Rum, James Bond and the Royal Navy
James Bond 007 Jamaican Rum by Blackwell Rum. Limited edition release of Blackwell Fine Jamaican Rum, that was launched in partnership with the 007 movie franchise to celebrate Bond’s links…
Alan Pinkerton: Private Detective and Civil War Spy
Alan Pinkerton on horseback on the Antietam Battlefield in 1862. Alexander Gardner – U.S, Library of Congress. Alan Pinkerton was a Scottish-American detective and spy who founded the Pinkerton National…
Major General “Wild Bill” Donovan: Spymaster of the OSS
William “Wild Bill” Donovan. William Joseph Donovan, known as “Wild Bill,” was born on 1 January 1883, in Buffalo, New York1. He graduated from Columbia Law School and joined the…
CIA Developed Technologies: Benefiting the Public
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been at the forefront of technological innovation for over 75 years. The CIA’s Directorate of Science & Technology (DS&T) is tasked with collecting and…
Project AQUILINE: Secret CIA Cold War UAV Program
McDonnell Douglas AQUILINE prototype (incorrectly identified as a “Mark II Batwing”) displayed inverted at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum. Credit: ZLEA / CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED. From the dawn of…
Sir Francis Walsingham: The Architect of Modern Espionage
Depiction of Sir Francis Walsingham, principal secretary to Elizabeth I. More commonly known as her spymaster Sir Francis Walsingham, born around 1532, is a name that resonates through the annals…
Smoking in the First World War
WWI marked a pivotal moment in the 20th century, propelling cigarette usage to the forefront of tobacco consumption. This war introduced numerous modern military conventions, encompassing automatic weapons, mass casualties,…
Restaurants and Cafés: The Lifeblood of Espionage
Café A Brasileira in Lisbon, where British double agent Kim Philby met with his Soviet handlers. Credit: DIMSFIKAS / CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED. Espionage, or the act of obtaining secret…
“Jumping Joe” Savoldi: Football Player, Pro Wrestler, & Spy
“Jumping Joe” Savoldi in 1936. Joseph Anthony Savoldi Jr., more commonly known by his nickname “Jumping Joe” Savoldi, was born as Giuseppe Antonio Savoldi on March 5, 1908, in Castano…
Best Coffee Film Scene, The Ipcress File with Spy Harry Palmer (Michael Caine)
“The Ipcress File” is a classic British spy film released in 1965, featuring the iconic Michael Caine in the lead role as the enigmatic and suave Harry Palmer. While the…