Cold War Conversations - "vivid & compelling" The NY Times

In 1986, Oggy Boytchev made a split-second decision that would change his life forever. Sent to Egypt by a Bulgarian shipping company, he seized an unexpected opportunity to escape communist Bulgaria, boarding a flight to London and claiming political asylum at Heathrow.

In this 2nd episode with Oggy, he recounts details of his extraordinary escape to becoming a broadcaster with the BBC World Service. He describes the emotional impact of leaving his family behind, the pride his father felt hearing his son’s voice broadcasting back into Bulgaria, and the dramatic events that followed the co...

Oggy Boytchev is a former BBC journalist with more than three decades of experience reporting from conflict zones across the Middle East, the Balkans and the former Soviet Union.

Born in 1955, Oggy grew up under the shadow of a family secret. His father had been branded an “enemy of the people” and interned without trial in a remote Bulgarian town, where he spent years under police supervision and forced labour. Even after his release, the family lived under the constant fear of surveillance, informers and political persecution.

From secretly listening to the BBC...

Richard Lyntton’s life has taken him from Cold War Moscow to the deserts of the Gulf War and the shattered streets of Sarajevo.

In this powerful episode, he recalls studying in the Soviet Union during the hopeful Gorbachev years, travelling across Russia by train, and later serving as a tank commander during the First Gulf War.

At the heart of this conversation is Bosnia, where Richard witnessed the siege of Sarajevo, came face to face with Bosnian Serb war criminal Radovan Karadžić, and narrowly escaped trouble after secretly filming General Ratko Mladić.

Ric...

Step behind the wire of one of NATO’s most elite tactical fighter squadrons—the 10th Tactical Fighter Squadron—during the tense final years of the Cold War and into Operation Desert Storm.

Former US Air Force officer Michael Makatura’s new book, The Fightin’ Tenth, takes you inside the hardened aircraft shelters of Hahn Air Base and witness life on the front lines of the Cold War. From the heart of West Germany to the skies above Iraq, this gripping episode captures what it means to stand ready for war at a moment’s notice, fly the iconic F...

Antonia Senior’s new book, "Stalin’s Apostles", challenges what you may have believed about the Cambridge Five, a group of British citizens who spied for the Soviet Union.

Antonia argues that their actions during the Cold War have long been romanticised in popular culture., however, the reality is far more complex and tragic.

Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt, and John Cairncross, were not merely glamorous rogues; their espionage activities had dire consequences for countless individuals in Eastern and Central Europe.

Antonia challenges the traditional narrative that often portrays them as v...

Mark Thompson shares his captivating journey as the child of Royal Air Force personnel during the Cold War. From the moment his parents met in Singapore to their adventures across various military bases, Mark's stories are filled with nostalgia and insight.

Mark's father, a skilled electrician, joined the Royal Air Force and was posted to different locations, including Malta and Germany. His childhood memories revolve around the vibrant life he experienced on these bases, from playing with friends to witnessing Vulcan bombers flying overhead. He recalls the joy of living in Malta, where he...

The Cold War was a huge battle for hearts and minds — a true “people’s war.” But where did the “people’s game” fit into it?

In their new book, Cold War Football: A History in Ten Matches, Tony Shaw and Alan McDougall explore the surprising and fascinating links between football and the global struggle between capitalism and communism. From East Germany’s famous victory over West Germany at the 1974 World Cup to North Korea’s remarkable run in 1966, they show how football became much more than a game.

Tony and Alan reve...

In June 1949, the US and British governments secretly agreed to mount a joint covert action operation to overthrow the communist government in Albania. The top-secret plan would use exiled dissidents to conduct subversive intelligence, paramilitary and propaganda operations to foment an uprising against Albania's authoritarian ruler Enver Hoxha.

I speak with Stephen Long, the author of A Rich Harvest of Bitter Fruit: CIA and MI6 Covert Action in Communist Albania at the Dawn of the Cold War. He describes how the Albanian operation is a vital but misunderstood part of Cold War history and...

I had the honour of speaking with Tony Dobbie, a former RAF V- Force bomber pilot who joined the RAF in 1960.

Tony shares amazing anecdotes from his training, including his experiences flying jets like the Meteor and the Vampire, and the transition to the mighty Victor bomber. He candidly discusses the realities of nuclear missions during the Cold War, revealing the tension and responsibility that came with such roles.

One of the most gripping parts of our conversation revolves around the Cuban Missile Crisis. Tony was on QRA on...

Kris is a former conscript in the West German Bundeswehr during the Cold War. He shares his experiences from the moment he received his conscription notice at 17, ultimately joining the Luftwaffe, where he served with the Pershing nuclear missile system.

Basic training was a rite of passage filled with challenges. Kris recounts the camaraderie formed with fellow recruits and the harsh realities of military life. Still, it was during this time that he learned valuable lessons about discipline, teamwork, and resilience.

