Best Notorious Gangsters In The World Podcasts (2024)

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Meet the formidable, feisty, factory sisterhood who went on strike and made history. 1:15:02

11h ago1:15:02

1:15:02

Send us a Text Message. This July marks the 136th anniversary of the matchwomens strike at Bryant & May match factory in London's East End in 1888. Exposing the truth of the ‘poor waif matchgirl’ historian Louise Raw fills us in on the true story of the vibrant working class women who downed tools, went on strike and changed the course of history. …

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“‘Forget that number and you don’t exist,’ the Kapo at Auschwitz told me.” 92-year-old Ivor Perl on surviving the horrors of the Holocaust. 52:56

7d ago52:56

52:56

Send us a Text Message. Ivor was just 12 years old when he was taken to Auschwitz. He survived with the help of his older brother, but the rest of his family were murdered in the Holocaust. He was brought to England in November 1945 as one of a group of orphans, and started forging a new life. Ivor built a successful clothes manufacturing company; …

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Meet the fur coat gangsters: Notorious Victorian girl gang who hid stolen jewellery in knickerbockers, carried razors wrapped in lace handkerchiefs and used a hatpin to blind anyone who crossed them 31:51

29d ago31:51

31:51

Send us a Text Message. Swathed in luxurious fur coats, wearing diamond rings as a knuckledusters and hats to hide their stolen wares, Britain's most notorious all-female gang ruled the tenements of Waterloo and Elephant and Castle and earned the respect of Soho's most feared underworld bosses. In this fascinating conversation, bestselling author B…

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On the 80th anniversary of D-Day, veteran Mervyn Kersh shares his extraordinary experience of the Normandy landings and his role in the liberation of Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. 53:38

1M ago53:38

53:38

Send us a Text Message. Mervyn Kersh recently celebrated his 99th birthday. Nearly a century of life on earth and what a life he has had. The hair may have turned silver, but he still has the same twinkle in his eye that he had as a young man. I went to visit Mervyn at his immaculate home in Cockfosters, which he shares with his two cats, and over …

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The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe: Reader, Bibliophile and Library Lover 58:16

1M ago58:16

58:16

Send us a Text Message. 98 years ago today, Norma Jeane Mortenson was born in California. She went onto become the legend that was Marilyn Monroe. No one knows more about Marilyn than writer Michelle Morgan who has dedicated her life to peeling back the layers of this fascinating woman. In this conversation Michelle shares the lesser known sides of…

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Mmusi Maimane On Leaving The DA, Julius Malema, Cyril Ramaphosa & 2024 Elections 1:13:22

2M ago1:13:22

1:13:22

In this episode of the Wide Awake Podcast, I spoke with Mmusi Maimane, the former leader of the Democratic Alliance and the current leader of Build One South Africa. We talked about the reasons behind Mmusi's departure from the DA, his predictions for the outcome of the 2024 elections in South Africa, and discussed major issues like Load Shedding, …

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The Women Who Ruled the East End: Remarkable Tales of Wartime London 1:20:20

2M ago1:20:20

1:20:20

Send us a Text Message. The BBC’s period drama “Call the Midwife” made an eccentric, lovable community of nuns and nurses famous the world over. But what of the formidable East End mothers whose babies they delivered? Join me, Kate Thompson and Smithsonian historian Alan Capps as we delve deep into the social history of some truly remarkable women.…

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Former Leader Exposes The Satanic Church 1:07:54

2M ago1:07:54

1:07:54

In this episode of the Wide Awake Podcast, I had a conversation with Riaan Swiegelaar, the former leader of the South African Satanic Church. We explored his journey from being a Satanist to embracing Christianity after a profound encounter with Jesus during a satanic ritual. Riaan also shared the immense challenges he faced while leaving the churc…

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Gayton Mckenzie Exposes Joshlin Smith Case, Jacob Zuma, Orania & Elections 1:24:03

