The stories of History's Ultimate Spies are woven around many notorious plots and infamous characters, and they'll feature in a series that delves into the psyche of the men and women who set up the networks - or destroyed them.
The American Civil War was notable for its female spymasters. Hear about the tricks employed by Elizabeth van Lew's effective network, who smuggled out messages in hollow eggs.
Hear the amazing true tale of Zofia Potocka, the beautiful lover of Grigory Potemkin who may have ran a successful spy network in the Russo-Turkish War of the late 18th century.
Robert Cecil was a formidable political operator, whose web of informers helped to foil the infamous Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Learn more about this pioneering agent of espionage.
Learn about the wily characters from history who pulled strings. Thomas Cromwell's cloak-and-dagger work helped steer Henry VIII through his troubles with Rome and several wives.
History's scheming spymasters in profile. Hear all about the remarkable cunning of Francis Walsingham, whose spy network foiled many plots against Queen Elizabeth I.
As Louis XIII's diabolical chief minister, Cardinal Richelieu was feared and hated thanks to his complex spy network. A profile of the super snooper who blazed a trail in espionage.