Best Luca Trenta Podcasts (2024)

1
157. How to Rebuild a Life: Burned by Spanish Intelligence in Syria with Luis Munar Duran 59:35

13h ago59:35

59:35

Today Justin sits down with Luis Munar Duran. Luis received his law degree from the University of Valencia in Spain and was a practicing attorney for nearly 20 years beginning in 1998. He's also a certified pilot and served as a reserve officer in the Spanish Air Force. Luis also has extensive training and experience in security and human rights is…

1
156. From Incarceration to Exoneration: The Kevin Barry Artt Story with Dan Lawton 1:00:48

44m ago1:00:48

1:00:48

This week Justin talks with Dan Lawton. Dan received his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and graduated with his Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University Law Center in 1986 and has been practicing and a practicing attorney in San Diego, California for many years. He's also taught at the Thomas Jefferson School of Law since 2001…

1
155. The Hunt for the Assassin Who Killed Sweden's Prime Minister with Jan Stocklassa 53:16

7d ago53:16

53:16

Today just talks to Jan Stocklassa. Jan is an author and journalist focusing on large scale affairs in international politics. He served as a diplomat for Sweden in the Czech Republic from 1997 until 2003, and later helped found a newspaper paper in Prague. Jan spent more than a decade researching the 1986 murder of Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palm…

1
154. The Truth Behind Operation Eagle Claw with James Stejskal 50:03

13d ago50:03

50:03

Today, Justin talks with returning guest James Stejskal. James enlisted in the U. S. Army in 1973 and served for more than 20 years, including with the now famous Special Forces Detachment A in Berlin in the 1970s and 80s, among many other assignments. He was severely wounded in Somalia in 1992 and medically retired from the Army in 1996, after whi…

1
153. The Year of Four Emperors with Rose Mary Sheldon 43:40

20d ago43:40

43:40

Today Justin chats with Rose Mary Sheldon. This is her third time on the podcast. Rose Mary taught history as a professor at Virginia Military Institute for more than 25 years, and is a world renowned expert on intelligence activities in the ancient world. She earned her PhD from the University of Michigan in 1987 and has published several books an…

1
152. The Spy Erased from History with Raymond Batvinis 56:36

27d ago56:36

56:36

Justin talks with retired FBI special agent Raymond J. Batvinis. Ray served in the FBI from 1972 until 1997, working in counterterrorism and counterintelligence, including on the investigations into Ronald Pelton and the Walker spy ring. Shortly after 9/11, he returned to teach the basic counterintelligence course at the FBI Academy at Quantico. Si…

1
151. How The Allies Cracked Germany's Codes with Charles Lachman 58:21

1M ago58:21

58:21

Today Justin chats with Charles Lachman. Since 1998, Charles has been the executive producer of the nationally syndicated news magazine Inside Edition. He has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, History Channel, Lifetime, C SPAN, and other local and national media. He's also the author of four non fiction books and one crime novel. Today he discusses the story…

1
150. The President's Kill List with Dr. Luca Trenta 1:03:49

1M ago1:03:49

1:03:49

Today Justin sits down with Dr. Luca Trenta. Luca is an associate professor in international relations at Swansea University in Wales, and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society and of the Higher Education Academy. He's written extensively on the subjects of covert action and assassination as tools of foreign policy. He is the host of the Out …

1
149. The Triads, the CIA, and the Nugan Hand Bank with Peter Butt 1:00:03

2M ago1:00:03

1:00:03

This weak Justin chats with Peter Butt. Peter is an author and award -winning documentary filmmaker. He is the founder of Blackwattle Films and his work has appeared on BBC, National Geographic, The History Channel and elsewhere. Peter has focused particularly on the Cold War, the nuclear arms race and espionage activities, particularly in Australi…

1
148. Japan's British Spy on American Soil with Ronald Drabkin 43:36

2M ago43:36

43:36

This week Justin is joined by Ronald Drabkin. Ron earned his Bachelor's Degree from Duke University and his Master's from UC Berkeley. Since then, he's worked in the tech industry, first with Intel Corporation and later as an entrepreneur and investor. He's also written peer reviewed articles on espionage history in Japan. Today he discusses his fi…

