Best Al Castro 3 Podcasts (2025)

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ENCORE - The Spy Who (UK) | The Spy Who Gave London its Christmas Tree | 1 34:40

Play Pause

4d ago34:40

34:40

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 …

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The Spy Who Outran the KGB | Before Gordievsky, and the Secret War Inside Britain - with Author Tim Tate | 4 36:45

11d ago36:45

36:45

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 s…

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The Spy Who Outran the KGB | The Chase | 3 41:41

18d ago41:41

41:41

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 [email protected] See Privacy Policy at https://…

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The Spy Who Outran the KGB | War Games | 2 48:03

25d ago48:03

48:03

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 [email protected] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do…

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The Spy Who Outran the KGB | Secrets and Chocolate Bars | 1 44:11

1M ago44:11

44:11

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? Em…

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The Spy Who Lived Inside Al-Qaeda | Morten Storm on his extraordinary life, being 'one of the worst spies' and the true cost of espionage | 4 38:08

1M ago38:08

38:08

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 b…

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The Spy Who Lived Inside Al-Qaeda | Disposable Hero | 3 37:50

2M ago37:50

37:50

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.

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The Spy Who Lived Inside Al-Qaeda | The Struggle Within | 2 40:10

2M ago40:10

40:10

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.

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The Spy Who Lived Inside Al-Qaeda| Jump in the Fire | 1 41:17

2M ago41:17

41:17

When an outlaw biker swaps crime for Islamic extremism, he finds himself on MI5’s radar. But as he gets closer to al-Qaeda’s inner circle, one decision will turn him from terrorist ally into their worst nightmare. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

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The Spy Who Colluded with Castro | How Ana Montes Fooled Her FBI Siblings | 4 35:24

2M ago35:24

35:24

How did Ana Montes spy for Cuba for 17 years while surrounded by FBI agents, which included her own relatives? Investigative journalist Jim Popkin joins spy novelist Charlie Higson to reveal how the Pentagon's top Cuba analyst maintained her double life, and shared Thanksgiving dinner surrounded FBI family members while feeding America's military s…

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The Spy Who Colluded with Castro | Ready to Snap | 3 39:03

2M ago39:03

39:03

The Defense Intelligence Agency thinks it’s found the Cuban spy in its ranks but convincing the FBI won’t be easy. And as the agencies clash, Ana Montes starts to wonder: is there more to life than espionage? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

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The Spy Who Colluded with Castro | In This Building | 2 42:22

3M ago42:22

42:22

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The Spy Who Colluded with Castro | The A Traitor in the Making | 1 40:28

3M ago40:28

40:28

In the heart of the Cold War, student Ana Montes is angered by US meddling in Central America. So when a mysterious Cuban offers her a chance to do more than protest, she’s pulled into a dangerous new world. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

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The Spy Who is Back Soon | 6 1:17

4M ago1:17

1:17

Hosts Indira Varma and Raza Jaffrey return, unveiling three gripping stories of espionage that changed history: a Cuban mole inside US intelligence, an IRA infiltrator and a KGB colonel turned British asset. New episodes coming to your feed at the end of September. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt…

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Encore: The Spy Who Inspired 007 | The Other James Bonds | 5 20:36

4M ago20:36

20:36

Charlotte Philby interviews Andrew Lycett, the biographer of Ian Fleming, about the other real life spies that inspired his most famous character: James Bond - including the flamboyant Biffy Dunderdale, the urbane Sir Peter Smithers and evenIan Fleming’s own escapades. But who is the most James Bond of all? Listen to The Spy Who on the Wondery App …

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Encore: The Spy Who Inspired 007 | Retribution | 4 40:04

5M ago40:04

40:04

British intelligence is out to fool the Nazis into thinking the Allies invasion will start anywhere but Normandy. But to make Operation Fortitude’s lies stick, they need an agent who can sell the fiction to the Abwehr under interrogation and only one man has the chutzpah for that: Duško Popov. Listen to The Spy Who on the Wondery App or wherever yo…

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Encore: The Spy Who Inspired 007 | Back in the Game | 3 35:30

5M ago35:30

35:30

After a bust-up with the FBI over Pearl Harbor, Duško Popov finds himself at a crossroads. Does he seek a Hollywood ending with his movie star girlfriend or risk death by returning to Lisbon to win back the trust of his Nazi spymasters? Listen to The Spy Who on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen early and ad-free on W…