2M ago1:24:03

1:24:03

In this episode of the Wide Awake Podcast, I spoke to Gayton McKenzie, who is the leader of one of South Africa’s largest political parties, the Patriotic Alliance. We discussed former President Jacob Zuma and his new political party called MK. Additionally, we delved into his visit to Orania and his efforts to combat illegal immigration. However, …

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85 years on from the end of the Spanish Civil War, author Maggie Brookes uncovers its hidden heroes. Plus the extraordinary war story she found in a lift! 55:26

2M ago55:26

55:26

Send us a Text Message. Maggie Brookes is an ex-journalist, BBC TV producer and creative writing lecturer, now full-time novelist and poet. She was born in London and has been writing stories and poems since she was six. Maggie says: "The principal theme which recurs in my work is the strength and courage of women in adversity. I am drawn to storie…

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99-year-old Holocaust survivor and US Army veteran George Leitmann on the emotional search for his father, the day he discovered a concentration camp and how he kept his cool interrogating Nazi war criminals ... 49:14

2M ago49:14

49:14

Send us a Text Message. 99-year-old Professor George Leitmann is a unique man. He is both a holocaust survivor and a WW2 US Army veteran who helped to liberate Nazi occupied France and Germany. Nazi persecution of Jewish people forced George and his family to flee their home in Austria and emigrate to the USA. Tragically, his father Josef was unabl…

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Sent away by sea: the forgotten history of WWII’s ‘seaevacuees'. Meet the heroine at the heart of an astonishing survival story. 54:23

3M ago54:23

54:23

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, award-winning historical fiction author, Hazel Gaynor remembers the World War Two ‘seaevacuees’, the children sent away from Britain by sea to escape the bombings at home. This is an often-forgotten part of the history of the war, overshadowed by more familiar events, and it inspired Hazel to write her new n…

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Meet the Sugar Girls of Love Lane. New social history book set in Tate & Lyle's Liverpool factory in the sixties offers a glimpse of a long vanished era. 1:14:35

3M ago1:14:35

1:14:35

Send us a Text Message. In The Sugar Girls of Love Lane, out today, Duncan Barrett and Nuala Calvi, the authors of the Sunday Times bestseller The Sugar Girls, tell the remarkable stories of those who worked at the famous Tate & Lyle factory in Liverpool. For over a hundred years until it closed in 1981, Henry Tate’s flagship sugar refinery at Love…

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Meet the wartime librarians of Occupied Paris. Bestselling author of The Paris Library, Janet Skeslien Charles, on how reading gives us a privacy of the mind 52:09

3M ago52:09

52:09

Send us a Text Message. ‘Reading gives us a privacy of the mind. Librarians are heroes.’ Librarian turned bestselling author Janet Skeslien Charles told me. In this episode we discuss the remarkable true story behind the brave Parisian librarians in WW2 who inspired The Paris Library. Her new book, Miss Morgan's Book Brigade, out April 30 2024, bas…

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112 years ago today, RMS Titanic struck an iceberg. Historian Claes-Göran Wetterholm reveals some heartbreaking, untold personal stories… 52:46

3M ago52:46

52:46

Send us a Text Message. This year marks 112 years since the Titanic hit an iceberg on 14 April 1912, and in that time the doomed vessel has spawned countless myths, thousands of books and, of course, James Cameron’s Oscar-winning film Titanic . But In our quest to get to get closer to the so-called ‘Ship of Dreams’ have we overlooked the human trag…

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Meet the French librarian who trained as a Board Game Librarian and revolutionised her library in lockdown! 31:58

3M ago31:58

31:58

Send us a Text Message. Libraries are about so much more than books. Just ask librarian for Kingston Upon Thames, Marion Tessier, who trained as a boardgame librarian. On National Boardgame Day, she gives us a fasincating glimpse into her job. Thank you to our media partner: Family History Zone – a website covering archives, history and genealogy. …

