Cover Stories: Spies, Books & Entertainment Archives

Cover Stories: Spies, Books & Entertainment is a new podcast from The Cipher Brief hosted by Cipher Brief CEO & Publisher Suzanne Kelly and Cipher Brief Senior Book Editor and author, Bill Harlow exploring the entertainment side of espionage as well as non-fiction books and media on national security issues that are making a difference. Join us each week for new episodes with authors, former intelligence officers, actors, directors, television and movie producers, agents, publishers and more.

Might of the Chain

We talk with retired Navy Rear Admiral Mike Studeman about his book “Might of the Chain: Forging Leaders of Iron Integrity about why trust in leaders in the public and private sector has sunk to all-time lows and his formula for restoring and keeping that trust.Drawing on his naval experience (and heritage) Studeman explains how every person in an organization must pull their share of the load – because one weak link may sink the enterprise.The book has great value for sailors and non-sailors alike, giving readers insights on how to harden their own leadership mettle.

The Many Lives of the Prisoner of Lies – Jack Downey

Jack Downey was an up and coming young Yale student. When he graduated in 1951, like a surprising number of his fellow Elis, he signed up to work for the CIA looking to serve and for adventure. A little more than a year later, during the Korean War, he found himself on a transport airplane attempting an “agent extraction” over China. The plane was shot down and Downey spent the next 21 years in captivity – the longest serving prisoner in an undeclared war in U.S. history. But his story does not end with his release in 1972. Downey went to law school, married a Chinese-American classmate and became a juvenile court judge in Connecticut. We will talk with author Barry Werth whose new book: Prisoner of Lies: Jack Downey’s Cold War has just been published. After listening to the podcast: check out The Cipher Brief’s review of the book.

Tracking Putin’s Propagandists – With Julia Davis

Julia Davis joins us to discuss her new book: “In Their Own Words: How Russian Propagandists Reveal Putin’s Intentions.” Davis regularly monitors Russian state TV and posts videos and writes columns providing translations and context about some of the crazy things are being fed to Russian viewers. We talk with her about the odd collection of TV hosts, commentators and pundits who over the past several years have spun wild tales regarding the Kremlin’s intentions regarding Ukraine, paranoia over NATO, musing about possible Russian intervention in U.S. elections and amazingly – why nuclear war might be a good thing. Davis’ motto on X is “I watch Russian state TV so you don’t have to.” We ask her what she has learned from her immersion in that swamp.

David Ignatius’ Phantom Orbit

David Ignatius is an award-winning columnist for the Washington Post, a frequent national security commentator on cable TV, and the author of New York Times bestselling novels. His twelfth novel, Phantom Orbit, like all the previous ones - reveals a deep understanding of the way governments and espionage agencies work. Many of his novels have presciently foreshadowed real-world threats. We’ll talk to him about what his latest page-turner reveals about the vulnerability of the satellites that the world relies so heavily on. We’ll also discuss his process for writing books which are consistently praised for their fidelity to the real world of espionage and how he balances his journalistic duties with that of his second-calling as a novelist. After listening to the podcast, be sure to check out the review of Phantom Orbit in The Cipher Brief by former National Reconnaissance Office Director Jeffrey Harris.

The Art Of Diplomacy – With Ambassador Stuart Eizenstat

Stuart Eizenstat is one of the most experienced diplomats in U.S. history. In this episode we talk with him about his new book “The Art of Diplomacy” in which he discusses some of the most important international agreements over the past 50 years. For his book, Ambassador Eizenstat interviewed about 150 key U.S. and foreign officials ranging from Presidents, Secretaries of State and Defense and many more. We’ll ask him what he learned over the course of his career about why diplomacy did (and sometimes did not) work. And what these lessons might mean for current crises like the ongoing one between Israel and Hamas. After listening to the podcast - be sure to check out the review of “The Art of Diplomacy” in The Cipher Brief by Jonathan Winer.

If Confirmed – How to earn the consent of the Senate – with Arnold Punaro

Arnold Punaro spent 24 years as a U.S. Senate staffer including 14 years as the Staff Director of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Since leaving government in 1997 he has advised the Senate, Department of Defense and other Executive Branch agencies on navigating the complex process of getting Senate approval for Presidentially appointed positions. We’ll talk with him about why getting a nominee confirmed takes so long, what candidates can do to increase their chances of success and systemic improvements that the executive and legislative branch should take to help ensure that the best possible candidates get through the process more quickly. If Confirmed: An Insider’s View of the National Security Confirmation Process.

The (Situation) Room Where It Happens

ABC News journalist George Stephanopoulos joins us to discuss his new book “The Situation Room: The Inside Story of President in Crisis.” As someone who became intimately familiar with the SITROOM during the Clinton administration, Stephanopoulos is our guide with stories about the crisis management center came to be created under JFK and shares dramatic stories of hinge points in history that were seen within the walls of this small but pivotal part of the Executive Mansion.

Is the World on the Brink of World War III? A Conversation with author Dmitri Alperovitch

Dmitri Alperovitch likes to sound alarm bells when it comes to global security. He -- like many others -- started piecing together what was happening along the Russian border with Ukraine in late 2021 and predicted that Russia would indeed invade Ukraine. In his new book, World on the Brink, Alperovitch shares his thoughts on how World War III might begin ... and no surprise, Taiwan is at the heart of it. Here's my conversation with Silverado Policy Accelerator Executive Chairman and Cyber Initiatives Group Principal, Dmitri Alperovitch on his new book, World on the Brink: How America Can Beat China in the Race for the 21st Century.

