Cold War Conversations

By: Ian Sanders
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  • Summary

  • Experience the Cold War like never before through award-winning, real-life stories told by those who lived it. Each week, we bring you firsthand accounts from soldiers, spies, civilians, and more, capturing the full spectrum of Cold War experiences. Host Ian Sanders takes you beyond the history books, delivering raw, personal stories where every breath, pause, and emotion adds depth to understanding this pivotal era. This is Cold War history, told from the inside. We cover subjects such as spies, spying, the Iron Curtain, nuclear weapons, warfare, tanks, jet aircraft, fighters, bombers, transport aircraft, aviation, culture, and politics. We also cover personalities such as Fidel Castro, JFK, Ronald Reagan, Nikita Khrushchev, Leonid Brezhnev, Yuri Andropov, Mikhail Gorbachev, Konstantin Chernenko, Margaret Thatcher, John F. Kennedy, Josef Stalin, Richard Nixon, Lech Walesa, General Jaruzelski, Nicolae Ceaușescu. Other subjects include Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Romania, Checkpoint Charlie, Berlin, West Berlin, East Berlin, Cuban missile Crisis, Berlin Airlift, Bay of Pigs, SALT, Perestroika, Space Race, superpower, USSR, Soviet Union, DDR, GDR, East Germany, SDI, Vietnam War, Korean War, Solidarność, Fall of the Wall, Berliner Mauer, Trabant, Communist, Capitalist, Able Archer, KGB, Stasi, STB, SB, Securitate, CIA, NSA, MI5, MI6, Berlin Wall, escape, defection, Cuba, Albania, football, sport, Bulgaria, Soviet Union, Poland, China, Taiwan, Austria, West Germany, Solidarity, espionage, HUMINT, SIGINT, OSINT, IMINT, GEOINT, RAF, USAF, British Army, US Army, Red Army, Soviet Army, Afghanistan, NVA, East German Army, KAL007, T-72, T-64, Chieftain, M60 The podcast is for military veterans, school teachers, university lecturers, students and those interested in Cold War history, museums, bunkers, weapons, AFVs, wargaming, planes, A Level, GCSE students
    © 2024 Cold War Conversations
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Episodes
  • From Sydney to the Vietnam War: An Australian Soldier's Cold War Journey (367)

    From Sydney to the Vietnam War: An Australian Soldier's Cold War Journey (367)
    Sep 27 2024
    In this gripping episode of Cold War Conversations, we hear the remarkable first-hand account of John Brooker, an Australian veteran who takes us on a journey from the streets of Sydney to the battlefields of Vietnam. John shares his experiences from joining the Citizens Military Force (CMF) to his deployment with the Royal New South Wales Lancers and the regular army. He provides vivid details of the Tet Offensive of 1968, the intense firefights, and the harrowing experience of being mortared for the first time. John also reflects on the challenges of returning to civilian life and the mixed reception from the Australian public and World War II veterans. Don't miss this powerful and insightful episode! Related episodes Vietnam War draftee to US Army Ranger https://pod.fo/e/10388d Just another day in Vietnam https://pod.fo/e/ac3e7 Don – Vietnam War Armoured Cavalry Platoon Leader https://pod.fo/e/a08dc Cold War Tank Tales from the Land Down Under https://pod.fo/e/2078b9 Further Cold War Tank Tales from the Land Down Under https://pod.fo/e/20dda1 Australian Cold War Maritime Air Patrols https://pod.fo/e/21e35d Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode367/ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Unveiling Cold War Secrets: Hack Green Regional Seat of Government Bunker museum (366)

    Unveiling Cold War Secrets: Hack Green Regional Seat of Government Bunker museum (366)
    Sep 20 2024
    It's 40 years since the film Threads was shown on British TV. It portrayed the effects of a nuclear attack on the city of Sheffield, England and the eventual long-term effects of nuclear war on civilization. It therefore seems apt to publish a tour I had of the Hack Green Regional Seat of Government Bunker museum. Nestled in the heart of Cheshire, Hack Green Nuclear Bunker is a hidden gem that offers a fascinating glimpse into the Cold War era. I had the pleasure of exploring this historical site with Rod Siebert who originally bought the bunker and volunteer David Smith, who shared their extensive knowledge and passion for this remarkable place. The bunker contains many unique artefacts such as the largest public collection of nuclear weapons casings in Europe, including Polaris, Trident, Chevaline and WE 177, the UK's last airdrop nuclear deterrent. Other rare and unique items include the Queen's transition to war telephone, which would have been used by the UK government to communicate with Buckingham Palace in the event of war. Hack Green is not just a museum; it's a time capsule that offers a unique and sobering insight into the Cold War era. Whether you're a history buff, a fan of military technology, or simply curious about this hidden piece of history, Hack Green is a must-visit. Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode365/ Related episodes How Cold War Britain prepared for Nuclear War https://pod.fo/e/172825 The man who built his own nuclear bunker https://pod.fo/e/12af02 The last voice you'd hear in a nuclear war https://pod.fo/e/186a6d Cold War leaflets and secret documents https://pod.fo/e/157f2 Assigned to a government bunker https://pod.fo/e/13303 Visiting a Royal Observer Corps monitoring post and interview with the Chief Observer who served in the post https://pod.fo/e/f82a Alistair McCann has preserved a Royal Observer Corps monitoring post as a museum in Northern Ireland. https://pod.fo/e/f83d The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 22 mins
  • The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama with Ben Macintyre (365)