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Meet the librarians who rescued the books the Nazis burnt and plundered 1:16:35

4M ago1:16:35

1:16:35

Send us a Text Message. Brianna Labuskes is more than just a gifted writer, she is a story hunter, who delves deep into the past and finds histories forgotten heroines. In this fascinating conversation, Brianna shares the true story of the Council of Books in Wartime--the WWII organisation founded by booksellers, publishers, librarians, and authors…

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Rounding up randy runaway sheep and delivering twin lambs whilst making gravy. Welcome to the multitasking world of the Devon Shepherdess. 54:32

4M ago54:32

54:32

Send us a Text Message. It's March, the month of daffodils, pussy willow and lambs - what better time to pay a visit to Twig Farm! Paula Steer is one of a new breed of shepherdesses blazing a trail across social media. Paula’s been farming sheep farm at Twig Farm in Devon for the past twenty years, following in the footsteps of her great-great gran…

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Travel back to Victorian Brighton and discover a shadowy world of erotic tableaux, gangsters and music-hall artistes in Jacquie Bloese's atmospheric new novel 51:23

4M ago51:23

51:23

Send us a Text Message. Historical fiction author, Jacquie Bloese draws her inspiration from atmospheric locations with intriguing histories, and people – both real and imaginary – whose stories are calling out to be told. Her latest release, The Golden Hour, set in Victorian Brighton is a compelling and deeply atmospheric read. In this fascinating…

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Channel Islands under Occupation. From the library to the post office, Jersey is an island simmering with stories and secrets 1:12:37

5M ago1:12:37

1:12:37

Send us a Text Message. To celebrate the launch of my thirteenth book, The Wartime Book Club, historical fiction author Iona Grey has turned the tables and is asking me the questions. In this discussion we talk about the Occupation of the Channel Islands, how I discovered and researched the story, how and why we write and SO much more. I hope you e…

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Famine. Revolution. Rebellion. A history of Paris, seen through the windows of a tiny Montmartre bakery 1:01:50

5M ago1:01:50

1:01:50

Send us a Text Message. From the author of The School for German Brides, this captivating historical novel by Aimie K.Runyan is set in nineteenth-century and post-World War II Paris follows two fierce women of the same family, generations apart, who find that their futures lie in the four walls of a simple bakery in a tiny corner of Montmartre. In …

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Corruption Exposed: The Rise and the Fall of the Molly Maguires 1:33:49

5M ago1:33:49

1:33:49

Title: Corruption Exposed: The Rise and the Fall of the Molly Maguires Original Publication Date: Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/j65pqEY904M Description: Join us again, as we talk Friend of Ours, Joe Pascone of the Turning Tides History Podcast about the Molly Maguires. In this episode, we will wrap up the story of the Mollys and t…

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Coming Soon: Invade Canada! 2:09

5M ago2:09

2:09

Coming Soon on Organized Crime and Punishment! You can learn more about Organized Crime and Punishment and subscribe at all these great places: https://atozhistorypage.start.page www.organizedcrimeandpunishment.com Click to Subscribe: https://omny.fm/shows/organized-crime-and-punishment/playlists/podcast.rss email: crime@atozhistorypage.com Parthen…

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School librarian by day, novelist by night. Meet the author who threw herself from an aeroplane in the name of research. 53:53

5M ago53:53

53:53

Send us a Text Message. Louise Moorish is a multifaceted woman. School librarian by day, novelist by night. Here Louise tells how she ‘broke through the wall’ and got that publishing deal for Operation Moonlight – after 50 rejection letters from literary agents. Louise also shares her top tips on how to get a reluctant child to read, the haunted li…

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The French resistance heroine who stole my heart. An exclusive glimpse into the research and writing of best-selling historical fiction author Natasha Lester. 48:49

6M ago48:49

48:49

Send us a Text Message. Congratulations to international bestselling author, Natasha Lester, on the publication of her latest book, The Disappearance of Astrid Briccard out in North America today. Natasha is known to her army of fans around the world for her evocative and escapist storytelling, focusing on the women the history books forgot. In thi…

