Summary Mark Stout (X; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his new book, World War I and the Foundations of American Intelligence. Mark Stout is a former intelligence analyst and former SPY Historian.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The first American intelligence “agencies” Codebreaking during WWI The American Protective League and spy paranoia  WWI’s effect on American culture and politics Reflections Challenging common historical thought  Studying the “forgotten” wars  And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “[After World War I] there will never b ..read more

Summary Andrew Hampton joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in New Zealand. Andrew is the Director General of the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The New Zealand Intelligence Community How geography effects national security The lasting impact of the Christchurch Mosque attacks New Zealand’s relationship with China Reflections The power of community organization The nuanced nature of global politics And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “I think for a long time there was a view that our geographical isolation protected u ..read more

Summary Mark Edlitz (X, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss how James Bond lived on in literature after the death of Ian Fleming. Mark is an author and pop culture expert.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The original Fleming novels Intellectual property and author’s rights to iconic characters The evolution of Bond as a literary character  The relationship between the Bond books and the Bond movies Reflections Can icons ever truly die? Just how malleable are our favorite characters? And much, much more … Resources  SURFACE SKIM *Spotlight Resource* James B ..read more

Summary Mark Zaid (X, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss American intelligence and the law. You’ve heard of a “lawyer to the stars,” Mark is the “lawyer to the spies” What You’ll Learn Intelligence The quirks of being a lawyer in this space How the Espionage Act works in practice  The trial of the Rosenbergs The origins of FOIA and its purpose The Legal foundations underpinning espionage and intelligence Reflections Challenging authority  The delicate balance of secrecy And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “I still love working every day, 30 years late ..read more

Summary Dr. Sara Castro (LinkedIn, Bio) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the history of US-China diplomacy. Sara is an Associate Professor of History at the United States Air Force Academy.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence The Dixie Mission  The history of US-China relations dating back to the Opium Wars China’s involvement with the OSS during WWII How Mao Zedong & Chiang Kai-shek built modern China Reflections Understanding and empathy Knowledge is power  And much, much more … Resources  SURFACE SKIM *Spotlight Resource* Mission to Mao: US Intelligence i ..read more

Summary Mike VanBlaricum (X; LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his journey as a James Bond fanatic and collector. Mike is the President of the Ian Fleming Foundation. What You’ll Learn Intelligence How Mike became an obsessive James Bond collector with 10,000 artifacts Mike’s favorite Bond cars, movies, and books How From Russia with Love was one of John F Kennedy’s favorite books Mike’s tips on the best place to start if you want to read the Bond novels Reflections The passion of a collector Pop culture influencing the “real” world And much, much more … Quotes of the We ..read more

Summary Dr. Ursula Wilder (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the intersections between psychology and intelligence. Ursula is a clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience working at the Central Intelligence Agency.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence How psychology can be useful to national security Historical examples of leadership analysis  Leadership personality assessments & the Cuban Missile Crisis Psychoanalytic theory and espionage  Reflections Human nature throughout history History repeating itself  And much, much more … Quote ..read more

Summary Dr. Ursula Wilder (LinkedIn) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss the intersections between psychology and intelligence. Ursula is a clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience working at the Central Intelligence Agency.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence How psychology can be useful to national security Historical examples of leadership analysis  Leadership personality assessments & the Cuban Missile Crisis Psychoanalytic theory and espionage  Reflections Human nature throughout history History repeating itself  And much, much more … Quote ..read more

Summary Leon Panetta (Panetta Institute) joins Andrew (X; LinkedIn) to discuss his lifetime of American public service. Secretary Panetta was the 2023 recipient of SPY’s William H. Webster Award.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence Directing the Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence & the Abbottabad Raid Working within the Clinton Administration  A life’s dedication to the safety of the American public Reflections The power of patience and the ability to listen Handing immense pressure and responsibility And much, much more … Resources  SURFACE SKIM *SpyCasts* My ..read more

Summary John Blaxland (Twitter, LinkedIn) joins Andrew (Twitter; LinkedIn) to discuss intelligence in Australia and Oceania. John is a widely recognized as a leading expert in this area.  What You’ll Learn Intelligence -Australia’s Intelligence Community  -SIGINT in Australia during WWII  -Australia’s relationship with South Asia -The Pine Gap facility  Reflections -The implications of geography -The power of collaboration And much, much more … Quotes of the Week “The shift from the analog to the digital world … The shift for digital espionage, digital footprint manage ..read more