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Encore: The Spy Who Inspired 007 | Warning Signs | 2 35:44

5M ago35:44

35:44

MI6 double agent Duško Popov is heading to America, armed with evidence of Japan’s keen interest in the US Pearl Harbor naval base. But he's about to discover that the biggest threat to his mission are the very people he’s here to help: the FBI. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/priva…

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Encore: The Spy Who Inspired 007 | A Friend Among Foes | 1 35:27

5M ago35:27

35:27

It’s 1940 and Serbian playboy Duško Popov hopes to sit out World War Two in Belgrade. But when his best friend, Johnny Jebsen shows up at his door to call in an old debt, Popov finds himself sucked into the wartime spy game – as an agent for both Nazi Germany and Britain’s MI6. Listen to The Spy Who on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podca…

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The Spy Who Saved MI5 (Encore) | How the Cambridge Five Changed MI5 | 5 37:36

5M ago37:36

37:36

Why was the Cambridge Five scandal so embarrasing to MI5? And how significant was Oleg Lyalin's success in restoring faith in British Intelligence? Tristan Donovan discusses the notorious spy-ring and its lasting impact with Andrew Lownie, the author of Stalin's Englishman. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Noti…

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The Spy Who Saved MI5 (Encore) | The Dominoes Fall | 4 38:46

6M ago38:46

38:46

Operation Foot is now happening. And British government knows that its attempt to neutralise the KGB in London will be met with hostility from Moscow. But it’s not just the UK that must prepare for the retaliation, for Oleg Lyalin is also about to discover what it will cost to escape the KGB’s wrath. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy …

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The Spy Who Saved MI5 (Encore) | No Return | 3 33:27

6M ago33:27

33:27

There’s panic at MI5 headquarters. Oleg Lyalin, their man inside the KGB, has just been arrested for drunk driving putting Operation Foot in jeopardy. But as MI5 races to reach him before the KGB can, Lyalin is working out a daring new plan that will force the British security service to place its trust in him. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.c…

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The Spy Who Saved MI5 (Encore) | The Pressure Cooker | 2 36:36

6M ago36:36

36:36

Oleg Lyalin is now compromised. To survive, he must now find a way to maintain the fictions of his multiple lives. But when his messy love life spirals out of control, Moscow sends in a KGB investigator to uncover what’s really going on in London. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/pri…

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The Spy Who Saved MI5 (Encore) | The Spider and the Fly | 1 36:51

6M ago36:51

36:51

MI5 is on its knees at the dawn of the 1970s: Soviet spies are running free around the country and the government won’t boot them out for fear of upsetting Moscow. But the danger from inaction is growing because a spy from the KGB’s most-secret department has just been posted to London. His name is Oleg Lyalin and he’s on a mission to take down Bri…

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The Spy Who Ran Mossad’s Fake Hotel | Gad Shimron on his Double Life as a Windsurfing Coach | 4 29:50

7M ago29:50

29:50

Ex-Mossad agent Gad Shimron spent three years at the Arous Diving Resort, in war-torn Sudan. He was hotel staff by day, taking guests out for sailing trips and windsurfing lessons. But by night, he was helping fellow Mossad agent Dani Limor smuggle thousands of persecuted Ethiopian Jews through Sudan and to Jerusalem. He speaks to actor and spy nov…

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The Spy Who Ran Mossad’s Fake Hotel | The Return | 3 41:15

7M ago41:15

41:15

Dani Limor is being held at gunpoint. His next words will either save Operation Brothers and thousands of lives – or get him killed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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The Spy Who Ran Mossad’s Fake Hotel | Sun, Sand and Spies | 2 38:34

7M ago38:34

38:34

With thousands of Ethiopian Jews stuck in Sudan’s refugee camps, Israeli spy Dani Limor hits on a plan to take Mossad into the tourist trade. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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The Spy Who Ran Mossad’s Fake Hotel | The Escape | 1 44:04

7M ago44:04

44:04

When a surprise S.O.S. reaches Israeli spy agency Mossad, it sparks a wild plan to help Jews in Ethiopia. But to work, Mossad must go undercover in hostile territory. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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The Spy Who Dressed the Queen | The Royal Family's spy links | 4 34:42