As the conversation unfolds, we explore the operational...

I delve into the fascinating world of Cold War propaganda with historian Rory Cormac, author of a new book “Fakers - 'A Top Secret Tale of Phantoms and Forgeries on the Disinformation Front Line'. The episode uncovers the clandestine operations carried out by the Information Research Department (IRD), a little-known unit of the British Foreign Office that specialised in covert propaganda during the Cold War.

Rory shares insights into the recent declassification of 8,000 files, which revealed the astonishing operational details of the IRD. From bizarre forgeries to the creation of phantom organisations, the episode hi...

Flynn describes life as a US military child just 30 miles from the North Korean Border during the 1970s.

The political landscape of the time was tumultuous, marked by significant events such as the assassination of President Park and a number of serious border incursions and incidents. Flynn reflects on how these events affected his understanding of the world around him, even as a child. He recalls the fear instilled by air raid drills and the constant presence of military operations, which painted a stark picture of being within artillery range of North Korea.

Dallas, 22 November 1963. The main event is supposed to be on the appropriately named Main Street. News footage shows office workers leaning out of windows, peering at the motorcade through a blizzard of ticker tape. On the sidewalks, the crowds are fifty deep, a wall of noise and celebration. Everyone thinks this is the place to be. Well, nearly everyone....

A few blocks away, in Dealey Plaza, the scene is different. There is no ticker tape here, and the crowds are thin. A dressmaker with vertigo films the action balanced on a concrete plinth. A man is opening...

40 years ago at 1:23 a.m. on April 26, 1986, a routine safety test inside Reactor Four at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant spiralled into the worst nuclear disaster in history.

This episode traces the catastrophe from the control room, where exhausted operators struggled with an unstable reactor they did not fully understand, to the streets of Pripyat, where thousands of residents woke the next morning unaware that radioactive contamination had already settled around them.

Through a dramatic, chronological account, I examine the fatal combination of human pressure, flawed reactor design, secrecy, and delayed decision-making...

Juli begins by recounting her early years in East Berlin, a time marked by the tragic loss of her father. Drafted into the army just days before her birth, her father continually deserted to see his family, ultimately leading to his untimely death. This early loss left Juli and her mother to navigate a harsh landscape in East Germany alone.

Life in East Berlin was a world of contrasts. Juli describes the indoctrination she experienced in school, where lessons were steeped in socialist propaganda. The Berlin Wall, a symbol of division and oppression, loomed...

Chris was a US Marine assigned to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, a sprawling US base on the Communist island of Cuba.

Chris describes the guard duty along the fence line, where the proximity to the Cuban border created an unusual tension. Chris also shares anecdotes of encounters with defectors and the fascinating dynamics of life on the base. From observing Cuban life across the fence to the camaraderie among Marines, his stories paint a vivid picture of military life.

Chris also touches on the challenges faced by service members, including the isolation and the impact of...

In this episode, historian and writer Michael G. Stroud explores how decades of political instability drew the Soviet Union into Afghanistan in 1979—and why the intervention quickly spiralled into a protracted and unwinnable war.

From the struggle to control vast, rugged terrain to the challenge of winning support from a fiercely independent population, we examine the realities faced by Soviet and Afghan government forces.

At the centre of the discussion are the battles for Zhawar, a vast cave complex on the Afghan-Pakistan border that served as a critical Mujahideen st...

Former Legal Director MI5 & MI6, David Bickford, takes us behind the scenes of one of the most unusual and precarious postings of the Cold War. Arriving in Berlin in 1979, the city is still technically under Allied occupation—surrounded by East Germany and governed through a complex web of agreements dating back to the Second World War.

He recounts the day-to-day realities of maintaining access routes into the city, negotiating with the Soviets without the backing of force, and managing constant disputes over transport, tariffs, and air corridors. Against the backdrop of rising tensions following the Soviet invasion of...

Ihor reflects on his time serving as an officer in the Soviet Union’s Ministry of Interior troops. After volunteering for military service, he found himself travelling from Lviv to Lithuania to begin officer training in communications and field operations.

The training program brought together recruits from across the Soviet Union and beyond communications; these troops had a wide range of responsibilities—from guarding strategic facilities to responding to hostage crises and public disturbances.

This is a rare opportunity to hear the everyday realities of military service inside the Sovi...

Born in Lviv in Ukraine, in 1958, Ihor grew up in a city where borders shifted, but memories endured. In this episode, he recalls a childhood shaped by silence, censorship, and family stories that could only be told in private.

While official history came from Moscow, a very different past survived in the countryside—passed down by grandparents who had lived through empire, war, and occupation.

This is a unique personal account of what it meant to grow up in Soviet Ukraine in the 1950s and 60s.

Episode extras here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://coldwarconversations.com/episode447⁠⁠ Go to ⁠⁠⁠https...