    The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama with Ben Macintyre (365)
    Sep 13 2024
    On April 30, 1980, six heavily armed gunmen burst into the Iranian embassy on Princes Gate, overlooking Hyde Park in London. There they took 26 hostages, including embassy staff, visitors, and three British citizens. I talk with Britain’s bestselling historian Ben Macintyre who has written a new book called “The Siege: The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama”. The book details the tense six-day siege ensued as millions gathered around screens across the country to witness the longest news flash in British television history, in which police negotiators and psychiatrists sought a bloodless end to the standoff, while the SAS – hitherto an organisation shrouded in secrecy – laid plans for a daring rescue mission: Operation Nimrod. Drawing on unpublished source material, exclusive interviews with the SAS, and testimony from witnesses including hostages, negotiators, intelligence officers and the on-site psychiatrist, bestselling historian Ben Macintyre takes readers on a gripping journey from the years and weeks of build-up on both sides, to the minute-by-minute account of the siege and rescue. Recreating the dramatic conversations between negotiators and hostages, the cutting-edge intelligence work happening behind-the-scenes, and the media frenzy around this moment of international significance, The Siege is the remarkable story of what really happened on those fateful six days, and the first full account of a moment that forever changed the way the nation thought about the SAS – and itself. Buy the book and support the podcast https://uk.bookshop.org/a/1549/9780241675670 Episode extras https://coldwarconversations.com/episode365/ The fight to preserve Cold War history continues and via a simple monthly donation, you will give me the ammunition to continue to preserve Cold War history. You’ll become part of our community, get ad-free episodes, and get a sought-after CWC coaster as a thank you and you’ll bask in the warm glow of knowing you are helping to preserve Cold War history. Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ If a monthly contribution is not your cup of tea, We also welcome one-off donations via the same link. Find the ideal gift for the Cold War enthusiast in your life! Just go to https://coldwarconversations.com/store/ Support the project! https://coldwarconversations.com/donate/ Follow us on Twitter https://twitter.com/ColdWarPod Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/coldwarpod/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/coldwarconversations/ Youtube https://youtube.com/@ColdWarConversations Love history? Join Intohistory https://intohistory.com/coldwarpod 00:00 Start 00:51 Introduction 03:53 Why is the book unique? 08:51 What were the political motivations of the gunmen? 16:30 How did the attack start? 23:50 Who is being held hostage? 27:25 The situation in the embassy in the first few days 35:31 Police negotiations 40:55 The SAS go in! 49:06 What happens to the gunmen? 51:12 PC Trevor Locke concealed his gun for six days during hostage crisis 54:16 The ending of the siege 55:26 How the siege raised Britain's military profile 58:33 The book about the siege will be turned into a television drama Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    1 hr and 12 mins

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Profile Image for exile71

Excellent

These are great episodes, very diverse ranging from sport to military intelligence during the Cold War period. I’m learning a lot. Thank you!

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Profile Image for Margaret Langdon

Fantastic

Just really a thank you to Ian for investing so much time into bringing these stories to life and let them be heard.

Tremendous

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Profile Image for Lord Flashart

awe inspiring stories

What a find. Ian does a fantastic job of teasing out some amazing accounts of cold war history as told by those that lived the experience. stories from both sides of the iron curtain and from units I didn't know even existed. The civilian aspect is also covered from both sides and what serving personnel got upto is both sobering and hilarious in equal measure. Thats the drive to/ from work sorted for the next year...how many conversations! 5 Stars somehow doesn't do this series justice. one day the people who lived these times will be gone so well done preserving them.

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Profile Image for Anonymous User

We need to hear these voices!

It's so important that history is remembered, and what better way to understand history than by listening to those who were there making it. Ian is doing a superb job of putting together these stories for present and future generations to really understand what happened. A must listen!

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