David Sanger’s New Cold Wars

Long-time New York Times correspondent David Sanger joins us to discuss his new book: “New Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West”. Sanger addresses the complicated challenges facing the U.S. from the autocratic regimes in China and Russia. Listen to it wherever you listen to podcasts. Read The Cipher Brief print review of the book here.

CNN’s Jim Sciutto On His Book: “The Return of Great Powers”

CNN anchor and Chief National Security Analyst Jim Sciutto is out with a new book called “The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China and the Next World War.” Drawing on his reporting from current hot spots like Ukraine, Taiwan and the Middle East - and in depth interviews with top U.S. and foreign leaders, Sciutto has written about the precarious nature of global security and how developments in each of these hot spots impacts the other. We’ll talk to him about how Chinese President Xi and Russian President Putin have similar views about their destinies in expanding their countries borders.

2054: Consider Yourself Warned

Cipher Brief Expert Retired Admiral Jim Stavridis has witnessed today’s complicated national security environment firsthand while he served in the Navy and now, as he helps others navigate it from the private sector. He has teamed up with author and former Marine Elliott Ackerman – who served in Iraq and Afghanistan - to foreshadow what national security threats are lurking around the corner and they’re using fiction to do it. In the pair’s first book together, 2034: A Novel of the Next World War, they examine - in page-turning fashion - how the U.S. might stumble into war with China. In their new novel 2054, they revisit some of their favorite characters to examine how technology and civil conflict can be used as a weapon as great nations vie for power.

The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq

Veteran journalist Steve Coll is out with a new book dissecting the decades-long relationship between the United States and Saddam Hussein. We talk with him about his discovery of unpublished and underreported information which sheds new light into how “human error, cultural miscommunication, and hubris lead to one of the costliest geopolitical conflicts of our time.” After listening to the podcast, we recommend the review of “The Achilles Trap” that recently appeared in The Cipher Brief: https://www.thecipherbrief.com/book-review/the-cia-and-the-invasion-of-iraq

Tons of Chaos

Best-selling NYT author Mark Greaney returns for his third appearance on a Cipher Brief podcast – this time to mark the publication of his latest novel “The Chaos Agent” which is the latest in his “Gray Man” series. In the new novel Greaney mines the headlines about artificial intelligence. The book connects a car accident in Japan, a drowning in Seoul, a home invasion in Boston, and someone killing the world’s leading experts on AI. We’ll talk to Mark about the challenge of producing a series of engaging thrillers – staying ahead of the news and satisfying his most discerning readers.

The Real-Life Spy Coast

Award-winning author Tess Gerritsen, perhaps best-known for her medical and crime thrillers (like Rizzoli & Isles that was adapted for television), is trying her hand at the espionage game with her new thriller The Spy Coast. It seems in real life, the award-winning author noticed something a little odd about her neighbors in the small Maine town she calls home. She did some investigating of her own, only to find that many of her neighbors are retired spies and diplomats. Like any good novelist, she went back to her keyboard and created an international tale of espionage involving a group of retired spies who refer to themselves as ‘The Martini Club’. Cover Stories co-host Suzanne Kelly uncovers the details that led Gerritsen down this path in the latest episode of Cover Stories.

The Wingmen

Just in time for the opening of spring training – we talk with author Adam Lazarus about his book: “The Wingmen: The Unlikely, Unusual, Unbreakable Friendship Between John Glenn and Ted Williams.” Lazarus tells us about iconic Americas met during the crucible of combat during the Korean War. USMC Captain Ted Williams, already a famed baseball player recalled to active duty to fly combat and soon-to-be famous Major John Glenn. Despite wildly different personalities, politics and approaches to life – the two formed a life-long bond that may be instructive to us during the current time of a divided America.

Reel Life Stories of the CIA

Tammy Kupperman Thorp is chief spokesperson for the Central Intelligence Agency. Her principal role is communicating with major media organizations on matters of national security and helping CIA Director Bill Burns communicate with the Agency’s worldwide workforce. But an interesting side aspect of her job involves coordinating the CIA's contact with the motion picture and television industry and major authors and publishers. We’ll ask her how and why the Agency works with Hollywood and authors and will explode some myths about the CIA’s role in entertainment, documentaries and more.

How to Write A Book That People Will Read

Serial best-selling author George Galdorisi has written a ton of books, mostly novels including including several of the rebooted Tom Clancy Op-Center series . But now he and co-author Kevin McDonald are out with a very useful work of non-fiction giving aspiring writers tips on how to write, publish and sell a book. Practical advice from someone who has been there, done that – and will help you do so too.

The Sisters of the CIA

Former Washington Post correspondent Liza Mundy is out with a new book called: “The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA.” Mundy who previously wrote a New York Times bestseller “Code Girls” about female codebreakers of World War II turns her expert eye to telling the stories of three generations of women at the CIA. Mundy reveals a portrait of a workplace hampered by bias and male ego and yet an agency populated by intrepid women who found creative ways to work within – and expand – the confines of the roles to which they were funneled for decades. We will ask her to share some of the stories she has uncovered about the challenges and successes of a remarkable group of women.

Admirable Communications

Admiral Jim Stavridis has an amazing resume. Retired 4-star officer, former Supreme Allied Commander of NATO, Dean Emeritus of the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University and current Vice Chairman of the Carlyle Group and Chair of the Rockefeller Foundation. But our focus of this podcast (recorded live at The Cipher Brief’s Annual Threat Conference at Sea Island, GA) instead is on his record as a master communicator. He is the author of 12 books, literally thousands of magazine, newspaper and professional journal articles and the subject of countless broadcast interviews. We’ll ask him why he devotes so much effort to communicating, whether his publications (which started when he was a midshipman) were ever frowned upon by his superiors, how he navigates subjects which are viewed as political –and his advice for national security experts who aspire to follow in his wake as a communicator.