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PODCAST

The Rest Is Classified

Enter the secretive world of spies, espionage, and covert operations. Hosted by former CIA analyst turned spy novelist, David McCloskey, and veteran security correspondent, Gordon Corera, this podcast unravels real-life spy stories, intelligence secrets, and the hidden power struggles shaping global events. From Cold War espionage to modern-day intelligence agencies like the CIA, MI6, and Mossad, explore the world of double agents, classified missions, and the shadowy figures who operate in them

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All Episodes

50:43

198. Kim Philby: Interrogated by MI5 (Ep 3)

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/10/04

Two of the Cambridge spies have fled to Moscow and now the finger of suspicion is pointing at the Third Man - Kim Philby. But will the top MI6 officer crack under pressure as the claims against him become public?Listen as David and Gordon tell the story of Kim Philby’s unravelling. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: therestisclassified.com/newsletter ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go

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32:35

London Station (Extract)

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2026/10/02

To coincide with the release of David's latest novel, London, we have the book’s first two chapters in audiobook form for you to enjoy.Artemis Procter returns in David McCloskey’s electrifying new spy thriller, where London has devolved into a covert battleground between British and American intelligence services. London Station by David McCloskey, is OUT NOW in the US and out next week in the UK. Pre-order a signed edition ⁠⁠via this link.⁠ ------------------- A new US

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53:29

Intelligence Scoop: Could Netanyahu Have Prevented...

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2026/09/30

The events of October 7 2023 reshaped the Middle East. But could what happened on that fateful day, and everything that has come after, have been prevented?Listen as David and Gordon dig into whether there is any truth in the reporting that Benjamin Netanyahu was warned about the October 7 attacks, and chose to do nothing. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show:

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54:46

197. Kim Philby: Under Threat from the FBI (Ep 2)

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/09/27

Kim Philby is MI6’s man in Washington - whilst also working for the KGB. But he’s about to discover that western intelligence is running a hunt for moles - one that could lead to him.Listen as David and Gordon go deep into the murky world of Kim Philby in Washington. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: therestisclassified.com/newsletter ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the

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56:34

Intelligence Scoop: Is Russia Preparing to Attack...

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/09/23

Are we dangerously underestimating how close we are to war with Putin? Or are we exaggerating the threat Russia poses to Europe?Listen as David McCloskey and Gordon Corera cut through the fear, the conspiracies and the Kremlin’s deception to reveal what Russia is actually doing, and why. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: therestisclassified.com/newsletter ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to

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55:26

196. Kim Philby: A KGB Spy in Washington (Ep 1)

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/09/20

The greatest traitor MI6 has ever seen - a Soviet mole at the heart of the British Secret Service. Kim Philby is now heading to Washington but can he keep his cool as the net begins to close around him?Listen as David and Gordon begin the final instalment in their journey into the extraordinarily treacherous life of Kim Philby. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show:

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36:44

195. How Silicon Valley Took Over National Security

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2026/09/17

Why are Silicon Valley billionaires developing defence tech?Could Elon Musk build a nuclear bomb? And why did Steve Jobs owe his early success to the CIA? Listen as David is joined by national security journalist Sharon Weinberger to discuss her new book, Valley of Death: How Big Tech Is Fuelling the Future of War. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: therestisclassified.com/newsletter ------------------- Buy

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53:02

194. The KGB in Iran: Appeasing the Ayatollah with...

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2026/09/16

A KGB officer who has secretly gone over to work for MI6 in revolutionary Iran. But will MI6 be able to get him out of the country when things go wrong?Listen as David and Gordon are joined by renowned author and journalist, Ben Macintyre, to discuss his latest book: ⁠⁠⁠Redwood⁠⁠.⁠ ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show:

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45:49

193. The KGB in Iran: Defecting to MI6 with Ben...

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/09/13

A KGB officer is recruited by MI6 in Iran at a time of revolutionary upheaval. His intelligence helped shape the Cold War. But how far is agent Redwood motivated by some rather personal difficulties?Listen as David and Gordon are joined by renowned author and journalist, Ben Macintyre, to discuss his latest book: Redwood. ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: https://bit.ly/4yAkNhq ------------------- Join

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57:17

192. 9/11: The War on Terror (Ep 6)

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/09/09

What was the nature of the intelligence failures leading up to 9/11? Could the attacks have been prevented? And what is the enduring impact, 25 years on, of that grim day in September 2001?Listen as David and Gordon reach the dramatic conclusion of their exploration of the 9/11 attacks. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to see David, Gordon and special guest Anthony Scaramucci live on stage at London’s Southbank Centre

