In this episode, Sarah Valentine, PhD discusses her book “Decoding the Devil: Black Women Codebreakers and the Secret War Against Stalin’s Bomb”. The book tells the true story of two segregated codebreaking units racing to unlock Stalin’s atomic secrets in the face of a rapidly expanding Soviet nuclear threat at the dawn of the Cold War. It pays tribute to these little-known Black cryptologists’ critical contributions to national security during the civil rights era and offers a fresh perspective on the Cold War and American heroes of color.

Interview date Thursday, 30 July 2026. Interview conducted by AFIO Chairman Everette Jordan, former senior DOD, Treasury, Army Officer.

In this episode, Nicholas Reynolds, Col. USMCR (Ret.) and former CIA officer, discusses his book, co-authored with Katie S. Sanders, Ortiz’s War: The Allies’ Secret Weapon Against the Nazis in France. As the New York Times describes it, Ortiz’s War tells “the almost unbelievable—but entirely true—story of one of America’s most renowned warriors.” Deeply researched and deftly written, it is a remarkable story of courage, tenacity, and heroism.

Interview date Thursday, 02 July 2026. Interviewer James Hughes, President Emeritus, AFIO and a career of US Government service spanning 37 years.

In this episode, Brittany Butler, Former CIA Officer and Author, discusses her novel "The Patriot's Daughter". In the novel, she tells the story of a young woman’s quest to uncover the truth about her mother, a decorated intelligence officer accused of being a double agent for Russia. As past and present collide, the novel explores betrayal, legacy, and the cost of loyalty in the shadowy world of espionage.

Interview date Tuesday, 09 June 2026. Interviewer James Hughes, President Emeritus, AFIO and a career of US Government service spanning 37 years.