Kim Philby | Britain's Most Infamous Cold War Spy and Traitor
Ways to support the podcast:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284Harold Adrian Russell Philby was known to everyone as Kim. Four years after the infamous defection to the Soviet Union of British diplomats Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean, Kim was preparing to hold a press conference at his mother's Kensington flat.Ever since the disappearance of the two defectors behind the Iron Curtain, whispers of another betrayal - a so-called "Third Man" started to hang like a dark cloud over Kim Philby’s head.And so there he sat, ready to set the record straight.When asked point-blank whether he was the "third man" who had tipped off Burgess and Maclean, he met the question with measured calm, denial.This infamous proclamation of his innocence was delivered with such sincerity that he was able momentarily to silence his accusers.The press conference in many ways served its purpose, allowing Kim Philby to continue on for the next 8 years.He had, of course, been lying through his teeth. It was only after he disappeared in 1963 that questions started to be asked. How could this have happened? Did British intelligence know about it all along and did they allow him to flee to avoid an even greater scandal?Even today, in 2025 newly declassified documents are shedding fresh light on this most extraordinary case of intrigue and betrayal.This is the story of Kim Philby, the Cold War's most notorious spy and traitor.#philipthompson #truelifespystories #kimphilby
--------
1:16:40
--------
1:16:40
dead drop #7 | New Zealand convicts its first ever spy
Ways to support the channel:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284New Zealand convicts its first ever spyOver in the UK, spy trials don't get out the starting gates. Not so in New Zealand, where in August 2025, the New Zealand courts convicted its first spy, sending a thus-far unnamed soldier in its defence forces to detention in a military camp for 2 years.In this episode I detail the sting operation that went into apprehending and prosecuting the would-be spy who tried to pass classified New Zealand materials to a foreign power.#PhilipThompson #deaddrop #TrueLifeSpyStoriesVideo made in: https://vizzy.io
--------
8:43
--------
8:43
Year Of The Spy | Every Major US Spy Scandal In 1985
Ways to support the podcast:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT2841985. American intelligence was bleeding secrets like a ruptured artery. The Soviets were reading encrypted Navy communications. The Chinese knew what the CIA was translating before Washington did. Israel, an ally, had penetrated the heart of U.S. intelligence operations.Fourteen Americans were arrested that year on espionage charges. Fourteen caught. How many remained hidden?The damage was catastrophic. Decades of intelligence work evaporated overnight. Agents were executed. Military capabilities were exposed. The technological edge that kept America ahead in the Cold War vanished into enemy hands.Their stories are varied and they came from all corners of the US intelligence world. Navy communications specialists. NSA analysts. CIA officers. Translators. Each had their reasons for betrayal. Each left a trail of destruction.This is the year of the spy. These are the stories of betrayal that changed the Cold War forever.#philipthompson #truelifespystories #yearofthespy
--------
3:24:50
--------
3:24:50
dead drop #6 | The Plot Thickens In The China Spy Scandal
Ways to support the channel:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284It's finger-pointing time in Westminster!In October 2025, the UK's first major Chinese espionage trial collapsed in spectacular fashion when prosecutors offered no evidence against two men accused of spying for Beijing. The reason? The government refused to call China a "threat" to national security—a legal requirement under the century-old Official Secrets Act.In this episode, I look at the latest developments in the scandal, including the collision of economic and political interests, and the planned Chinese mega embassy in the heart of London that perhaps stands at the centre of it all. #PhilipThompson #deaddrop #TrueLifeSpyStoriesVideo made in: https://vizzy.io
--------
13:39
--------
13:39
dead drop #5 | China Spy Trial Collapses - Another UK Spying Scandal
Ways to support the channel:Buy Me a Coffee: ☕ https://bmc.link/philipthompsonDonate via PayPal: 💸 paypal.me/PhilipT284In October 2025 in a London courtroom, two men accused of spying for China stood ready for trial. The case has been building for two and a half years by this point. Security services have invested countless hours and tax payer money. Then, in a matter of minutes, the whole thing evaporates. The prosecutor stan ds up and offers no evidence. Case dismissed.How does the UK's first major Chinese espionage trial simply collapse? The answer, the full details of which the likes of you and I will probably never know, reveals a government too nervous to call China what MI5 has been screaming it is for years – a threat.Now the two spies in question, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry have not been convicted of anything and remain innocent until proven guilty. But the reason they so far have not had their day in court has nothing to do with their guilt or innocence. It has everything to do with politics.#philipthompson #truelifespystories #deaddrop
Step into the shadowy realm of spies, secrets, and subterfuge with the True Life Spy Stories Podcast. Join Philip Thompson as he meticulously deconstructs real-life espionage stories bringing history's most intriguing spies and covert operations to life. Philip delivers compelling narratives that blend historical accuracy with engaging storytelling. Whether you're a history buff, a spy fiction enthusiast, or simply curious about the hidden forces shaping world events, this podcast offers a fascinating glimpse into the secret real world of espionage.
México