8M ago34:42

34:42

The British Royal Family has long been entwined with the secret services. Richard Aldrich and Rory Cormac reveal in their book 'The Secret Royals', how Queen Victoria and Elizabeth II (Codename 2519) were the ultimate handlers; privy to daily intelligence reports, globally well connected, capable of outmanoeuvring their own governments. Host Charli…

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The Spy Who Dressed the Queen | Reckoning Day | 3 40:43

8M ago40:43

40:43

Following initial success messing with the Germans, Amies is facing his most-crucial mission yet: laying the groundwork for the liberation of Belgium. But is the threat from Prosper De Zitter really over? Some gun sound effects courtesy of Mike Burns & Fabien Compos of youtube.com/@BlokeontheRange See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and…

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The Spy Who Dressed the Queen | Rat Week | 2 41:37

8M ago41:37

41:37

Armed with a new secret weapon, Amies compiles a kill list to deal with Nazi collaborators, including the traitor taking down his agents one by one. Will the Belgians back his scheme? Some gun sound effects courtesy of Mike Burns & Fabien Compos of youtube.com/@BlokeontheRange See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy N…

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The Spy Who Dressed the Queen | The Man with the Missing Finger | 1 43:35

8M ago43:35

43:35

British fashion designer Hardy Amies applies for a second job as a spymaster as World War 2 begins. Before long, he's sending his men directly into the dangers of Nazi-occupied Belgium, and his guilt threatens to overtake him. Who is the man with the missing finger entrapping British agents? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Calif…

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The Spy Who Duped Hitler | Making a Musical out of Mincemeat | 4 35:27

9M ago35:27

35:27

David Cumming, writer, actor, composer and originator of Operation Mincemeat: The Musical, transformed one of WWII’s most surreal tales—a corpse planted with fake intelligence to mislead the Nazis—into an all-singing, all-dancing West End sensation. Our host, Charlie Higson speaks to David about finding musical comedy in this unlikely wartime story…

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The Spy Who Duped Hitler | Hook, Line and Sinker | 3 42:31

9M ago42:31

42:31

With 160,000 Allied troops about to invade Sicily, the Operation Mincemeat team hunt for signs that the Nazis fell for their con. But are the Germans fooled, or about to turn Britain’s double cross against the Allies? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

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The Spy Who Duped Hitler | Washed Up | 2 40:36

9M ago40:36

40:36

Germany and Britain both want the same thing: to get Major Bill Martin’s briefcase into the hands of the Nazis. But will Operation Mincemeat’s ploy survive a reckless chauffeur, an inquisitive coroner and the rule-abiding Spanish Navy? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-…

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The Spy Who Duped Hitler | From Zero to Hero | 1 41:18

9M ago41:18

41:18

The story of Operation Mincemeat. It’s 1943 and World War 2 hangs on a knife-edge. Everybody knows the obvious next move for the Allies is to invade Sicily. So Winston Churchill gives his spy chiefs a daunting task: create a lie so good it will fool Adolf Hitler and get Nazi Germany to move its troops elsewhere. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.…

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The Spies Who Invaded Suburbia | Former illegal spy Jack Barsky on years undercover | 4 40:46

9M ago40:46

40:46

Jack Barsky was arguably one of the most successful and enduring of the "Illegals”. These were the Soviet and Russian operatives who seamlessly integrated into American society while covertly serving their handlers in Moscow. But as Jack started a family in his new country, the weight of his double life began to take its toll. Talking to actor and …

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The Spies Who Invaded Suburbia | Ghostbusting | 3 44:32

10M ago44:32

44:32

Time’s running out to arrest the illegals, but before the FBI can bust them it needs the okay from President Barack Obama. However, it means trashing the president’s plan to make nice with Russia. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.…

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The Spies Who Invaded Suburbia | The New Illegals | 2 49:21

10M ago49:21

49:21

With the undercover Russian spies making moves to get closer to Hilary Clinton, Moscow sends a new illegal to America: Anna Chapman. And she’s on a mission to wow Manhattan. Have you got a spy story you’d like us to tell? Email your ideas to [email protected]. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at http…

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The Spies Who Invaded Suburbia | Coming To America | 1 54:18

10M ago54:18

54:18

It's 1999 and a mole reveals that deep-cover Russian spies are lurking in American suburbia. The FBI finds itself walking a tightrope to keep these spooks in check without exposing its man in Moscow. But the longer the Bureau watches, the more dangerous and numerous the fake Americans become, with one Anna Chapman making moves to get to the West. E…