During the Cold War, some of the most dangerous encounters between East and West took place far beneath the ocean’s surface.

I speak with historian Dr. Paul Brown, author of Secret Warriors: British Submarines during the Cold War. Brown reveals the extraordinary covert missions carried out by Royal Navy submarines as they monitored Soviet naval bases near Murmansk and the Barents Sea.

British boats gathered vital intelligence by recording the acoustic signatures of Soviet submarines, trailing enemy vessels, and observing major naval exercises. These missions were risky and occasionally resulted in collisions, such as th...

Lt Col Rob “Z-Man” Zettel is the author of American MiG Pilot - Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles. He tells the Red Eagles story for the first time through the experiences of a pilot who flew Soviet MiGs to their maximum performance in simulated combat engagements, often several times a day, against some of the very best fighter pilots hand-picked from the ranks of the USAF, US Navy and US Marine Corps.

With controls labelled in Russian and the only spare parts being the ones they could salvage, the pilots who climbed into the MiGs - the...

Rob “Z-Man” Zettel is the author of American MiG Pilot - Inside the Top Secret USAF “Red Eagles. In part one of a two-part episode, he reveals how he made it into this top-secret US operation that wouldn't feel out of place in 'Top Gun'.

From a high school student with no aviation background, Rob discovered he had a natural aptitude for flying via the USAF Reserve Officer Training Corps. He then joined the USAF, progressing to an Aggressor Squadron where his unit replicated enemy tactics, techniques, and procedures.

Rob shares anecdotes of training, close calls...

I speak with Bruce Berglund, the author of The Moscow Playbook: How Russia Used, Abused, and Transformed Sports in the Hunt for Power, which is a fascinating journey through the world of Soviet sports and its intricate ties to politics as a means of soft power and national pride.

We learn how the Soviets achieved strategic advantage through women's sports, the abuse of amateur status, the controversial topic of doping and how sports science revolutionised the performance of athletes.

Listeners will also hear about the iconic "Miracle on Ice" ice hockey game in 1980, where the...

Susan Miller continues the story of her CIA career, recalling a harrowing experience of the 1991 US embassy fire in Moscow, and the unexpected humanity displayed by a KGB officer who helped save lives during the crisis. Episode one is here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode441/

In Poland, a KGB walk-in claims to have microfiche containing the names of every spy the KGB was running overseas.

And as CIA Chief in Vilnius, Susan is confronted by another KGB walk-in with a box of weapons-grade uranium

Listen to part one here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode441/

I explore the remarkable journey of a CIA operations officer who transitioned from a quiet childhood in California to the thrilling world of espionage.

What began as a joke application to the CIA turned into a life-changing opportunity.

The episode delves into her rigorous training, including paramilitary courses that prepared her for the realities of fieldwork and thrilling stories from her time in Moscow during the late 1980s.

Susan also gives tradecraft insights on surveillance techniques and the unique challenges faced by women in intelligence roles during that era.

Episode extras ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://cold...

This special episode was recorded in front of a live audience at the Imperial War Museum London, in October 2025.

I speak with Colin Ferguson, a veteran from the British Army‘s covert Special Observation Post Troop.

This "stay behind" Special OP Troop consisted of selected soldiers in 6-man patrols whose task was to dig in large underground hides known as "mexe" shelters along the inner German border. They would then allow the main Soviet forces to pass over them before deploying to two smaller observation posts (Ops) where they would engage the en...

What would you risk to escape a totalitarian state—and how long would you be willing to wait?

In this gripping episode, Peter Kasl, author of Escaping the Grip of Eastern European Communism, tells the extraordinary true story of his family’s escape from behind the Iron Curtain. Born into a country transformed by repression after the 1968 Prague Spring and the Soviet invasion, Peter grew up in a world of fear, surveillance, and whispered conversations.

He recounts how his uncle’s defection marked the entire family as enemies of the st...

The US invasion of Grenada in 1983 remains a pivotal event in both Caribbean and Cold War history.

President Reagan, fearing the spread of communism in the Caribbean and the safety of US citizens, initiated military action.

US forces launched a swift invasion, aiming to seize control of the island and restore order. However, the operation was fraught with challenges. Intelligence failures, miscommunication, and the chaotic nature of the military operation raised questions about the effectiveness of US planning and coordination.

Internationally, the invasion was met with condemnation. The United Nations General Assembly passed...

In the 1970s, a network of radical extremists terrorised the West with intricately planned plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them was the young Leila Khaled with her jewellery made from grenade rings, the hard-drinking Carlos the Jackal in shades and designer suits, and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang.

United by their hatred of Israel, capitalism and ‘Western imperialism’, they unleashed a series of audacious attacks that brought governments to their knees and glued the world to their televisions in morbid fascination.

