Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy with Ben Macintyre

In the early 80s, at the height of the Cold War, a senior KGB officer in revolutionary Iran offered to spy for Britain. His motivation was deeply personal: desperate to save his marriage, Vladimir Kuzichkin believed the West possessed medicines that could cure his erectile dysfunction. What followed was an extraordinary intelligence operation involving MI6, the KGB, the Iranian Communist Party and a Soviet plot that could have transformed the balance of the Cold War. In this episode of the Aspects of History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast, bestselling author Ben Macintyre joins Phil Craig to discuss Redwood, his story of Kuzichkin and the young MI6 officer, Ian McCredie, who ran him as a source in one of the most dangerous environments imaginable. Kuzichkin possessed detailed intelligence about a planned Soviet-backed communist coup in Iran, including the networks, personnel and weapons involved. Ben outlines how MI6 handled this highly sensitive intelligence, why it was initially withheld from the Americans, and the extraordinary operation to get Kuzichkin out of Iran. The conversation also considers the consequences of the decision to share Kuzichkin's intelligence with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, and, alongside the geopolitics, brings to life the remarkable human stories at the heart of the operation, from Kuzichkin's new life in Britain to the moral ambiguities faced by those involved. Episode Links Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most Extraordinary Spy Ben Links Ben ⁠online⁠ Ben on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ben on ⁠Facebook⁠ Phil Links Phil online Phil on ⁠⁠⁠The Scandal Mongers⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠ Phil on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ Aspects of History Links AoH ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠online⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter /X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ AoH on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices