what comes next for the Spybrary spy podcast. Full shownotes at www.spybrary.com/300
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Bestselling Author Brad Thor on Choke Point, Netflix's Cold Zero, and Spy Fiction
Spybrary Spy Podcast
Brad Thor has sold over 25 million thriller books. Tim Shipman welcomes Brad Thor on Spybrary to discuss , the 25th Scot Harvath thriller, and the evolution of Scott Harvath from post-9/11 counterterrorism operator. Thor explains how the new novel uses Thailand, China’s ambitions, the Strait of Malacca, sabotage, bomb-making, and geopolitical manipulation as the backdrop for a fast-moving thriller. The conversation also digs into Thor’s writing process, his research network of intelligence, military, law enforcement, and diplomatic sources, and how he builds authentic detail even when he...
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Espionage Historian Reveals 5 Must-Read British Spy History Books
Spybrary Spy Podcast
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Cold War Spy Files - Britain’s Secret Fakers: The Cold War’s Hidden Propaganda War with Rory Cormac
Spybrary Spy Podcast
What happens when Britain fights the Cold War with typewriters, fake pamphlets, covert publishers, and even pretend hippies? On this episode of Spybrary's Cold War Spy Files, Shane Whaley talks with historian Rory Cormac about his book .and the extraordinary true story of the Information Research Department — Britain’s secret propaganda and forgery machine. A fascinating dive into Cold War deception, disinformation, and 'state-sanctioned skullduggery.' The conversation opens the file on Britain’s Cold War covert propaganda machine, especially the little-known — a blandly named...
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Jack Carr's Cry Havoc — Did This Le Carré Fan Finish It?
Spybrary Spy Podcast
I'm Shane Whaley — a self-confessed "guile over guns" spy fiction reader who has always preferred le Carré's slow burn spy novels to military firefights. So what happens when a Le Carré fan picks up Jack Carr's Cry Havoc, a 550-page Vietnam War action thriller written by a former Navy SEAL? Welcome to the Spybrary Rodeo — the brand new Spybrary feature where I pick up a book outside my comfort zone, or by a new-to-me author, give it a fair crack, and tell you exactly how many pages I stayed on for. Sometimes I bail early. Sometimes I go all the way to the final page. Today's book is...
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The Dark Truth About the Cambridge Five | Stalin’s Apostles with Antonia Senior
Spybrary Spy Podcast
If you think you already know the Cambridge Five story, think again. In this episode of Spybrary, Shane Whaley is joined by journalist and author Antonia Senior to discuss her powerful new book, — a major re-examination of Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt and John Cairncross. But this is not the familiar story of clubland betrayal, old boys’ networks. ping gins and establishment embarrassment. Instead, Antonia asks a darker and more important question: what did Stalin actually want from his greatest spies and what was the human cost? From Poland, the Baltics,...
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She Judges Crime Fiction’s Biggest Prizes — Here Are Her 5 Favourite Spy Books!
Spybrary Spy Podcast
One of crime fiction's most trusted voices reveals her 5 best spy novels. In our latest Spybrary Dead Drop Five series, crime fiction critic makes a passionate case for each one — and her picks may surprise you. Welcome back to the Dead Drop 5 series! In this episode, Spybrary host Shane Whaley is joined by Ayo Onatade — one of the most respected voices in crime and thriller fiction. Ayo is a critic, commentator, and moderator who has written extensively on crime and thriller fiction, contributed to major reference works on British and American crime writing, and...
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'He Gave Me Information About Spying That Frightened The Life Out of Me!' (and inspired The New Spy)
Spybrary Spy Podcast
Guest host Matthew Hurst sits down with author to explore his debut spy thriller . Dylan shares his unconventional journey from global advertising creative to full-time novelist, revealing how real-world research, including chilling conversations with a mysterious source known only as “Mr. Pickles” shaped the authenticity of his espionage writing. The conversation dives deep into modern intelligence warfare, particularly the concept of “chaos warfare,” where the goal is not conquest but destabilisation. Dylan explains how this evolving geopolitical reality inspired the novel’s...
info_outlineLearn more about the John le Carré Tradecraft exhibition in Oxford revealing John le Carré’s meticulous research, unseen manuscripts, and the personal life behind the spy fiction. In Spybrary Ep. 275, we speak with the curators about what they uncovered and what it tells us about the master of espionage fiction.
In this episode of Spybrary , Shane Whaley hosts a conversation into Tradecraft, the new exhibition at Oxford’s Bodleian Library focusing on John le Carré (David Cornwell). His guests are Professor Federico Varese and Dr Jessica Douthwaite, who co‑curated the exhibition. They explore how the exhibit reveals le Carré’s working methods, personal life, and research habits. From manuscript drafts and scribbles on hotel stationery to his mother’s abandoned suitcase, the conversation explores how le Carré meticulously researched his books, how he conceives characters like George Smiley, and what the curators hope visitors take away.
They also discuss key artifact highlights, the challenge of selecting what to display from over 1,200 archive boxes, and deeper questions: why did he write in fiction rather than non‑fiction, and what question would the curators ask le Carré if they could meet him? Spybrary host Shane Whaley also asked the curators which John le Carré novels they recommend for those new to his work as well as how they selected the nine le Carré books on which the John le Carré exhibition is based.
Key Topics / Themes
- The intersection of fiction, fact and research in le Carré’s method
- Le Carré’s meticulous research process (notes, drafts, corrections)
- The role of Jane Cornwell (his wife) as collaborator and editor
- The curatorial challenge of selecting from the vast John le Carré archives
- Personal artifacts as gateways into the life behind the author
- How le Carré anticipated geopolitical trends (pharma, corruption, security)
- The emotional impact the Tradecraft exhibition had on the author's family.
- The question of why he chose fiction rather than non-fiction as his medium
- And why did he David Cornwell choose the pen name John le Carré.
Shane also thanked the curators for making the Tradecraft exhibition accessible to both le Carré scholars and to those who may never have read any John le Carré novels.
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