Show Notes
In this fascinating episode of Spybrary, host Shane Whaley takes us to the espionage heart of London with expert London Spy Tours guide David Harry, also known as The London Spy. From real-life Cold War betrayals to Bond-worthy locations and hidden relics, David shares captivating insights from his acclaimed Westminster and St. James's London spy tours. This episode is a treasure trove for spy fiction lovers and espionage history buffs alike.
🔑 Key Takeaways:
🕵️♂️ The Origins of the London Spy Tours:
David's London spy tours began accidentally—inspired by a 1700s book, The London Spy, and his own deep interest in espionage, fiction, and tradecraft.
He incorporates rare artifacts like SOE silk escape maps and spy gadgets, blending storytelling, history, and magic (he's a magician too!).
🇬🇧 Why London Is Spy Central:
London has long been a magnet for spies due to its imperial legacy, linguistic reach, and real-life spy operations. The city has seen major espionage incidents from the Cambridge Five to the Berlin Tunnel betrayal to the Markov umbrella assassination, and the Novichok poisonings.
🧭 Tour Highlights:
Visit Carlton House Terrace, featuring WWII German embassy history, the tomb of an anti-Nazi dog (!), and the headquarters of the Information Research Department (IRD)—a Cold War propaganda arm. Learn how George Orwell supplied the IRD with a list of pro-Stalinist sympathizers. Explore shops like Lock & Co Hatters, Turnbull & Asser, and Peter Harrington Rare Books, where Fleming-signed first editions and Churchill's ledgers await.
🔍 Spy Artifacts and Anecdotes:
View original newspaper clippings that simultaneously reported the Berlin Tunnel discovery and serialized From Russia with Love.
Hear about CIA gadgets like the infamous "spy scrotum" radio transmitter for downed aircrew.
Handle spy coins with hidden compartments—linked to real-life agent escapades.
🎥 Fiction Meets Reality:
Discover film and TV locations from James Bond, Slow Horses, The Sandbaggers, and Kingsman. Learn how David tailors his London Spy tours to each group—mixing history, Cold War intrigue, and spy fiction depending on interest.
📍 Useful for Listeners Who:
Love spy fiction and real-world intelligence history. Are planning a trip to London and want an immersive espionage experience. Enjoy behind-the-scenes London spy stories, tradecraft, and collectibles. Appreciate well-researched, artifact-rich storytelling from a charismatic guide.
🧳 Book Your Tour:
🔗 www.thelondonspy.com
More from Spybrary Spy Podcast
Sara Paretsky, legendary creator of V.I. Warshawski, joins me on the Spybrary Spy Podcast to talk about Bad Company — her new spy thriller featuring retired CIA officer Lily, a woman who discovers that you never really leave the Company. We talk about Sara's leap from detective fiction into espionage, creating the fictional Central Asian country of Hayalistan, women inside the CIA, and why an older female intelligence officer offers such a different take on the traditional spy hero. Sara also reveals why she needed eight drafts to find Bad Company, the dog-sled exfiltration scene that survived every rewrite, and how questions of power, anger and voicelessness drive her fiction. And, naturally, we talk spy books: John le Carré, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Mrs Pollifax, Manning Coles and the wonderful Walter Matthau and Glenda Jackson espionage caper Hopscotch. A fascinating conversation with one of crime fiction's most influential writers about what happens when she enters the world of spies.
Paul Burke joins Spybrary hosts Shane Whaley and Michael Huie to discuss his new book, Spies on Screen, an ambitious guide to more than 900 spy films and television series. From James Bond and John le Carré to Slow Horses, The Bureau, The Americans and forgotten spy thrillers, Paul explores how espionage on screen has evolved from glamorous secret agents to damaged, morally complex intelligence officers. Along the way, the trio debate which Bond actor is closest to Ian Fleming's original creation, why The Spy Who Came in from the Cold remains one of the great adaptations, what makes The Day of the Jackal such an enduring classic, and which overlooked spy films and TV series deserve to be rediscovered. Paul also explains why many of the best spy stories are really anti-spy stories, how streaming has transformed the genre, and why international espionage dramas are becoming more important than ever. Plus, stay to the end for the Spybrary quick-fire round, where Paul reveals his picks for best Bond, best spy film, best spy TV series, most underrated espionage movie and more. If you love spy films, spy TV shows and discovering hidden gems, this episode is for you. In this episode: The evolution of spy films and TV James Bond, Timothy Dalton and Ian Fleming The Spy Who Came in from the Cold The Day of the Jackal Slow Horses The Bureau The Americans Forgotten Cold War spy films Underrated espionage TV The future of spy stories on screen Spies on Screen by Paul Burke is out now. Visit Spybrary for more spy books, films, TV, interviews and intelligence history.
What makes a great spy novel? For William Boyd, it is complexity, uncertainty and that irresistible feeling that, as a reader, you are constantly trying to work out who can be trusted.
What if the CIA and MI6 stopped behaving like allies—and started spying on each other? David McCloskey joins Tim Shipman to discuss London Station, his fifth spy novel, and the real intelligence relationship behind its central premise. McCloskey explains why the CIA–SIS "Special Relationship" can sometimes resemble a dysfunctional marriage, what the CIA Chief of Station in London actually does, and how conversations with former American and British intelligence officers shaped the book. He also introduces the wonderfully British intelligence concept of "deep chat"—those unofficial conversations where trusted allies may share rather more than appears in the official cables. There's plenty for Artemis Procter fans too. David discusses her move to London, why she is spectacularly ill-suited to the diplomatic side of the job, and the changes the character is going through. And then comes one of the episode's best stories: McCloskey reveals what happened when he unexpectedly came face-to-face at CIA headquarters with the former colleague he had in mind when he first created Artemis. Plus: Bobby Jerome, CIA vs MI6 tensions, how McCloskey researched Vauxhall Cross, his direct sequel to Damascus Station, the Artemis TV series, Moscow X on film, and what's coming next. A must-listen for David McCloskey readers, Artemis Procter devotees, and anyone fascinated by the real world behind modern spy fiction.
A propulsive, high-stakes thriller—Robert McCaw delivers a gripping tale of espionage, betrayal, and deception amid the race to expose Russian moles at the highest levels of the US government. Tense, timely, and full of international intrigue, Traitors will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended. David McCloskey, former CIA analyst and author of The Persian