From Spy Chief To Author with David Bickford CB

About this episode:

In this highly compelling episode, we’re joined by David Bickford CB, a former senior intelligence official who served as Legal Director and Under-Secretary of State at both MI5 and MI6. David played a key role in shaping the UK's counter-terrorism and intelligence laws, creating the legal pathways that enabled operational intelligence to be used in court—revolutionising the intelligence community's ability to act and protect.

Now a bestselling author, David brings decades of real-life espionage experience into his critically acclaimed Katyathriller series, co-written with his wife Cary. His fiction is celebrated for its authenticity, moral complexity, and international scope—taking readers from Arctic missions to Cold War Berlin.

In this conversation, David reflects on his extraordinary career, the moral challenges of intelligence work, leadership lessons and how he continues to explore global intrigue through his writing.

Expect sharp insights, fascinating stories, and powerful reflections on leadership, loyalty, and the real world of espionage.

 

More about David Bickford:

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