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48:55

191. 9/11: The Twin Towers Fall (Ep 5)

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/09/06

What happened on 9/11? This is the day itself, as seen through the eyes of those who lived and died… Listen as David and Gordon take us through the day that changed America, forever. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to see David, Gordon and special guest Anthony Scaramucci live on stage at London’s Southbank Centre on 5 September:

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54:31

190. 9/11: Could the Attacks Have Been Prevented? (Ep 4)

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/09/02

By July 2001 the plan for 9/11 was almost complete… All that was missing was a day. How do you set the date the world changes?Listen as David and Gordon unpack the night before the 9/11 hijackers carried out their plot. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to see David, Gordon and special guest Anthony Scaramucci live on stage at London’s Southbank Centre on 5 September:

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67:04

189. 9/11: How Much Did the Saudis Know? (Ep 3)

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/08/30

Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers on 9/11 came from Saudi Arabia, many from a handful of poor remote villages. Who were the men known as ‘the muscle’, and what made them?Listen as David and Gordon explore the alleged Saudi connection to the 9/11 plot. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to see David, Gordon and special guest Anthony Scaramucci live on stage at London’s Southbank Centre on 5 September:

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64:20

188. 9/11: How to Recruit a Hijacker (Ep 2)

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/08/26

What kind of men do you recruit to fly planes into skyscrapers? And as the 9/11 plot developed, why didn’t the CIA spot what was coming?Listen as David and Gordon chart the mission to recruit the attackers for the 9/11 attacks. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see David and Gordon live on stage at London’s Southbank Centre on 4 September:

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15:12

The Man Who Briefed the President on 9/11

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2026/08/25

*** TO LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW, SUBSCRIBE TO THE DECLASSIFIED CLUB ***------------------- What was the first thing the President said after the September 11th attacks? Was 9/11 really a strategic failure? And, would Osama Bin Laden be happy with the post-9/11 world? Listen as David and Gordon are joined by former acting CIA Director, Michael Morrell, the man who briefed the President on two of the most consequential moments in modern US history: 9/11 and the killing of Bin

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63:38

187. 9/11: The Rise of Osama bin Laden (Ep 1)

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2026/08/23

9/11 was the most devastating terrorist attack in history, but where did the plot come from? And when a freelance terrorist walks in with a plan to fly planes into American buildings, why did Osama Bin Laden almost say no? Listen as David and Gordon begin their six-part exploration of how the 9/11 terror attacks came to pass, 25 years on. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see David and Gordon live on stage at

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47:48

186. The Secret Spy Network: Can Five Eyes Survive...

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/08/19

The Five Eyes is an intelligence alliance that has endured for decades. But can it survive Donald Trump in the White House?Listen as David and Gordon are joined by Richard Kerbaj for the final instalment of their series exploring the tumultuous history of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance. ------------------- ⁠⁠⁠The Secret History of the Five Eyes by Richard Kerbaj⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠The Defector by Richard Kerbaj⁠⁠⁠ ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest

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52:35

185. The Secret Spy Network: How Snowden Nearly...

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/08/16

The Five Eyes are watching the world.But what happens when one eye is bigger than the other? And what happens when new threats emerge?Listen as David and Gordon are joined again by author, journalist and filmmaker Richard Kerbaj, to explore the history of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance. ------------------- ⁠⁠The Secret History of the Five Eyes by Richard Kerbaj⁠⁠ ⁠⁠The Defector by Richard Kerbaj⁠⁠ ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is

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37:17

184. The Secret Spy Network: Kim Philby Threatens the...

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/08/12

An intelligence alliance established to spy on the Soviets during the Cold War. But will it be able to hold together under crisis?David and Gordon are once again joined by journalist, author and filmmaker Richard Kerbaj, to explore the history of the Five Eyes intelligence sharing alliance. ------------------- ⁠The Secret History of the Five Eyes by Richard Kerbaj⁠ ⁠The Defector by Richard Kerbaj⁠ ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your

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39:54

183. The Secret Spy Network: How The US and UK Spy...

The Rest Is Classified ·

2026/08/09

It is most powerful intelligence alliance the world has ever seen But what is the Five Eyes and how did it begin?Listen as David and Gordon are joined by journalist, author and filmmaker Richard Kerbaj, to explore one of the world's most significant and longstanding intelligence sharing alliances. ------------------- The Secret History of the Five Eyes by Richard Kerbaj The Defector by Richard Kerbaj ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy

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222 results

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