1
The Spy Who Infiltrated Auschwitz | Pilecki’s Great-Grandson on the Man Behind the Mission | 4 33:28

10M ago33:28

33:28

Krzysztof Kosior was thirty when he first felt ready to visit Auschwitz. But since childhood, he had heard stories of his great-grandfather’s time there, and of his journey from unknown soldier to one of Poland’s greatest heroes. Talking to actor and spy novelist Charlie Higson, Krzysztof reflects on his family’s memories of Witold, and on the surp…

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The Spy Who Infiltrated Auschwitz | No Answers | 3 53:38

11M ago53:38

53:38

Witold Pilecki gets dire news from the Polish resistance in Warsaw. After two years desperately trying to expose the horrors of Auschwitz, he’s forced to rethink his mission. Have you got a spy story you’d like us to tell? Email your ideas to [email protected] EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/spywhoTry it risk-free now with a 30-day…

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The Spy Who Infiltrated Auschwitz | The Message | 2 41:34

11M ago41:34

41:34

Witold Pilecki scolds a new arrival for calling him by his real name. But then he realises: this new arrival might know if his messages are reaching the Allies. And if the Allies are going to act. Have you got a spy story you’d like us to tell? Email your ideas to [email protected] EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/spywhoTry it risk-…

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The Spy Who Infiltrated Auschwitz | The Volunteer | 1 54:12

11M ago54:12

54:12

Polish soldier Witold Pilecki is heading to Auschwitz. By choice. His mission is to play prisoner so he can expose what’s happening inside the Nazis’ secretive concentration camp. But first, he must survive. Have you got a spy story you’d like us to tell? Email your ideas to [email protected] EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/spywhoT…

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The Spy Who Betrayed Bin Laden (Encore) | Aimen Dean talks about his time as MI6's Top Spy Inside Al-Qaeda | 5 46:21

11M ago46:21

46:21

Aimen Dean talks Raza Jaffrey through the highs and lows of his eight years as an undercover agent and why he chose to spy for the British rather than the Americans. He also describes how he felt after his cover was blown when an American writer disclosed his identity with details that could only be sourced to Dean; and what his life has been like …

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The Spy Who Betrayed Bin Laden (Encore) | Death Sentence | 4 40:07

11M ago40:07

40:07

A deadly plot threatens the New York Subway and Dean is on a mission to thwart it. But when his British spymasters decide to alert the U.S. to the threat, Dean’s deception begins to unravel. Have you got a spy story you’d like us to tell? Email your ideas to [email protected] See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privac…

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The Spy Who Betrayed Bin Laden (Encore) | Twin Towers | 3 38:51

12M ago38:51

38:51

Dean is working undercover, posing as a loyal jihadi in Afghanistan, while actually spying for British intelligence. He knows that one mistake is all it will take to wind up dead. But that’s not his only worry because the sense is growing that al-Qaeda has a major plot in the works. Have you got a spy story you’d like us to tell? Email your ideas t…

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The Spy Who Betrayed Bin Laden (Encore) | Londonistan | 2 37:43

12M ago37:43

37:43

Aimen Dean is trapped. He wants out of al-Qaeda and Afghanistan, but no one gets to leave the jihadi training camps without permission. So when a missile strike hands him the perfect excuse to leave he seizes the chance to break free. Have you got a spy story you’d like us to tell? Email your ideas to [email protected] See Privacy Policy at htt…

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The Spy Who Betrayed Bin Laden (Encore) | Holy War | 1 40:44

12M ago40:44

40:44

It’s 1994 and 16-year-old Aimen Dean wants to die. He’s heading to war-torn Bosnia to join the Mujahideen and save fellow Muslims. He hopes to become a martyr so that he can be reunited with his dead parents in paradise. Instead, he’s about to be confronted by a bloody reality. Have you got a spy story you’d like us to tell? Email your ideas to the…

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The Spy Who Killed a Prime Minister | Lumumba's Grandson on Legacy, Loss and the Weight of a Name | 5 23:50

1y ago23:50

23:50

Amory Lumumba was born long after the 1961 assassination of his grandfather. Yet the impact continues to ripple through his family today. Actor and spy novelist Charlie Higson speaks with Amory about the heavy responsibility of carrying the Lumumba name, and the enduring, inspirational legacy that Patrice Lumumba left behind. Plus, Amory tells Char…