1
147. A Mother at War: Shannon Kent's Duty, Sacrifice, and Humanity with Joe Kent 37:55

2M ago37:55

37:55

Today, Justin talks with Joe Kent. Joe spent 20 years in the United States Army, serving in the Ranger Regiment, Army Special Forces, and later other elite units within Joint Special Operations Command, before retiring as a Chief Warrant Officer III. His time in the service included 11 deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. It was during one of those…

1
146. Civil War Special Operations Units with Patrick K. O'Donnell 52:30

2M ago52:30

52:30

This week Justin talks with Patrick K. O'Donnell. Patrick is a combat historian who has covered the war in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004, where he was armed and participated in the battle alongside U. S. Marines. He is an expert on special operations units and irregular warfare. He's published 13 books so far on combat history, covering stories from the A…

1
145. Capturing Lothar Witzke: German Spy, Saboteur, and Assassin with Bill Mills 54:05

3M ago54:05

54:05

This week, Justin speaks with Bill Mills. Bill holds a B.A. in History from Framingham State University and has written four nonfiction books about espionage during the First World War. Along the way, he has amassed a significant private collection of original documents, photos, and artifacts related to espionage during that war. Today he shares st…

1
144. How Cuba and The Cold War Made Miami with Vince Houghton and Eric Driggs 1:23:05

3M ago1:23:05

1:23:05

This week Justin interviews Vince Houghton and Eric Driggs. Vince grew up in Miami, Florida, and is a veteran of the U. S. Army, where he served in The Balkans. He went on to receive a master's degree and PhD in Diplomatic and Military History from the University of Maryland. He spent more than six years as the historian and curator for the Interna…

1
143. British Military Intelligence in the Falklands with Nick van der Bijl 1:14:17

3M ago1:14:17

1:14:17

Today just chats with Nick van der Bijl. Nick served for 24 years as a regular in the British Army in military intelligence, security, and later as an infantry officer in the Territorial Army. He saw active service in Northern Ireland, Belize, and with the 3 Commando Brigade during the Falklands Conflict. Since leaving the service, Nick has publish…

1
142. The Cover Up of the Tragic USS Liberty Incident with Phillip F. Tourney 58:35

4M ago58:35

58:35

This week Justin sits down with Phillip Tourney. Phil enlisted in the U. S. Navy in February 1964. He served two tours on the USS Mauna Kea in the waters off Vietnam, then transferred to the USS Liberty, where he served three more tours. In June 1967, he was aboard the Liberty as a petty officer third class when the ship came under attack by Israel…

1
141. Benedict Arnold: America's Most Famous Traitor with Aaron Stark 1:01:14

4M ago1:01:14

1:01:14

This week Justin talks with returning guest Aaron Stark. Aaron served in the U S army as an Apache helicopter pilot, including on two tours in Afghanistan. He finished his term of service teaching at his alma mater West Point Military Academy as an assistant professor of economics after completing his master's in business administration at Harvard …

1
140. An Atomic Soviet Spy with Ann Hagedorn 1:06:07

4M ago1:06:07

1:06:07

This week Justin talks with Ann Hagedorn. Ann is a former staff writer for the Wall Street Journal and an award winning author of six narrative nonfiction books ranging in topics from thoroughbred horse racing to international kidnapping to unsung heroes of America's anti slavery movement and to the high drama of the tumultuous year 1919. She's a g…

1
139. Freddie Scappaticci: IRA Turncoat with Richard O'Rawe 58:38

4M ago58:38

58:38

This week Justin talks with Richard "Ricky" O'Rawe, a former member of the Irish Republican Army. Since leaving the IRA, Ricky has worked as a peace advocate and has written several nonfiction books as well as two novels about The Troubles. Today Ricky shares the story of Britain's greatest intelligence coup during The Troubles: the recruitment of …

1
138. The Defection of a Communist Spy Queen with Kathryn Olmsted 50:08

5M ago50:08

50:08

This week Justin sits down with Dr. Kathryn Olmsted. Kathryn is a professor of history at the University of California, Davis, where she has taught since 2001. She's published five books and many journal articles focusing on the political and cultural history of the United States since World War I. Today she discusses the story of Elizabeth Bentley…

