Spycraft with ex CIA ‘gadget guy’ and author Robert Wallace (164)

Spycraft Bob Wallace

In this episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast, Jeff Quest speaks to the former director of CIA’s Technical Service Robert Wallace about his time in the CIA and the various non-fiction books he has co-authored since leaving the agency. 

They discuss how the CIA is similar to all other bureaucracies, why spy tech is so important for successful spy operations, and how hard it can sometimes be to get past the CIA Publications Review Board. Plus, we talk about the spy that pulled the “Reverse Beatles” maneuver and some Chicago spies! All that and more in this episode of Spybrary.

More about Robert Wallace

A retired senior intelligence officer, Robert (Bob) Wallace served in the Central Intelligence Agency from 1971 through 2003. His field assignments included that of case officer and Chief of Station. He was appointed Deputy Director of CIA’s Office of Technical Service (OTS) in 1995 and elevated to Office Director in 1998. During his time at the OTS, scientists developed systems for agents and case officers to communicate with each other using secret writing, short-range radio, microdots, subminiature cameras and satellites. They designed and built audio bugs, telephone taps and surveillance systems. They made tracking devices, weapons, disguises and fake documents, and conducted experiments in character assessment and even “thought control.” In other words, Bob was the “Q” of the CIA.

He retired in 2003 with multiple awards including recognition by the CIA’s Inspector General, the Intelligence Medal of Merit, the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, and two Clandestine Service Donovan Awards. He frequently speaks and writes on intelligence and has co-authored several books including SPYCRAFT (2008), The Official CIA Manual of Deception and Trickery (2009), and three volumes of Spy Sites.

Spycraft – 

Spy Sites of Philadelphia –

Spy Sites of New York City –

Spy Sites of Washington, DC –

The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception –

Netflix’s Spycraft show – https://www.netflix.com/title/81014547 

Link to Bob’s Amazon UK page – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Robert-Wallace/e/B001IYXCES/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_3

Link to H. Keith Melton’s Amazon page – https://www.amazon.com/H-Keith-Melton/e/B001HD14JA?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1635028436&sr=8-2 

Link to The Battery by Henry Schlesinger – https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003A7I2L4/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1 

Chicago spies – https://spywrite.com/2018/05/02/chicago-spies-pinkerton-henri-le-caron-hemingway-moe-berg/ 

Jeff’s Website – https://spywrite.com/ 


Jeff on Twitter – https://twitter.com/spywrite 

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