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PODCAST

Cold War Conversations

"Listening to even one episode of "Cold War Conversations" will make this sprawling, potentially intimidating period of history feel vivid and compelling." The New York Times Experience the Cold War like never before with Cold War Conversations — an award-winning podcast. Each week, host Ian Sanders brings you raw, firsthand accounts from the people who lived through one of history’s most tense and transformative eras — soldiers, spies, civilians, and more. These aren’t stories from textbooks

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All Episodes

54:49

Codename Sunbeam - The story of MI6’s greatest Cold...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/08/22

He was a KGB colonel. A double agent. And the most valuable spy Britain ever had.Born into a world of secrets & silence in Moscow Oleg Gordievsky’s journey takes us from the waning days of Stalin to his disillusionment with the Soviet system and his defection to MI6. He lived a secret life at the heart of Soviet intelligence — all while feeding classified information to London. From within the KGB’s London station, he exposed espionage operations, influenced diplomacy at the highest level, and

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49:13

A 98 Year Old USAF Veteran Remembers the Berlin...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/08/15

The Berlin Airlift stands as one of the most significant events in Cold War history, a testament to the resilience and determination of the Allies in the face of Soviet adversity. I speak with 98 year old veteran Ralph Dionne, who played a crucial role in this monumental operation.Ralph details the story of the Berlin Airlift and shares his journey from basic training to becoming a flight engineer during the Airlift. His insights provide a unique perspective on the challenges faced by military

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65:57

The Atomic Bombing of Japan - The First Shots of the...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/08/08

Today is 80 years since the atomic bombing of the Japanese city of Nagasaki. I talk with Stephen Walker who is the author of Shockwave: Countdown to Hiroshima. He has spent years researching the atomic bombings and highlights how they impacted Soviet/US relations in the early Cold War as well as US relations with their Allies. We reflect on the decisions made at the time, his interviews with the scientists who worked on them and the last surviving aircrew who dropped the bombs. Many aircrew

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58:05

Berlin: A Spy’s Guide to its Cold War History (415)

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/08/01

In the heart of Europe, Berlin stood as a city divided not only by walls but by ideologies. I dive into the world of espionage that thrived in this divided city with Special Forces and CIA veteran James Stejskal who has written a new book Berlin: A Spy’s Guide to its Cold War History in Story & Image. We explore in some detail the intricate web of intelligence operations that unfolded against the backdrop of a tense geopolitical landscape and James shares his own firsthand accounts and lesser

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78:53

With the US 1st Armored Division in Cold War West...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/07/25

Doug and Mike served in CS Company, 1st Battalion, 37th Armor in the US 1st Armored Division in West Germany.They provide vivid accounts of their basic training experiences, where they faced the rigors of military life for the first time. Doug recalls the challenges of adapting to the strict regimen and the camaraderie that formed among the recruits. As their stories transition to life in Germany, they reflect on the unique challenges and cultural experiences they encountered while stationed

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16:20

Cold War Short Stories Ep 1 (413)

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/07/22

Welcome to a new type of episode I'm calling Cold War Short Stories — a collection of stories from our listeners and social media followers. These are fascinating Cold War tales that may not fill a full episode, but are far too good to leave untold. So keep them coming!Your Cold War memories, or those of a loved one, are part of history. Share them with us! If you have a story to share, whether in text or audio form, you can send it to me at ian "at" coldwarconversations.com. In this first

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73:44

Korea: War Without End (412)

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/07/18

The Korean War is often called "the forgotten war"—a brutal, complex conflict that claimed millions of lives but has largely faded from public memory, particularly in the West. Yet its consequences are still very much with us today, shaping the geopolitical fault lines on the Korean peninsula and beyond. In their latest book, Korea : War Without End, Richard Dannatt and Robert Lyman challenge not just the memory but the understanding of the war, arguing that much of what we believe about Korea

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78:59

The Night a Nuclear Missile Exploded: A Firsthand...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/07/11

In this gripping episode, we hear the harrowing account of Greg Devlin, a former US Air Force technician who barely survived a catastrophic explosion at a Titan II nuclear missile silo in 1980.He shares his journey from enlisting in the Air Force, the challenges he faced, and the fateful night that changed his life forever. Greg vividly describes how he and his colleagues struggle to contain a potentially cataclysmic situation. With gripping detail, he shares the moment the explosion occurred,

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57:51

The Cold War Origins of the War in Ukraine (410)

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/07/04

The legacy of the Cold War in Europe continues to impact present day events, most notably in Ukraine.In this episode I speak with author Stephan Kieninger about his new book Securing Peace in Europe - Strobe Talbott, NATO, and Russia After the Cold War. Talbott was a key figure in US President Clinton’s administration playing a pivotal role in shaping US foreign policy, We talk about the NATO negotiations with Mikhail Gorbachev, his successor Boris Yeltsin and subsequently Vladimir Putin. The

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66:41

The End of East Germany: A Communist Family’s...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/06/27

This is the story of a Communist family in East Germany whose world was turned upside down by the implosion of the GDR.The story is told by Katja Hesse, whose father was a Vice Admiral in the Volksmarine, the East German Navy. We start the episode with Katja crossing into West Berlin on the night of 9th November 1989 and journey through the emotional landscape of certainties overturned by the opening of the Berlin Wall. Using her father’s diaries Katja shares in detail her memories and