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'I married the soldier who helped liberate me from Bergen-Belsen' On Holocaust Memorial Day, survivor Renee Salt shares her astonishing story. 1:16:17

6M ago1:16:17

1:16:17

Send us a Text Message. Holocaust survivor Renee Salt has seen things no human should ever witness, much less an innocent 15-year-old girl. Her experiences of Łódź Ghetto, Auschwitz-Birkenau and then Bergen-Belsen bear witness to some of the foulest atrocities of the past. And yet, this remarkable 94-year-old woman tells her story of surviving unsp…

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Unveiling the Molly Maguires: Crime, Corruption, and Conflict 1:20:42

6M ago1:20:42

1:20:42

Title: Unveiling the Molly Maguires: Crime, Corruption, and Conflict Original Publication Date: Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/IP42hKmRmn0 Description: Dive into the gritty history of organized crime, the tumultuous era of the Molly Maguires, and the repercussions of corruption during civil unrest. Tune in to our latest episode fea…

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Coming Soon: Reaction and Reactionaries 1:49

6M ago1:49

1:49

Coming Soon on Organized Crime and Punishment! You can learn more about Organized Crime and Punishment and subscribe at all these great places: https://atozhistorypage.start.page www.organizedcrimeandpunishment.com Click to Subscribe: https://omny.fm/shows/organized-crime-and-punishment/playlists/podcast.rss email: crime@atozhistorypage.com Parthen…

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Spies, espionage and secrets in an antiquarian bookshop. Author Louise Fein shares the true story behind her propulsive new novel, The London Bookshop Affair, 46:22

6M ago46:22

46:22

Send us a Text Message. Louise Fein is a bestselling historical fiction writer of books set mainly in the early half of the twentieth century. Her novels explore turbulent times, social change, ideas and themes still relevant today. Her latest release, out this week, The London Bookshop Affair is a is a gripping story of secrets and love set agains…

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Wayde Van Niekerk On His Comeback, Olympics, Springboks & World Record 58:45

6M ago58:45

58:45

In this episode, I sat down with the most well-rounded sprinter of all time, Wayde Van Niekerk. We talked about his road to recovery after suffering from an injury. His unbelievable comeback and reclaiming the number 1 rank in the world. We explored his historic world record breaking run at the Rio Olympics, growing up alongside his cousin Cheslin …

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What happened to the children stolen by the Nazis? USA Today bestselling author Andie Newton shares a heartbreaking wartime story. 50:16

6M ago50:16

50:16

Send us a Text Message. Andie Newton is the USA Today bestselling author of THE GIRLS FROM THE BEACH, THE GIRL FROM VICHY and THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND. She has a Bachelor’s degree in History from Washington State University and a Master in Teaching. In this conversation we talk about, A Child for the Reich. inspired by the Nazi kidnapping programme, …

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Ex-Gangster Meets The Mayor Of Cape Town 51:00

6M ago51:00

51:00

In this episode, I sat down with the Mayor of Cape Town and Ex-Gangster Thando. We talked about some of the most significant issues facing South Africa, including the unfortunate reality of people living in Cape Town's most forgotten and dangerous areas, the rising crime rate, the South African military, the housing crisis in South Africa, corrupti…

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Britain's best-loved saga writer Nancy Revell on how Gone with the Wind changed her life and the secrets to writing books that readers take to their hearts. 56:10

7M ago56:10

56:10

Send us a Text Message. Congratulations Nancy Revell on the publication of her new book, A Widow’s Choice, out today! Sometimes a book comes along which readers take to their hearts. When Nancy Revell wrote The Shipyard Girls it was an instant success. By the time she had finished Book 12 in the series it continuously made the Sunday Times bestsell…