1
137. The Hitman, the Dissident, and the Detective with Ray Martinez 58:51

5M ago58:51

58:51

This week, Justin sits down with Ray Martinez. Ray served three consecutive terms as mayor of the city of Fort Collins, Colorado between 1999 and 2005. He was later elected to the Fort Collins City Council, serving a term from 2015 through 2019. Ray is an active member of several local advisory boards in the Fort Collins area. He's also the author …

1
136. A Vietnamese Agent Hidden for 20 Years with Dr. Larry Berman 1:10:08

5M ago1:10:08

1:10:08

Today Justin talks with Dr. Larry Berman. Larry is a professor emeritus at the University of California, Davis. He has published four books dealing with the history of America's involvement in the Vietnam War. His work has also been featured on C-SPAN, The History Channel, and Vietnam: A Television History. Today Larry discusses the incredible doub…

1
135. General James Wilkinson: American Traitor with Howard Cox 1:15:52

5M ago1:15:52

1:15:52

Today Justin talks with Howard W. Cox. Howard is a former federal prosecutor, criminal investigator, and senior intelligence service officer. After graduating from Georgetown University Law Center, he served as a trial attorney for the U. S. Army's Judge Advocate General's Corps, followed by many other investigative and prosecutorial assignments th…

1
134. North Vietnamese and Viet Cong Intelligence with Dr. David Strachan-Morris 44:28

6M ago44:28

44:28

This week, Justin sits down with Dr. David Strachan-Morris. David is a lecturer in intelligence and security at the University of Leicester, where he runs the M. A . in Intelligence and Security program, as well as being Director of Distance Learning for the School of History, Politics, and International Relations. Before embarking on an academic c…

1
133. A Double Agent in the Canadian Mounted Police with Justin Ling 1:04:29

6M ago1:04:29

1:04:29

This week's guest is Justin Ling. Justin is an award winning investigative journalist whose work has appeared in Vice, Maclean's Foreign Policy, and The Globe and Mail, among other publications. He's also the author of the book Missing from the Village, which is about Toronto based serial killer Bruce MacArthur and has hosted two seasons of the Unc…

1
132. Noel Field: Stalin's Last American Spy with Kati Marton 49:44

6M ago49:44

49:44

This week, Justin sits down with Kati Marton. Kati is an author, journalist, and correspondent who has worked with National Public Radio and later ABC News, where she was the Bureau Chief in Germany. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Times of London, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Vanity Fair, and many other publ…

1
131. A Bombing in Sheridan Circle with Alan McPherson 1:21:29

6M ago1:21:29

1:21:29

This week Justin chats with Dr. Alan McPherson. Alan is a historian of U.S. foreign relations at Temple University and the director of the Center for the Study of Force and Diplomacy. He received his Ph.D. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his M.A. in history from San Francisco State University. He has also publish…

1
130. Nuking the Moon with Vincent Houghton 1:19:50

6M ago1:19:50

1:19:50

Today, Justin sits down with Vince Houghton. Vince is a veteran of the U.S. Army and served in the Balkans. He went on to receive a Master's Degree and PhD in Diplomatic and Military history from the University of Maryland. He spent more than six years as the historian and curator for the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC, and is now the d…

1
129. The Cambridge Five with Dr. Paul Winter 1:03:25

7M ago1:03:25

1:03:25

This week Justin sits down with Dr. Paul Winter. Paul is an independent historian, an author who specializes in wartime intelligence and military history, and a Red Team consultant. He's published articles in several journals and has written two books about World War II called D Day Documents and Defeating Hitler, as well as a third book called Fir…

1
128. A POW Spy Ring in Vietnam with Jim Stockdale 1:42:10

7M ago1:42:10

1:42:10

This week Justin's guest is James B. Stockdale II. Jim has worked in public education for many years, including as an independent school headmaster, public school district superintendent, and as a distinguished educator for the Pennsylvania Department of Education. He's also the son of U. S. Navy aviator, Admiral James B. Stockdale. Admiral Stockda…