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59:44

The Spy in the KGB Archive (408)

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/06/20

The story of how one man—a librarian for the KGB—became a traitor to the intelligence agency, stealing the most prized Soviet-era archives and smuggling them to the West.Historian and journalist Gordon Corera whose new book “The Spy in the Archive” tells the remarkable story of how Vasili Mitrokhin—an introverted archivist who loved nothing more than dusty archives—ended up changing the world. As the in-house archivist for the KGB, the secrets he was exposed to inside its walls turned him first

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75:32

Memories of an East German Naval Officer's Family (407)

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/06/13

Katja Hesse, daughter of Vice Admiral Gustav Hesse of the East German Navy, shares her deeply personal story of growing up behind the Iron Curtain. In this fascinating conversation, Katja provides rare insights into life in the GDR as the child of a high-ranking officer— from an idyllic childhood in privileged housing to working at the Grand Hotel Berlin. She recounts her father’s harrowing World War 2 escape from the Sudetenland, her experiences of political indoctrination in school and life

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70:28

Gorbachev - The Man Who Ended An Empire (406)

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/06/06

In the annals of history, few leaders have faced the monumental challenges that Mikhail Gorbachev encountered when he rose to power in the Soviet Union in 1985. His ascent came at a time when the nation was grappling with stagnation, disillusionment, and an economy on the brink of collapse. Gorbachev, the youngest General Secretary in Soviet history, was thrust into a leadership role that demanded not only a vision for reform but also the courage to confront an entrenched bureaucracy resistant to

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84:06

Policing the Berlin Wall with the Royal Military...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/05/30

Simon Wood served in the British Army’s Royal Military Police in Berlin during the1980s. He describes the unique challenges he faced patrolling the Berlin Wall and policing British troops in the divided city. Discover the political tensions, the camaraderie with fellow soldiers, and the surreal moments such as being present at the post-mortem of Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess. We also hear about life at Checkpoints Charlie and Bravo, interactions with East German forces, and taking part in Flag

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88:05

"The aircraft exploded and the cockpit filled with...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/05/23

Colonel Robert J. Graham, USAF (Ret.), was more than a fighter pilot—he was a leader, a warrior, and a witness to one of the most complex conflicts in modern history. From the chaotic early days of guerrilla warfare in Vietnam to the bureaucratic maze that engulfed the later years, Colonel Graham's four combat tours reveal the triumphs and tragedies of a war that reshaped his world and his nation.Buy Col Graham’s book here ⁠"One of the Few: A True Account of Courage and Stepping into the

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63:24

Childhood Memories of the 1989 Romanian Revolution (403)

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/05/16

Traian grew up in Romania during the tumultuous 1980s under the shadow of the communist regime of Nicolae Ceaușescu. We learn about the harsh realities of life under communism, where shortages of basic goods were commonplace. He shares the clever tactics he and his family employed to navigate these challenges, including trading items with tourists and listening to forbidden radio stations like Radio Free Europe for music and news. These experiences shaped his understanding of the world outside

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95:53

“Sir, I’m not going to start World War Three for you”...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/05/09

In this gripping episode, we hear a detailed account from an eyewitness right at the heart of the tense NATO and Russian confrontation in Kosovo in 1999 at Pristina Airport.NATO General Wesley Clark had ordered the British to use force to remove Russian forces, however British General Mike Jackson refused with the immortal words “Sir, I’m not going to start World War Three for you”. Former BRIXMIS officer Stephen Harrison was a British Army liaison officer to the Russians and the translator at

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92:08

“Houston, we’ve had a problem” interview with Fred...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/05/02

This is a repeat of an episode published in September 2022. 55 years ago last month Fred Haise was one of the three astronauts on the ill-fated Moon mission when a design fault caused an oxygen tank to explode mid-mission putting the Apollo 13 crew in mortal danger on April 13th, 1970. This was the seventh crewed mission in the Apollo space program and the third meant to land on the Moon. Buy Fred’s book here “Never Panic Early: An Apollo 13 Astronaut’s Journey” and support the podcast. Now as

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76:04

Doped, Abused and Abandoned: Growing Up in East...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/04/25

This episode covers themes of physical and emotional abuse as well as suicide. If you need support please follow the links below.UK https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ Rest of the World https://findahelpline.com/i/iasp Kerstin recounts her harrowing childhood and life experiences in East Germany. She was identified at a young age for elite sports training, which led to intense gymnastics regimens, physical and emotional abuse, and state-sponsored doping. When

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50:42

Whispers of Freedom: Portraying the Story of the last...

Cold War Conversations ·

2025/04/22

Chris Gueffroy, was the last person to be shot dead at the Berlin Wall and a new short film called “Whispers of Freedom” portrays his story.I speak with the film’s director Brandon Ashplant who shares the challenges of accurately portraying real individuals with deep personal histories. Actors Cameron Ashplant (Chris) and Wendy Makkena (Karin) reflect on research they undertook to authentically represent life in East Germany. The discussion also touches on the emotional impact of visiting key

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