Latest Episodes
Ep 0: Welcome to Whirlwind, Season One
September 2, 2020
- 02:18
Season One of Whirlwind is a 10-part documentary podcast franchise that tells the story of how the United States sped the collapse of...
Ep 1: Agents of Influence
September 23, 2020
- 51:21
In the series premiere of Whirlwind, host Tim Weiner tells the story of Samuel Dickstein, an American Congressman who turned out to be...
Ep 2: Wilderness of Mirrors
September 23, 2020
- 54:20
The story of James Jesus Angleton, an obsessive reader of poetry who became the CIA’s chief of counterintelligence, and grew obsessed...
About The Show
Written and narrated by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tim Weiner and created by the Peabody-nominated studio C13Originals, Whirlwind: America, Russia & Ukraine examines the ongoing war in Ukraine -- the worst war in Europe since WWII -- in interviews with decorated, high-ranking CIA veterans who have led the American intelligence war with Russia for decades. These experts explain how Putin laid the groundwork for attacking Ukraine using deception and disinformation, how Russian disinformation has been amplified by American media figures and politicians, and how American political warfare can undermine Putin and the Kremlin.
More Episodes
Ep 0: Welcome to Whirlwind, Season One
September 2, 2020
- 02:18
Season One of Whirlwind is a 10-part documentary podcast franchise that tells the story of how the United States sped the collapse of...
Ep 1: Agents of Influence
September 23, 2020
- 51:21
In the series premiere of Whirlwind, host Tim Weiner tells the story of Samuel Dickstein, an American Congressman who turned out to be...
Ep 2: Wilderness of Mirrors
September 23, 2020
- 54:20
The story of James Jesus Angleton, an obsessive reader of poetry who became the CIA’s chief of counterintelligence, and grew obsessed...
Ep 3: Poland is Not Yet Lost
September 30, 2020
- 55:27
The story of the CIA’s secret support for the Solidarity movement in Poland. Host Tim Weiner is joined by Polish political activist...
Ep 4: The Italian Job
October 7, 2020
- 32:28
In 1948, Italy has an important national vote and so begins one of the CIA's finest traditions: foreign election interference. Host Tim...
Ep 5: The Department of Disinformation
October 14, 2020
- 48:32
The KGB specialized in fake news, and its Department of Disinformation successfully spread lies around the world. But starting in the...
Ep 6: The Cold Peace
October 21, 2020
- 43:23
The Cold War finally ends, but a series of American actions in the 1990s lay the groundwork for renewed tensions. Host Tim Weiner is...
Ep 7: Perfect Weapons
October 28, 2020
- 44:00
Russia develops new tools for political warfare in the 21st century, making Estonia and Ukraine victims of a new kind of combat -...
Ep 8: Crossfire
November 4, 2020
- 47:11
In 2014, Russia began carrying out a new kind of Internet-based political warfare. It was an attack so brazen and so novel that American...
Ep 9: Post-Truth
November 11, 2020
- 53:12
By undermining trust in facts and institutions, Donald Trump hasn’t just charted a new path for American government — he has followed a...
Ep 10: Counterforce
November 18, 2020
- 53:10
As the United States moves on from the Trump presidency, it begins adjusting to meet the demands of 21st century geopolitics. In the...
Welcome to Whirlwind, Season 2
April 12, 2022
- 02:36
Russia is committing atrocities, destroying cities and killing thousands of civilians in Ukraine. But Putin’s dreams of conquest are...
Part 1: The Invisible War
April 13, 2022
- 33:50
Four CIA veterans explore how American intelligence is shaping the battlefield in Ukraine--and taking the fight to Russia.
Part 2: Empire of Lies
April 13, 2022
- 32:25
As the war rages in Ukraine, experts examine the power of information and disinformation in the battle between democracy and...
Introducing: It Was Said Season 2
September 29, 2022
- 02:33
It Was Said, the 2021 Webby Award winner for Best Podcast Series, returns with a new season to look back on some of the most powerful,...