Fred Burton Talks with Brad Thor About His New Thriller Backlash

Brad Thor has done it again. Backlash is Brad’s follow up thriller to Spymaster and grabs the reader from the first page. The story has an amazing tempo and plot. At the end of the book, you want more of Scot Harvath. What is Harvath going to do next? We also discuss how Brad hones his writing craft and how he goes about conducting research for his stories. Loved our discussion about guns. Spoiler alert: Brad likes Glock.

Fred Burton Talks to David Austin about Tehran's Vengeance

Surprise, Kill, Vanish: The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators, and Assassins.

"In a perfect world, the State Department is able to work out the conflicts that we're having with other nations. And the second option, traditionally, historically, is war. So only after 1947, after the national security act was this third option put into play, which is the CIA's hidden hand. So in essence if diplomacy fails and war is unwise, call on the CIA's Special Activities Division."

Those are the words that investigative journalist and author Annie Jacobsen uses to describe the work of the CIA's paramilitary arm. And that work is the subject of Jacobsen's latest, Surprise, Kill, Vanish: The Secret History of CIA Paramilitary Armies, Operators, and Assassins. In this episode of Stratfor Talks' Pen and Sword, host Fred Burton speaks with Jacobsen about her inspiration, how she conducted her research and what she learned about the element of U.S. foreign policy payed out in secret. 

Fred Burton's Book Talk @ SXSW 2019

It was wonderful to be asked to speak about Beirut Rules at SXSW. It was the first time that I’ve ever done a book reading and the audience seemed to enjoy it. I have done book readings going forward, due to the crowd reaction. Lots of great questions. Thank you SXSW for inviting me.

Fred Burton and Kate Winkler Dawson Discuss Death in the Air

It happened unexpectedly. The whole city was afraid. No one could see. Many could not breathe. And amid the terror of London's Great Smog of 1952, a different, equally sinister drama was underway.

The London Smog killed an estimated 12,000 people. It lasted less than one week. But those who died from the smog were not the only victims in those dark days.

Kate Winkler Dawson's book, Death in the Air, tells parallel stories of the Great Smog. Both left victims struggling to breathe.

Fred Burton and Author Mark Greaney Discuss Mission Critical

Court Gentry (a.k.a.The Gray Man) is restless. He's been dumped on a flight last minute by his CIA handlers. A mystery passenger boards just before takeoff. Against his better judgment, Gentry stays aboard. Next thing he knows, he's on a remote island, he's in a firefight and he's got a mystery on his hands. The latest episode of Stratfor's podcast is for fans of espionage and thrillers.