Popular Reviews of Cold War Conversations

Without question the best, most well researched and balanced podcast on the modern history of the cold war. The interviewees are top notch and fascinating and the host Ian is exceptional and is preserving human stories of an amazing time that is still (just) in living human memory. I wish I could give it more than five stars.

Im a simple man, I like history, I like cold war subject matter. This is a great listen, all the guests first hand accounts are fascinating. The variety is incredible. Don't think it's all espionage, theres ordinary people's stories from behind the iron curtain, there's Eastern block football episodes there's army episodes there's air force episodes, Berlin specific episodes, and everything in between. Newest fave is Bob flying the mig 29.

Excellent podcast for the history nut and for anyone with a passing interest. A really diverse range of subjects covered, and all fascinating. Well worth a go.

This is an incredibly interesting and informative podcast. Ian has interviewed such a wide variety of folks who have fantastic lived experiences of the Cold War. If I could give more than five stars, I would.

I'm embarrassed to say I discovered this Pod less than a year ago, but not embarrassed to say I've burnt through all of his episodes since then. If you're even slightly interested in recent world history, and specifically the divisions between the east and west, please listen to the those that were there and who were affected by (and/or had an affect on) that period in our collective history. They all chose and choose to speak to Ian, and I can understand why. He's so laid back and knowledgeable. Absolute gem of a podcast.

Excellent history podcast rich in detail, perspectives, and great storytelling. I highly recommend this podcast. If you are on the fence, or just don't know where to start, please allow me to suggest: Yuri Gagarin (172), Portland Spy Ring (138-139), and The Last British Commandant in West Berlin (136-137). These are outstanding episodes and likely to get you hooked.

The really engaging first hand conversations are really well done and make you feel like you are right in the heart of this particular period.

Whether you know Le Carré by heart or are approaching the Cold War for the first time, this podcast provides a wealth of information about this strange historical moment at the confluence of ideology and geography. Not only does Ian get fascinating guests, who all seem to have a sense of humor, but he is the best kind of interviewer; informed enough to ask good questions and modest enough to make sure the guests are the stars.

Superb mix of experts of the era and those that actually lived it. Not just about the military history but the everyday lives of the people in and around the DDR. You'll find something new and end up down a rabbit hole, or rather bunker.

Brilliantly curated cold war history presented via gentle probing of eyewitnesses or researchers by a fella who is clearly knowledgeable but not an annoying know-it-all and who allows the guests to speak. Fantastic for newbies to the genre; neither jargon nor assumptions of expertise involved yet not dumbed down either.

The best podcast in regards to the Cold War, Ian Sanders is your Host who is able to shine a light on even the most unexpected aspects of this gigantic topic, which is fascinating especially because he always keeps a special focus on the Humen side of things at every story he and his guest are telling. Wich is of utmost importance to the understanding of nearly five decades of human history.

Excellent podcast, loved the episode about Yuri Gagarin 👌🏻👍🏻👍🏻Keeping Cold War history alive, keep up the great work

Cold War Conversations brings together a unique symphony of stories from this defining era. For the first time, we get to hear from those who shaped, lived through and survived an era that came to define the modern societies in which we live - technologically, politically, militarily and socially. Host Ian Sanders coolly steers conversation with an eclectic range of voices from nuclear submarine commanders to anti-Communist freedom fighters, and from diplomats to former journalists and historians - all with a story to tell about the inherent absurdities of the Communist system and how it impacted everyday lives. If you would like to peek behind the Iron Curtain and see how life really was this is the podcast for you.

A fantastic, first hand resource of cold war history.Informative and well produced, covering a wide variety of subjects within the subject of the Cold War I would recommend it to anyone, but particularly people like myself who were born in the 70's and grew up at the twilight of this often misunderstood era.I give it 5 stars only because that's as high as it goes.

One of the great delights of the podcasting world. Informative, insightful and always surprising, no walk is complete without a weekly dose of Cold War Conversations. This has been the lockdown hit for me.

This is a brilliant and always entertaining podcast. The range of subjects and people on it is what makes it so interesting. Ian's interview style is excellent, allowing the guests to share their stories and viewpoints, and doing so without adding judgement or making the show about him. The stories on here have covered the gamut of human emotion and experience and give a nuanced voice to a period of history that is too often seen through an ideological lens. Excellent!

I am a child of the cold war and I do enjoy listening to the stories about what people on both sides did during the cold war.

I can't express how much I love this podcast. Ian does a wonderful job and finds such a wide variety of guests. We've heard about life behind the Iron Curtain in almost every Warsaw Pact country, as well as having high level journalists, diplomats and military personnel share their experiences. I discovered this podcast through Spybrary, promptly binged it to get current, and began financially supporting it in January 2020. I am very proud to do so. Thanks for all your hard work, Ian. I look forward to many more episodes!

This is one of my favourite podcasts. The interviews are always fascinating and reveal astonishing detail about the Cold War, often from surprising perspectives. Highly recommend.

A fantastic and varied podcast covering the many different facets of the Cold War from 1945 to 1989. Some wonderful guests, speaking from personal experience of the recent past - that oddly now seems a long time ago. Highly recommended.