Cold War Conversations

326
History #249

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 studying Superpower Relations and the Cold War.

Recent Episodes
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Recent Reviews
  • rshields32
    Great show. Idea for next episode
    Thanks for the great content. Would love a two part on the respective lives of Oleg Gordievski and Aldrich Ames and the intersection between them.
  • longrun26.2
    Best modern history podcast on the web
    Absolutely fantastic content covering a wide range of Cold War historical topics, especially surrounding military affairs and espionage, but also covering cultural issues. Really wonderful.
  • Leif2216
    First Rate pod
    What a show to bring all these stories to light!
  • Dataruin
    Amazing podcast
    Cold War Conversations with Ian and his varied guests is a delight to dive into. Since finding this podcast Ive been listening to at least two episodes every day. Its an absolute pleasure hearing all the first hand accounts and experiences that are within this show. Thank you, Ian, for putting this together. To many more!
  • ntokmakova
    Incredible!
    One of my favorite podcasts. Found it absolutely by chance. Last episode I listened to was about the Afghan- Soviet war. My father fought in it, he never talked about his life so listening to that episode brought me so much insight. The stories you guys tell are truly captivating. Each episode is better than the next. Thank you so much!
  • the hobbit the shire
    3rd play through
    I’ve listened to all your episodes twice now. Going a third time. I love the show. I love what you’re doing. I’ve definitely had my mind expanded from your efforts. Thank you
  • Davesdogmax
    Great interviews with intriguing stories
    Everything Cold War is covered. In detail and gives a great insight into Cold War politics, equipment used and people. If you have any interest in modern history this is a must listen. Interviews with the people that where actually there. Can’t get better intelligence and knowledge than from the horses mouth
  • Linda and David Smith
    Great Cold War Resource
    Cold War Conversations is a great resource as our opportunities for Cold War oral histories starts to ebb as we move further away from that time.
  • space_monkey_mafia
    absolutely incredible
    i started listening to this podcast while doing research for a novel i’m writing about Soviet Russia. i was instantly captivated by the stories of everyday people who experienced firsthand the events i have researched and read about for years. i was absolutely humbled by the feeling that no matter how much knowledge i compile regarding Cold War events it can never compare to the experiences of these ordinary people who actually witnessed all the nuance of the time. i appreciate that the host allows people to tell their own story without constant interjection, but also delves deeper into the topics that interest the listener. if you have any level of interest in this period in history, definitely give Cold War Conversations a listen. i highly doubt you will be disappointed.
  • Sburke0351
    A treasure trove for educators
    As a history teacher I have found this podcast to be my go to resource for information on the Cold War. This podcast was extremely useful in building up details to increase student engagement during this topic.
  • MoscowTim
    Too much advertising
    Great topics but too much adverts. Deleting from my listening que!
  • ApexLongimanus
    Excellent History Lessons
    This podcast has something for everyone. People who lived through the times and people that want to learn about how got to where we are. Loving it.
  • Über listener
    Great oral history podcast!
    I love the breadth of stories covered in this podcast. Everything from nuclear submarine commanders to coming of age stories behind the iron curtain.
  • NappyDresser
    Interesting!
    Lovely history podcasting Thank you for Dicky Chappelle story!
  • Holotox
    Fantastic and exciting real life cold war discussions!
    I'm a child of the 1980s and as I was growing up, my father would tell us stories of growing up and serving in the US military during the cold war. It led to my fascination with the era and appreciation for the fiction and non-fiction films, series and books that encompassed the cold war. When I discovered Ian's Cold War Conversations, and the real life stories from regular people on both sides of the iron curtain, I was hooked! It's the little details in the memories of the people who lived through the era that paint such a fascinating picture of what it was like to live through that time period that make the conversations so very interesting. Give it a listen and you won't be disappointed!
  • dirkNpit
    Everyone under 40 needs to listen
    I'm 60, I remember climbing under our desks in grammar school to practice bomb drills. I remember as a child all the news by newspapes or the nightly news regarding the Soviet Union. The left and anyone under 40 in America that supports Socialist and Communist ideas need to understand how many people were murdered for the ideology of China, the Soviet Union and the Warsaw countries, Germany and Cuba. In America today the left,corporate America & News agencies want to take our 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 14th Amendments away from us! When all these past countries I mentioned willingly gave up their guns they gave up free speech and freedom. The one's that didn't we're killed. Listen and pass this show on to anyone that will listen. It's a great podcast!
  • ICBMTim
    A great podcast series that you don’t want to miss!