1
127. Modern Espionage Tales with The Gunfighter Project 1:16:23

7M ago1:16:23

1:16:23

In this bonus episode, Justin shares his interview from The Gunfighter Project podcast. With host B, he discusses espionage stories that sound too incredible to be true. The Gunfighter Project features members of some of the world's most elite military units. It's a conversational show where professionals from around the world share their expertise…

1
126. The Arab Section: Israel's First Spies with Matti Friedman 1:04:53

7M ago1:04:53

1:04:53

Justin's guest this week is Matti Friedman. Matti has worked as a correspondent for the Associated Press and his work has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, and elsewhere. He's also the author of four nonfiction books covering subjects related to the formation of Israel and the conflicts that followed the birth of t…

1
125. From the SAS to the World of Private Intelligence with Robert Lancaster 1:07:23

8M ago1:07:23

1:07:23

This week Justin talks with Robert Lancaster. Robert served in the British Army from 1977 until 1989, including time spent with 22nd SAS, and then in the Australian Army as a reserve special forces soldier. In 1991, he founded Lancaster's Global Risk Consultancy based in Australia, which has offered a wide variety of security surveillance, business…

1
124. Double Agent: How I Caught a Russian Spy with Naveed Jamali 55:57

8M ago55:57

55:57

This week Justin sits down with Naveed Jamali. Naveed is currently an editor at large for Newsweek, where he reports on national security issues. Naveed grew up in New York City, where his parents owned a small business selling technical journals and other hard to find publications. This inadvertently put them in touch with Russian agents working u…

1
123. The Unsung Icarus of the French Resistance with Peter Dowding 58:55

8M ago58:55

58:55

Today Justin talks with Peter Dowding. Peter worked as a solicitor and barrister for many years in Australia, beginning in 1966. He also served in various positions with the Labour Party and was elected to serve as the 24th Premier for Western Australia from 1988 until 1990. Peter is here to tell the story of his uncle Bruce who was studying in Par…

1
122. How Polish Counterintelligence Officers Penetrated Foreign Embassies with Tomasz Awlasewicz 1:34:50

8M ago1:34:50

1:34:50

This week's guest is Tomasz Awasiewicz. Tom is an author, journalist, and expert on counterintelligence who has taught courses at the SWPS University of Social Sciences in Warsaw and elsewhere. Currently, he focuses on the Cold War-era intelligence and counterintelligence units of the Polish People's Republic. Today, Tom discusses a covert unit of …

1
121. How China's Greatest Covert Operations Fooled the World with Alex Joske 1:05:35

9M ago1:05:35

1:05:35

This week Justin is joined by Alex Joske. Alex is an analyst and researcher who focuses on the Chinese government and Chinese Communist Party. He has worked for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute and has also written articles which have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and with NBC News. Today he's here to discuss t…

1
120. A Life in State Department Counterintelligence with Robert Booth 1:26:09

9M ago1:26:09

1:26:09

This week Justin sits down with Robert David Booth. Robert served as a special agent with the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security all over the world for nearly 30 years, in locations like Beijing, Geneva, Tokyo, Haiti, and Paris. He was the deputy director for the Office of Counterintelligence from 1996 until 2002, and afterwards serve…

1
119. Rampant Assassination in the Roman Empire with Colonel Rose Mary Sheldon 58:51

9M ago58:51

58:51

Repeat guest Rose Mary Sheldon taught history as a professor at Virginia Military Institute for more than 25 years and is a world renowned expert on intelligence activities in the ancient world. She earned her Ph. D. from the University of Michigan in 1987, and has published several books and many articles over the years, as well as serving as an e…

1
118. World War II's Serial Killer: The Crimes of Marcel Petiot 41:15

9M ago41:15

41:15

In this solo episode, Justin tells the story of a notorious serial killer active in France during World War II who effectively used the war itself as cover for his crimes. But Marcel Petiot was much more than just a murder. He was a conman, a thief, a doctor, a politician, a target for the Gestapo, and possibly even a source of information for a li…

