The Rest Is Classified
byGoalhanger
History
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.
Episodes(40 episodes)
Intelligence Scoop: Is Russia Preparing to Attack Europe?
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.
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Published: Sep 23, 2026Duration: 56m 34s
Season 1 - Episode 196
Kim Philby: A KGB Spy in Washington (Ep 1)
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.
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Published: Sep 20, 2026Duration: 55m 26s
Season 1 - Episode 195
How Silicon Valley Took Over National Security
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.
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Published: Sep 17, 2026Duration: 36m 44s
Season 1 - Episode 194
The KGB in Iran: Appeasing the Ayatollah with Ben Macintyre (Ep 2)
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.
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Published: Sep 16, 2026Duration: 53m 2s
Season 1 - Episode 193
The KGB in Iran: Defecting to MI6 with Ben Macintyre (Ep 1)
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.
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Published: Sep 13, 2026Duration: 45m 49s
Season 1 - Episode 192
9/11: The War on Terror (Ep 6)
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.
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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: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/scaramucci-vs-the-r...
Published: Sep 9, 2026Duration: 57m 17s
Season 1 - Episode 191
9/11: The Twin Towers Fall (Ep 5)
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.
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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: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/scaramucci-vs-the-rest-is-classified-team-america/
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Published: Sep 6, 2026Duration: 48m 55s
Season 1 - Episode 190
9/11: Could the Attacks Have Been Prevented? (Ep 4)
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.
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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: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/scaramucci-vs-the-rest-is-classified-team-america/
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Published: Sep 2, 2026Duration: 54m 31s
Season 1 - Episode 189
9/11: How Much Did the Saudis Know? (Ep 3)
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.
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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: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/scaramucci-vs-the-rest-is-classified-team-america/
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Published: Aug 30, 2026Duration: 1h 7m 4s
Season 1 - Episode 188
9/11: How to Recruit a Hijacker (Ep 2)
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.
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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: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/the-rest-is-classified-live/
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Published: Aug 26, 2026Duration: 1h 4m 20s
The Man Who Briefed the President on 9/11
*** TO LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW, SUBSCRIBE TO THE DECLASSIFIED CLUB ***
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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 Laden.
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Published: Aug 25, 2026Duration: 15m 12s
Season 1 - Episode 187
9/11: The Rise of Osama bin Laden (Ep 1)
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.
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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: h...
Published: Aug 23, 2026Duration: 1h 3m 38s
Season 1 - Episode 186
The Secret Spy Network: Can Five Eyes Survive Trump? (Ep 4)
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.
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The Secret History of the Five Eyes by Richard Kerbaj
The Defector by Richard Kerbaj
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THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026...
Published: Aug 19, 2026Duration: 47m 48s
Season 1 - Episode 185
The Secret Spy Network: How Snowden Nearly Destroyed Everything (Ep 3)
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.
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The Secret History of the Five Eyes by Richard Kerbaj
The Defector by Richard Kerbaj
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THE REST IS CLASSIFIE...
Published: Aug 16, 2026Duration: 52m 35s
Season 1 - Episode 184
The Secret Spy Network: Kim Philby Threatens the Alliance (Ep 2)
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.
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The Secret History of the Five Eyes by Richard Kerbaj
The Defector by Richard Kerbaj
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THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 202...
Published: Aug 12, 2026Duration: 37m 17s
Season 1 - Episode 183
The Secret Spy Network: How The US and UK Spy Together (Ep 1)
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.
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The Secret History of the Five Eyes by Richard Kerbaj
The Defector by Richard Kerbaj
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THE REST IS...
Published: Aug 9, 2026Duration: 39m 54s
Season 1 - Episode 182
The Imitation Game: The Codebreakers Who Defeated Hitler (Ep 2)
Alan Turing is working frantically to break the German codes at Bletchley Park. But can the Brits and Americans really trust each other?
Listen as David and Gordon conclude their two-part exploration of the incredible work undertaken at the predecessor to GCHQ.
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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: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/the-rest-is-classified-live/
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Published: Aug 5, 2026Duration: 59m 9s
Season 1 - Episode 181
The Imitation Game: How Alan Turing Broke Enigma (Ep 1)
A secret mission in the middle of a war to Bletchley Park. One that will lead to the closest intelligence alliance in history.
Listen as David and Gordon tell the secret history of how the codebreakers at Bletchley Park worked with their American allies to defeat Hitler.
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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: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/the-rest-is-classified-live/
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Published: Aug 2, 2026Duration: 45m 52s
Season 1 - Episode 180
Have the US and Israel Always Spied on Each Other? (Ep 2)
How did Israel’s spy in America Jonathan Pollard wind up getting caught? And what does the sordid episode tell us about the nature of the spy relationship between America and Israel?
David and Gordon explore how an US-Israeli spy stole hundreds of classified documents in the 1980s, and what this story tells us about the contemporary espionage relationships between the US and Israel.
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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 Southban...
Published: Jul 29, 2026Duration: 51m 49s
Season 1 - Episode 179
Did Israel Spy on Trump’s Iran Negotiations? (Ep 1)
Do Israel and America spy on each other? And how do close allies navigate stealing each other’s secrets?
Listen as David and Gordon step inside the tricky intelligence sharing relationship between the US and Israel.
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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: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/the-rest-is-classified-live/
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Published: Jul 26, 2026Duration: 58m 19s