Drawing on decades of research, recently declassified government files, secret documents, and orig...

Andrew was a British modern languages student in 1989. He recounts the serendipitous moment when he stumbled upon an advert for a work and holiday trip to the GDR.

The trip was organized by the Great Britain GDR Society, which allowed participants to experience life behind the Iron Curtain. For just £120, students could immerse themselves in a culture that was vastly different from what they knew. The only requirement was to join the society, which piqued the curiosity of our guest, who had previously visited West Germany but had yet to set foot in the East.

Keith Longstreth takes us through an extraordinary life shaped by the rhythms and risks of the Cold War. Born into an Air Force family, Keith grew up on bases across the world—from Scotland to Italy to Texas, where he describes a poignant last farewell to President Kennedy before his assassination.

His career in the USAF placed him behind the scenes of America’s most critical aircraft, including time at RAF Upper Heyford during the tense early 1980s. There, he lived through chemical-attack drills, nuclear-strike simulations, and the ever-present pressure of NATO–Soviet confrontation.

...

This is the 2nd part of the story of Miles, a British National Service conscript during his military service in the late 1950s.

I’d like to give special thanks for the Norfolk Tank Museum for highlighting Miles’ story and one of his relatives for putting me in contact with him.

Throughout the episode, our Miles shares captivating anecdotes and the thrill of being part of a light armoured reconnaissance regiment. He vividly recounts the challenges of operating various armoured vehicles, including the Saladin and Saracen, and the responsibilities that came with being on the fron...

We hear the fascinating story of Miles, a British National Service conscript during his military service in the late 1950s.

I’d like to give special thanks for the Norfolk Tank Museum for highlighting Miles’ story and one of his relatives for putting me in contact with him.

Miles shares vivid memories of receiving his call-up papers, the initial medical examination, and the challenges of basic training at Catterick Camp. From the camaraderie formed among recruits to the rigours of physical training and the often humorous anecdotes of army life, this episode offers a unique glim...

The Berlin Blockade was one of the first major international crises of the Cold War when the Soviet Union blocked the Western Allies' railway, road, and canal access to the sectors of Berlin under Western control. I speak with Joseph Pearson, the author of “The Airlift Victories, Myths, and the Berlin Blockade.

This is not your standard military history. Drawing on first-hand interviews and untapped sources from both German and Anglo-American archives, Pearson interweaves personal tales into an extraordinary story: an American pilot crashing in Soviet territory; a Jewish photographer struggling to reconcile with th...

This is the largely untold story of Task Force Faith, the U.S. Army soldiers who although outnumbered 8-1 by Chinese troops fought valiantly during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War.

Author Steve Fogel has written a new book called A Task Force Called Faith - The Untold Story of the U.S. Army Soldiers Who Fought for Survival at Chosin Reservoir and Honor Back Home

We discuss the dramatic events that unfolded on the eastern side of Chosin, contrasting the well-documented Marine narrative with the harrowing experiences of the Army unit...

Bill Hodes was an American school child in 1950s Revolutionary China and this is the second part of his story.

Among many stories we hear how he had the unique opportunity to meet one of China's most revered leaders, Zhou Enlai, the first Premier of the People's Republic of China and how he played softball with US and British POWs from the Korea War who had refused to return home.

Bill reflects on the challenges he faced, including moments of cultural misunderstanding and the playful jabs from classmates who labelled him an "American imperialist." These...

Bill Hodes was a red diaper baby, a baby born to Communist parents. Bill shares stories about his parents, Bob and Jane Hodes, both convinced communists who were active in civil rights movements during the McCarthy period.

He recounts their life in New Orleans, his father's groundbreaking research in neurophysiology, and the family's eventual move to China amidst political turmoil.

Discover how Bill navigated this unique upbringing, filled with significant historical events, and the cultural experiences in China that shaped his identity.

Episode extras here https://coldwarconversations.com/episode429/

Ned Richardson- Little has written a new book titled The German Democratic Republic: The Rise and Fall of a Cold War State.

It offers a differentiated picture of the communist state with a sophisticated analysis of life under dictatorship which candidly confronts the abuses of the East German Communist Party and the Stasi.

The GDR was also entangled in international politics well beyond the rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union. Ned offers a history of the GDR in a global perspective that illustrates the worldview of those who ruled it, those who...

I continue chatting with Dennis Greene about his incredible journey from a challenging childhood in segregated Savannah, Georgia to a distinguished military career.

Dennis is made Senior Flight Commander responsible for 50 Minuteman nuclear missiles. Dennis shares his firsthand experiences of the intense pressure, the psychological toll of nuclear readiness, and the groundbreaking integration of women into the Minuteman 2 system.

He recounts pivotal moments, from the deactivation of nuclear warheads following the signing of the START1 disarmament treaty to the unique interactions with Soviet counterparts during verification processes.

Episode extras including...