The Live Drop

Alma Katsu is an accomplished writer and intelligence professional with an extensive career spanning over 35 years. She has held senior analyst positions at various federal agencies, providing policy advice to military and government officials on national security issues. Additionally, she has worked as a senior technology policy analyst for the RAND Corporation and operates as an independent consultant and technology futurist, providing expert guidance to clients in both government and private industry.In addition to her contributions to the fields of intelligence and technology, Katsu is also a celebrated author of historical fiction horror and short stories. Her spy novels RED WIDOW and RED LONDON , have garnered praise from intelligence professionals for their well crafted plot lines and engaging characters. Katsu draws inspiration for her characters from her extensive professional background, creating complex and believable personas that reflect the nuances of real-life intelligence operatives.My conversation with Katsu delves into various topics, including artificial intelligence, her writing process, and what sets her books apart from others in the genre. Her unique perspective as an intelligence professional provides valuable insights into the intersection of technology and national security, making her work both entertaining and intellectually stimulating. For those interested in exploring Katsu's work in greater detail, she hosts a podcast called Damned History, which provides historical context for her stories.More information about Katsu and her writing can be found at almakatsubooks.com.This summary was written with help from ChatGBT

John Pomfret is the author of From Warsaw With Love: Polish Spies, The CIA and the Forging of a Unlikely AllianceThis book starts out in Los Angeles with a particularly effective Polish spy who’d penetrated the aerospace industry. Along with a history of U.S. and Polish collaboration dating back to the Colonial period, Pomfret identifies the threads of eventual cooperation between the intelligence organizations.  I'm interested  about how Poland gained entry into NATO in 1996 along with Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. John’s book covers a little-known clandestine operation undertaken by the Poles to get Americans out of Baghdad.  He reveals Poland's deft diplomatic maneuvering involving the U.S., Germany, and the Soviets that led to their entry into the alliance.The results of this initiative can be seen in the Ukraine today.  Had the Poles not actively sought membership in NATO decades ago, we may be looking at an entirely different landscape in Eastern Europe. More about the author at: https://www.johnpomfret.comEnjoyed this ad-fee episode? Please consider a one time contribution to keep us operational --> https://www.paypal.me/thelivedrop

Rebecca Donner is the author of All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days. Mildred Harnack was twenty-six when she enrolled in a PhD program in Germany and witnessed the meteoric rise of the Nazi party. In 1932, she began holding secret meetings in her apartment—a small band of political activists that by 1940 had grown into the largest underground resistance group in Berlin the Rote Kapella. She recruited Germans into the resistance, helped Jews escape, plotted acts of sabotage, and wrote leaflets that denounced Hitler..When war broke out Mildred became a spy, sending top-secret intelligence to the Allies. On the eve of her escape, she was ambushed by the. On February 16, 1943, she was strapped to a guillotine and beheaded. Mildred Harnack was the only American in the leadership of the German resistance. In this episode, Rebecca Donner tells the story of her great-great aunt Mildred.Find out more about the author here --> https://www.rebeccadonner.comIf you enjoyed this ad-fee episode, please consider one time donation of any amount ---> https://www.paypal.me/thelivedrop