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Come inside one of London’s dreamiest churches, the famous St Bride's on Fleet Street and hear how a Blitz raid revealed a secret charnel house and the ruins of Roman pavement, plus it’s surprising link ... 1:04:18

7M ago1:04:18

1:04:18

Send us a Text Message. St Bride's Church on London’s Fleet Street is one of the most famous and fascinating historic churches in central London. It is known worldwide as the journalists church, offering a spiritual home to all who work in the media. What other churches have risen from the ashes of The Great Fire of London and the Blitz, acted as a…

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Behind the Badge: A Cop's Take on Must-Watch Cop Movies 2:41:10

7M ago2:41:10

2:41:10

Title: Behind the Badge: A Cop's Take on Must-Watch Cop Movies Original Publication Date: 12/20/2023 Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/LDqmp2b3zG7 Description: Former Spokane Police Captain Frank Scalise takes us on a cinematic journey in our latest episode, sharing his top picks for cop movies. Tune in as he delves into these thrilli…

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Coming Soon: Code of the Cop Code of the Criminal 3:39

7M ago3:39

3:39

Coming Soon on Organized Crime and Punishment! You can learn more about Organized Crime and Punishment and subscribe at all these great places: https://atozhistorypage.start.page www.organizedcrimeandpunishment.com Click to Subscribe: https://omny.fm/shows/organized-crime-and-punishment/playlists/podcast.rss email: crime@atozhistorypage.com Parthen…

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Could you be living over a plague pit? Meet the cemetery and death historian who uncovered a plague pit under Argos. Sam Perrin hunts out London's forgotten graves and shares what the dead can teach us ... 57:16

7M ago57:16

57:16

Send us a Text Message. For many years now I have tramped the streets of east London in search of history. Unbeknown to me another woman has also been doing the same, but her gaze is fixed on the history you cannot see, the history beneath our feet. Sam Perrin has been a cemetery and death historian for over twenty years, conducting tours of east L…

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On National Letter Writing Day, meet the woman who collects forgotten letters. " In attics, drawers and shoe boxes under beds there are hundreds of stories waiting to be told." 47:04

7M ago47:04

47:04

Send us a Text Message. Letter writing is a dying art, but fortunately, there are some wonderfully creative souls around resurrecting old love letters and breathing life into them. One of them is Liz Maguire, the love letter collector and originator of https://www.fleamarketloveletters.com , originally from Washington D.C. and now living in Dublin.…

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'I sat on the train & wondered if i’d ever see my family again!’ On the 85th anniversary of the Kindertransport scheme, which saved 10,000 children from the Nazis, 97-year-old Gabriele Keenaghan shares ... 1:29:05

8M ago1:29:05

1:29:05

Send us a Text Message. You’re 12 years old. Your mother is dead and your father has gone missing. You are wrenched from everyone you know and love and put on a train and sent from your home to a new country, where you don’t speak the language, with a group of total strangers. And you have no idea whether you will ever set eyes on your family again…

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60th Anniversary of the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy 19:40

8M ago19:40

19:40

60th Anniversary of the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy Continue listening to This American President and follow the show! Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/49wQLzb Spotify: https://sptfy.com/PfPg Parthenon: https://www.parthenonpodcast.com/this-american-president Check out these popular episodes of This American President! America's Most…

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Meet the Guinea Pig Club. The astonishing story of the Allied Airmen who formed WW2’s most unique club. A tale of unsung heroines, pioneering surgery and sex in the linen cupboard! 1:03:36

8M ago1:03:36

1:03:36

Send us a Text Message. 20th July 1941. It is a dark night in war-torn Britain. In blacked out Sussex a band of men sit huddled in an old shed, deep in the countryside. One by one they make a pledge to join a very special little wartime club. A toast is drunk to the forming of The Guinea Pig Club. It was the most exclusive club in the world, but as…

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Inside Attica: Corruption and Reform 1:14:17