    Ian Sanders does a magnificent job interviewing each person. He really brings out their story In a personal and uniquely intriguing Way. Find out what it was like for so many different men and women around the world who lived The Cold War! The stories that are shared are just amazing!
  • Wanderers_Jon
    Can’t get enough!!
    If you have even the slightest interest in any aspect of the Cold War, then this is the podcast you’ll want to follow. Ian does such a great job of presenting so much subject matter, from military and espionage to music and popular culture, from Europe to Asia to the Americas, and back again. The stories just keep coming. I eagerly await the new episodes and binge the back catalogue. I can’t get enough!! Thanks Ian
  • wiszlesucht
    Excellent show!
    This is an excellent production covering the overlooked history of the Cold War. As a Cold War veteran of USAEUR in the 1980’s its fascinating to hear others experiences, both allied and those behind the wall in the Warsaw Pact. I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s with uncles and neighbors who had fought in WW2, and my father was a mechanic and tow truck operator with an Atomic Annie battery in West Germany in the late 50’s. Great podcast. Keep up the great work!
  • dsramfam
    Marvelous Podcast
    I recently discovered this podcast and it has become my favorite show. It’s very informative and interesting.
  • J. Bonham from Tennessee
    Thoroughly enjoyable
    Lately I’ve been looking for a good history podcast, especially modern history. I came across the episode about the 22yo British man sent to East Germany for work. He gives a detailed first-hand account of his experience in the GDR, and then goes on to describe his different experiences elsewhere in a variety of Soviet Bloc nations. Absolutely the exact type of content and podcast format I’ve been craving. Fantastic content.
  • Henslme
    Love this podcast
    This podcast has lots of interesting stories on the Cold War and Ian has interesting guests on all the time, he really is very informative about subject matter, the guest he has on are so interesting . I would recommend this to all people interested in the Cold War or like me lived through the Cold War, thanks for what you do Ian and keep up the good work.. and I love the Easytonica music you use for the podcast
  • 2AD
    Fascinating info on Cold War
    Fascinating history during the period the U.S. and its Western allies faced an existential enemy. Unfortunately , a lot of this history has been obscured by the conflicts in Vietnam and the Middle East. Able Archer and the F-111 pilot interview are two episodes you don’t want to miss.
  • Mairs1976
    Tremendous show!!
    This show is in my top 5 podcasts. I fancy myself as something of a history buff, and learn something (usually multiple somethings) from EVERY episode. Bravo!!
  • suzieque55
    Tin Can Audio
    Really enjoy almost all the episodes, but 1July 2022 is just an awful audio presentation. Please perfect the sound.
  • Haloisthebest123
    Amazing
    If you respect history then you might want to give them a listen
  • SAkhtar1984
    Fantastic!!
    If you are interested in the Cold War, look no further. This is by far the best podcast on this topic. In my opinion this is the best podcast out there - period.
  • kc8kbk
    Excellent show
    Fascinating guests and topics. This has become of my weekly “absolutely, do not miss” pods. Really well produced and recorded!
  • CD AR
    Excellent Number Station Episide
    Great podcast
  • led1966
    Cold War veteran
    Having been in PACAF for my four years I didn’t have the experiences my fellows did serving in Europe. We did have a Soviet sailor somehow send from a Russian destroyer to Clark Air Base in the PI needing an emergency appendectomy. I remember everyone wanting to see him and seeing him in the OR thinking he looks just like us. He grew up same as we did being told we were the enemy. I had a buddy who was from Belgium who was in the USAF and watching the fall of the Berlin Wall on AFRTS Growing up in central Pennsylvania not really realizing what the wall was or meant to the rest of the world. But learning a lot that night. I love the podcast. Learning so much!!!
  • Colo subscriber
    Great program.
    Ian deserves a big thank you for keeping the history of the Cold War alive. Given what is happening now in Ukraine, this program is more important than ever.
  • Junior Comp
    Well done
    Thank you so much for all the work that’s gone into this podcast. My father served in West Germany for most of his military career. This podcast has brought back so many memories for him.
  • Jamc204
    The end of the rainbow for Cold War history fans
    Wow, I’m so happy I discovered this podcast. It’s packed with really smart interviews from those who lived the Cold War on the front lines. Ian is a great interviewer and is very skilled at asking questions that bring the subject matter to life in a tangible way. I wish I had more time to listen. I’ll eagerly awake new episodes.
  • fletchergrizwald
    to the team at CC
    Ian, thank you very much for your work and thank you very much for the team you have behind you supporting that work. I was a soldier during the Cold War and also grew up in the Cold War. The Cold War affected me from when I was young to directly affecting me and service to my country. The part of your production that I like best is conversations with everybody. It shows how the world affects us all not just soldiers.