1
117. The Lumumba Plot with Stuart Reid 57:15

9M ago57:15

57:15

This week's guest is Stuart Reid. Stuart is a graduate of Dartmouth college and has worked at Foreign Affairs Magazine for the past 15 years, where he's now an executive editor. He's also written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg, Businessweek, Politico Magazine, Slate, and other publications. Today he discusses h…

1
Episode 8 - Michela Wrong 57:00

10M ago57:00

57:00

In this episode we welcome investigative journalist Michela Wrong. Micheal is a leading expert on Africa, particularly the great lakes region. She has written 5 books: a novel set in the horn of Africa and 4 non-fiction books.Her non-fiction and investigative work has focused on the history and politics of Congo, Eritrea, Kenya, and, more recently …

1
116. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations in West Germany with Michael Honegger 47:51

10M ago47:51

47:51

Today's guest is Michael Honegger. Michael is a professional photographer and author. He spent much of his youth growing up in West Germany in the 1960s. His father was an officer with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations. Michael knew almost nothing of his father's career at the time, but there were a lot of clues that he was involved in…

1
115. Protecting International Defectors with Joe Augustyn 1:00:37

10M ago1:00:37

1:00:37

This week Justin sits down with Joe Augustyn. Joe was a member of the Central Intelligence Agency's clandestine service for 28 years, working as a case officer in several locations and later as Chief of Station on three different occasions. After the September 11th attacks, he was appointed the deputy associate director of CIA for Homeland Security…

1
114. Death and the Dangers of Clandestine Work Part II 35:47

10M ago35:47

35:47

This week, Justin covers four mysterious espionage deaths. In most of these cases, the exact nature of the events that came to pass is still up for debate. He dives into chilling and complex stories from Cold War Germany to Czechoslovakia, Washington DC, and Scotland. Unfortunately in these cases, we often never find answers. Check out episode 76, …

1
113. Spies in Uniform: The Military Liaison Missions in Berlin 33:54

10M ago33:54

33:54

This week, Justin shares the story of the military liaison missions in post-war Germany, or the spies in uniform. If you're a longtime listener, you might recall episode number 23 with Aden Magee, who participated in these missions himself and wrote a book about it titled Cold War Wilderness of Mirrors. Today Justin gives broader overview of the su…

1
112. Mark of the Maker with Mark Stheiner, Tom Krein, and Sean Kendrick 2:05:07

11M ago2:05:07

2:05:07

This week, Justin shares his interview from the Mark of the Maker Podcast, with hosts Mark Stheiner, Tom Krein, and Sean Kendrick. It's a podcast about knives by knifemakers, discussing everything forging and creation to collecting and history. They dove into some of the most interesting weapons from Justin's book, Covert Arms. Connect with Mark of…

1
111. The Priest Who Funneled Weapons from Gaddafi to the IRA with Jennifer O'Leary 48:00

11M ago48:00

48:00

Today, Justin sits down with Jennifer O'Leary. Jennifer is an award-winning investigative reporter for BBC Northern Ireland's current affairs program called Spotlight. She has investigated a wide variety of stories, including money laundering by organized crime, criminal conspiracy to export horses unfit for human consumption into the food chain, a…

1
110. The Mysterious Death of an Anti-Communist Danish Diplomat 33:35

11M ago33:35

33:35

In this solo episode, Justin shares a confusing and twisted story he's posted about before on his Instagram page. This is the mysterious death of a Danish diplomat on Long Island in November, 1959. Connect with Spycraft 101: Check out Justin's latest release, Covert Arms, here. spycraft101.com IG: @spycraft101 Shop: spycraft-101.myshopify.com Patre…

1
109. Spy Hunter: How I Caught Robert Hanssen with Eric O'Neill 1:22:18

11M ago1:22:18

1:22:18

This week Justin talks with author, attorney, public speaker, security expert, and former FBI agent Eric O'Neill. Eric is the founder of the Georgetown Group, a premier investigative services and security firm. In law, he specializes in national security matters. But long before that, he was a young investigative specialist with the FBI. In Decembe…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Luca Trenta Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide