Author Archives: SpyBlog

What History Can Teach Us About Top Secret America

Mark Stout, SPY Historian The Washington Post’s compelling three-part series on “Top Secret America” has become the topic of water cooler conversation all over the country.  The series portrays a mysterious and murky world of government agencies and contractors that … Continue reading

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The Iranian Nuclear Scientist Who Defected Twice?

Mark Stout, SPY Historian A high-profile Iranian nuclear scientist may have defected to the United States last year.  And today he may have defected back.  What are the implications for American intelligence? The case is rife with mysteries.  Shahram Amiri … Continue reading

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"The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It"

SPY’s Book Specialist, Matt Arnold Today,  May 6th, Richard Clarke will be speaking  at the International Spy Museum for one of our free noon lunchtime author debriefings and book signing.    From 1992 to 2003, Clarke held several positions within the … Continue reading

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Josephine Baker in Africa

Amanda A. Ohlke, Adult Education Director This week marks the anniversary of the death of Josephine Baker, one of history’s most famous female spies. We recently received copies of numerous documents from the files of the French Ministere de la … Continue reading

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SPY Games: Clue Secrets and Spies

The game we know today as “Clue” in America began in England in 1944 as “Cluedo” in England. Invented by Anthony Pratt, a solicitor’s clerk and part-time clown. The object was to solve the mystery of the death of one … Continue reading

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Q & A with a Real Spy

SPY talks with former CIA agent, John Kiriakou, about his experience with the controversy over waterboarding, and the pressures from both inside and outside the agency. Q: When a former CIA officer goes “public” does the information need to be … Continue reading

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Spy Book: Invisible Ink

SPY’s Book Specialist, Matt Arnold Invisible ink.  Lemon juice, milk, and, for those most desperate, urine are the most commonly known recipes for invisible ink.   These techniques were literally child’s play for many of us.  Yet, when Mata Hari was … Continue reading

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SPY Movie: The Third Man

SPY’s Book Specialist, Matt Arnold, reviews a classic spy film. In the lobby of the International Spy Museum is a large black and white image of a man bathed in shadow.   Enveloping him in this darkness is post-World War II … Continue reading

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Sneak Peak: The Watchers- The Rise of America’s Surveillance State

SPY speaks with author Shane Harris about his assertion the American government still can’t discern future threats in the vast data cloud, but can now spy on its citizens with an ease that was impossible and illegal just a few … Continue reading

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Counterfeit Reich

Dr. Thomas Boghardt, Historian At the height of World War II, in 1942, the Germans began to produce massive amounts of British counterfeit banknotes. Their goal—bring down the British economy by flooding the United Kingdom with fake money. The scheme … Continue reading

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