  • juverhbjjd
    Amazing resource.
    Amazing resource, the sheer number of subjects discussed is mind-boggling.
  • RottenFeetBill
    This is the Cold War
    Absolutely the most accurate telling of the Cold War from every imaginable angle. Beyond enjoyable !
  • Dave P in CA
    Great show
    I am a fan of Cold War history and there are a lot of great interviews on here. Keep up the important work.
  • Goldieschlager
    Amazing content
    The variety and detail of these first-hand Cold War accounts are vital to remembering this period! They are enjoyable to listen to, and when I leave each episode, I feel like I have more context for this period from an approachable, human standpoint. Keep going!
  • rpoteat7
    Second to none for military history!
    I really can’t say enough good things about “Cold War Conversations!” It expands upon all the stories I had heard from my grandparents and the books I’ve read over the years. I love the down to earth, unfiltered discussions that take place between Ian and his guests. I usually am listening during my commute to and from work and it certainly makes the trip much more enjoyable!
  • IntrntnlTraveler
    Fantastic interview series, in every way!
    Kudos and high praise to Ian for this fascinating oral history of the Cold War. I don't believe that anyone has specifically mentioned the huge variety of interviewees, spanning retired professionals, amateur historians, and citizen journalists who offer first-person accounts of military, espionage, traditional diplomacy, journalistic, academic, and people-to-people diplomacy experiences. Ian most certainly deserves every bit of the accolades coming his way!
  • Deus é brasileiro...
    Absolutely the best Cold War podcast out there
    If you want to hear firsthand Cold War stories, CWC is the BEST place to find them. This is one of the most engaging podcasts you can listen to. These moving stories really bring the Cold War to life and give this period of history a human face. Ian is an exceptional podcaster. This podcast has won awards for a reason!
  • Stephen10031
    An amazing range of original, real stories
    This is a brilliant historical podcast series, mining deep into a wide range of original Cold War stories and experiences, from ordinary, yet extraordinary, military personnel, to members of the public on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and to historical experts in specific military and surveillance fields… which comes together, expertly interviewed, to illuminate what is still a very recent and very scary era in human history. Often, an episode will lead me to think about other unremarked and uninvestigated aspects of the Cold War: Ian and his co-hosts have many more stories still to tell. First class work.
  • Laura Dee in AZ
    Wonderful firsthand accounts
    As an American who visited Berlin and East Germany after the wall came down and before reunification, and having lived in East Germany for two years immediately after reunification, I find the stories and first hand accounts of service members, Westerners, East Germans, etc fascinating and can relate to so many of these experiences. Ian does a great job interviewing and presenting the stories in a sympathetic and interesting way. Keep it up!
  • Dan F (UK)
    Priceless insights!
    Having grown up during the Cold War the stories covered here take me back to that time like no book or movie can ever get close to. These stories are priceless anecdotes and gems that are spoken straight from those who experienced it. Five Stars from me.
  • Marne Ver
    A Great Rabbit Hole
    Growing up late in the Cold War and serving in Germany right after the fall of the wall, I really did not see the big picture. Ian’s podcast changed that and really opened my eyes to so many aspects of this important period. Not to mention all the books I’ve purchased and read as a result. Thanks, Ian!
  • dlhansen
    Cold War history from all kinds of angles
    I stumbled upon this podcast after searching for Cold War reared shows. After listening to one episode I was hooked. The number of guests this show has and their stories is just incredible. Learning about how people lived through the Cold War is fascinating and this show explores it all. If you’re at all interested in this time period this show is for you.
  • tylrkd
    One of a kind podcast!
    Hats off to you for making such an incredible show and finding such interesting stories to tell! I love it!
  • Creasy15
    Great Episodes, Great Guests
    Ian continually finds fascinating new tales to tell from the Cold War. I thought I already knew quite a bit before I started listening to his podcast but every episode brings new understanding and new insights. I am a huge fan and support him on Patreon as well. Keep up the great work Ian.
  • Ghostbear
    Former Cold War veteran
    I worked intel in the Army in Germany in the 80's so some of these stories I am familiar but plenty I am not. I really like learning more about the period and Ian does a great job of putting these stories together.
  • otto.p
    cold war from many perspectives
    This podcast has become one of my real favorites. Ian does a great job bringing in people with a wide variety of experiences and perspectives from that period, as well as authors and historians to discuss new research and publications that continue to expand our understanding of the era.
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