8M ago1:14:17

1:14:17

Title: Inside Attica: Corruption and Reform Original Publication Date: 11/22/2023 Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/bWpV7Wwemxf Description: Joe Pascone from the Turning Tides History Podcast joins us to delve into the gripping story of the Attica prison riots and their lasting impact on the landscape of prison reform. Unravel the lay…

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Coming Soon Attica and the American Revolution 2:10

8M ago2:10

2:10

Coming Soon on Organized Crime and Punishment! You can learn more about Organized Crime and Punishment and subscribe at all these great places: https://atozhistorypage.start.page www.organizedcrimeandpunishment.com Click to Subscribe: https://omny.fm/shows/organized-crime-and-punishment/playlists/podcast.rss email: crime@atozhistorypage.com Parthen…

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Who was the real Ronnie Biggs? Sixty years on from the Great Train Robbery, his biographer and friend gives us a glimpse into his colourful and audacious life. 1:01:23

8M ago1:01:23

1:01:23

Send us a Text Message. August 2023 marked 60 years since one of the most iconic crimes of the 20th century – the Great Train Robbery. Ronnie Biggs emerged as the most notorious member of the gang, and today is synonymous with the 1960s as Lord Lucan and the Profumo Affair. In this conversation, his biographer and friend Chris Pickard gives us a gl…

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Bonus - Donnie Brasco Fighting the Bureaucracy 9:11

8M ago9:11

9:11

Title: Donnie Brasco Fighting the Bureaucracy Original Publication Date: 11/15/2023 Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/Hy2Rf4ymHZB Description: Today we have a brief episode on an interesting perspective on Donnie Brasco from the perspective of a 20 police veteran and former police leader, Frank Scalise. Did Donnie’s leadership in the …

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Confessions of a ghost-writer. Meet the bestselling writer you've never heard of as she reveals publishing's best-kept secret. 52:52

8M ago52:52

52:52

Send us a Text Message. She’s written 24 books, many of them critically acclaimed, four of them Sunday Times Bestsellers and one of them in just three weeks, but you’ve probably never heard of her. Shannon Kyle is a ghost-writer. Ghost-writing has long been publishing’s best-kept secret. An estimated ninety per cent of memoirs and non-fiction books…

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Behind the Badge: Unmasking and Preventing Police Corruption 40:45

8M ago40:45

40:45

Title: Behind the Badge: Unmasking and Preventing Police Corruption Original Publication Date: 11/8/2023 Transcript URL: https://share.descript.com/view/3mw7dv9a5a8 Description: In this episode, we delve into a crucial topic: Police Corruption and the challenges officers face daily. We'll also discuss effective measures to prevent such corruption i…

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Coming Soon: PTSD on the Streets 1:51

8M ago1:51

1:51

Coming Soon on Organized Crime and Punishment! You can learn more about Organized Crime and Punishment and subscribe at all these great places: https://atozhistorypage.start.page www.organizedcrimeandpunishment.com Click to Subscribe: https://omny.fm/shows/organized-crime-and-punishment/playlists/podcast.rss email: crime@atozhistorypage.com Parthen…

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A deathbed plea from my mother – ‘I don’t want to be forgotten’. 56:46

9M ago56:46

56:46

Send us a Text Message. Susan McBeth is a woman steeped in books. She founded Adventures by the Book in 2011 to bring literature to life for readers and book clubs through interesting, unique, and adventurous events and travels with authors. In 2018, she also founded NovelNetwork, a service that provides assistance connecting book clubs and authors…

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Investigating The Devilsdorp CULT KILLERS With A True Crime Expert 1:43:41

9M ago1:43:41

1:43:41

In this weeks episode I spoke to the host of the True Crime South Africa podcast, Nicole Engelbrecht about the Krugersdorp cult killers. During this episode we delve deep into the disturbing and twisted world of these Killers and the shocking events that transpired. The Krugersdorp Cult Killers, also known as the "Electus Per Deus" cult, shocked th…

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