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. Whether you're a true crime addict, a thriller fan, or fascinated by spy stories, this is the show for you.
- Update frequency
- every 3 days
- Average duration
- 43 minutes
- Episodes
- 87
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
25. Trump vs the CIA: The Halloween Massacre (Ep 2)
When the CIA is forced to downsize, who gets cut? What happens to the intelligence left behind? And how does political control change the way spies operate?
In the late 1970s, Jimmy Carter’s CIA dir…
00:41:49 |
Wed 05 Mar 2025
24. Trump vs the CIA: Purging the Deep State (Ep 1)
How do politicians control the CIA? What happens when politics affects the way it is run? And how often does the White House clash with Langley?
Trump is trying to bring the CIA more directly under …
00:52:13 |
Mon 03 Mar 2025
23. Why Trump Wants Greenland: The Lost Nuclear Bomb (Ep 2)
Can nuclear missiles really just disappear? Why is Greenland so important to the security of the United States? And will Donald Trump go all the way with his plan to buy this Arctic island?
A plane …
00:38:53 |
Wed 26 Feb 2025
22. Why Trump Wants Greenland: Secret Bases, The Arctic Circle, and Project Iceworm (Ep 1)
Donald Trump has made it clear that he wants Greenland, but why? What is it about this largely barren, ice-covered island that extends well into the Arctic circle that he so desires? And how far back…
00:38:24 |
Mon 24 Feb 2025
21. Death on the Thames: The Poisoned Umbrella (Ep 2)
Was an umbrella too obvious a murder weapon for an assassination in the heart of London? Why were the KGB hesitant to do the Bulgarian government's dirty work? And how do scientists work with spy age…
00:46:05 |
Wed 19 Feb 2025
20. Death on the Thames: An Assassin in London (Ep 1)
How do you get away with murder in the heart of London? And which weapon would you choose to avoid arousing suspicion?
Georgi Markov was a Bulgarian dissident writer wanted by the Eastern Bloc for s…
00:41:33 |
Mon 17 Feb 2025
19. Attack on Greenpeace: Death in the Pacific (Ep 2)
Did the French secret service commit an act of state terrorism by sinking a Greenpeace ship? Why did the tragedy of the Rainbow Warrior become known as BlunderWatergate? How many millions of dollars …
00:35:19 |
Wed 12 Feb 2025
18. Attack on Greenpeace: France’s Nuclear Bomb (Ep 1)
Why were the French exploding nuclear bombs in the Pacific in the 70s and 80s? How did a spy manage to infiltrate Greenpeace? And what on earth are limpet mines?
In the 1960s, the French started tes…
00:38:45 |
Mon 10 Feb 2025
17. Crossing the Iron Curtain: Revenge in Russia (Ep 4)
Will Tolkachev fall at the final hurdle and land in the hands of the KGB? How do the CIA go about protecting their assets in the field? And, does it really take a spy to catch a spy?
As we reach the…
00:43:58 |
Wed 05 Feb 2025
16. Crossing the Iron Curtain: Escape From the KGB (Ep 3)
How would you disguise a cyanide pill for a CIA spy in Moscow during the Cold War? What risks could Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles pose to Adolf Tolkachev’s mission against the Soviet stat…
00:47:01 |
Mon 03 Feb 2025
The Seventh Floor (Extract)
To coincide with the release of David's latest novel, The Seventh Floor, we have the book’s first chapter in audiobook form for you to enjoy.
Bouncing between the corridors of Langley and the Kreml…
00:10:35 |
Sat 01 Feb 2025
15. Crossing the Iron Curtain: The Cold War’s Most Valuable Spy (Ep 2)
Was it possible to avoid KGB surveillance in Moscow as a CIA agent at the height of the Cold War? What motivates someone to spy on their country for an opposing power? And how did Adolf Tolkachev man…
00:45:58 |
Wed 29 Jan 2025
14. Crossing the Iron Curtain: The CIA’s Mole In Moscow (Ep 1)
How did the CIA recruit a Russian asset in Moscow during the height of the Cold War? Why would someone be so determined to defect from the Soviet Union and spy for the US? And what would happen if th…
00:51:42 |
Mon 27 Jan 2025
13. How China Spies: Trump, TikTok, and Taiwan
Is the Chinese state using TikTok to spy on you? Why did President Biden move to shut TikTok down in the US the day before Trump's inauguration? And where does TikTok fit into China's cognitive warfa…
00:42:32 |
Wed 22 Jan 2025
12. The Spy Who Loved Me: A Russian in New York (Ep 2)
The net is closing in around Anna Chapman. She is being watched by the FBI as they suspect her of being a Russian spy. Her moves are being tracked, but it is not as simple as they think. With the US …
00:53:24 |
Tue 21 Jan 2025
11. The Spy Who Loved Me: Undercover in Londongrad (Ep 1)
How did a Russian spy manage to infiltrate the upper echelons of London and New York society? Was Anna Chapman really an old fashioned Russian honeytrap or was she underestimated by the world's press…
00:40:37 |
Wed 15 Jan 2025
10. North Korea’s CIA: The Billion Dollar Heist (Ep 2)
What happens when an authoritarian state runs its security services like an organised crime syndicate? Why did a group of North Korean cyber criminals gamble away vast sums of stolen money in the cas…
00:43:53 |
Wed 08 Jan 2025
9. North Korea’s CIA: Inside Kim’s Crime Family (Ep 1)
How did a group of North Korean cyber criminals manage to pull off the biggest bank heist in history? Did Kim Jong Un really orchestrate the murder of his own brother? And what does it take to keep a…
00:42:53 |
Wed 01 Jan 2025
8. The Man Who Made MI6
The daring, gadget-loving, mischievous founder of MI6. Mansfield Cumming, the first C, was a former navy man brought out of retirement to keep tabs on German spies around the outbreak of the First Wo…
00:46:15 |
Wed 25 Dec 2024
7. The Real Godfather: The Assassination that Shook Syria (Ep 2)
Did the assassination of Rafic Hariri lay the foundations for the ultimate downfall of the Assad regime? And was the Syrian dictator always destined for evil, or was evil thrust upon him?
Rafic Har…
00:39:40 |
Thu 19 Dec 2024
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