Stuff You Should Know
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Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

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Books 1,074

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Project Hail Mary: A Novel cover

Project Hail Mary

Andy Weir

Mentioned 1 week ago

Selects: The First Road Trip

The episode highlighted the audiobook of Andy Weir's sciencefiction novel, noting that Ray Porter was the narrator and describing it as a massive scifi adventure about survival and science.

I'm sitting down with Ray Porter, the narrator of Andy Weir's audiobook Project Hail Mary. Massive scifi adventure about survival and science and what happens when you wake up alone very far from earth.

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The Body cover

The Body

Stephen King

Mentioned 1 week ago

Selects: The First Road Trip

The hosts introduced the novella as the source material for the film Stand By Me and noted that Will Wheaton narrated its audiobook version.

I'm sitting down with Will Wheaton, who played Gordie Lachance in Stand By Me 40 years ago, and now narrates Stephen King's The Body, the novella that inspired it all.

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Of Mice and Men cover

Of Mice and Men

John Steinbeck

Mentioned 2 weeks ago

Kola: The World’s Deepest Hole

The hosts said John Steinbeck visited the early Project Mohole drilling and that experience gave him the idea for the ending of Of Mice and Men.

That's where he got the idea for the end of, of Mice and Men.

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The Pearl cover

The Pearl

STEINBECK JOHN

Mentioned 2 weeks ago

Kola: The World’s Deepest Hole

They wondered whether Steinbeck had written The Pearl, mentioning it in the context of his involvement with the drilling project.

Did he write the Pearl? Because that was about pearl diving. So I'm pretty sure that was Steinbeck.

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Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron cover

Smartest Guys in the Room

Bethany McLean

Mentioned 3 weeks ago

Selects: How Enron Fooled the World

The hosts highlighted the book as the source material for the Enron documentary, noting its thorough investigation of the scandal and its authors' backgrounds. They recommended watching the film and reading the book for deeper insight into Enron's rise and fall.

I finally watched The Smartest Guys in the Room today. Yeah, the documentary based on the book, and we'll get to the authors and stuff. It was Peter Elkind, and who was the co-author? Bethany McClain. I knew she wrote the original articles in Forbes, so she co-authored the book.

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Crime and Punishment (Vintage Classics) cover

Crime and Punishment (Vintage Classics)

Fyodor Dostoevsky

Mentioned 4 weeks ago

Short Stuff: Why does it feel good to be scared?

One host mentioned having read the novel the day before while discussing the idiom "sixes and sevens".

I was reading a book last yesterday. It was Crime and Punishment. And I'm not just saying this just to show everybody I'm reading Crime and Punishment. But somebody mentioned something being like sixes and sevens.

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Scream with Me: Horror Films and the Rise of American Feminism (1968-1980) cover

Scream with Me

Eleanor Johnson

Mentioned 4 weeks ago

Short Stuff: Why does it feel good to be scared?

The hosts highlighted the book as discussing why people pay to experience haunted houses or scary movies, describing it as voluntary engagement with negative higharousal stimuli.

There's a book that we want to shout out called Scream, Scream with an exclamation point from Margie Key and her colleague, Dr. Greg Siegel, who is director for the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at University of Pittsburgh. But their description of what we're talking about, like paying to go to a haunted house or something or a really scary movie as voluntary engagement with negative high arousal stimuli.

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A Confederacy of Dunces: A Novel cover

A Confederacy of Dunces

John Kennedy Toole

Mentioned 4 weeks ago

Some Interesting Curses

They mentioned the wellknown novel as a great book that, despite many attempts, has never been turned into a movie.

the very famously, the great, great book, A Confederacy of Dunces, has never been made.

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The Incomparable Atuk cover

The Incomparable Atuk

Mordecai RICHLER

Mentioned 4 weeks ago

Some Interesting Curses

The hosts said it was a 1963 satirical Canadian novel that the cursed Hollywood script was based on, and they discussed its plot about an Inuit poet in Toronto.

There was a script based on a book. It was a 1963 satirical Canadian novel called The Incomparable Atuk by Mordecai Rickler.

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Jurassic Park: A Novel cover

Jurassic Park

Michael Crichton

Mentioned 1 month ago

The Stuff You Should Know Doin’ Science Playlist: How Chaos Theory Changed the Universe

They noted that the novel was published in 1990 and introduced the character Ian Malcolm, a chaotician, which later influenced the film's depiction of chaos theory.

The book came out in 1990. And in the book, uh, Ian Malcolm, who's a chaotician-

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Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Global Warming cover

Merchants of Doubt

Naomi Oreskes

Mentioned 1 month ago

How Global Warming Works

The hosts referenced the book while discussing how think tanks spread doubt about climate science, noting they had mentioned it earlier in the episode.

Well, plus also that it's been proven, I've mentioned that book before, The Merchants of Doubt, that think tanks have been set up to basically influence public thought and point out like scientists aren't 100% certain, scientists aren't 100% certain.

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Mash cover

Mash

Richard Hooker

Mentioned 1 month ago

M*A*S*H: The Story of the 4077th

The hosts explained that the 1970 film was based on a 1968 paperback novel about three army doctors, written by veteran surgeon Richard H. Hornberger under the pen name Richard Hooker. They noted the book was a loose collection of anecdotes that was later expanded with a cowriter.

the movie was optioned from a book written in 1968 called MASH colon, a novel about three army doctors by a MASH veteran doctor named Dr. Richard H. Hornberger under a pseudonym Richard Hooker.

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Most Recommended

Shadows of Red Earth (Colours of the Earth Series Book 3) Cover

Suzanne Cass

Shadows of Red Earth (Colours of the Earth Series Book 3)

The series was listed among the most challenged books for reasons including nudity and sex education.

"

A few of these are the Color of Earth series by Kim Dong Hua and the Reasons Why, nudity, sex education, the Hunger Games trilogy. My Mom's Having a Baby, a Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy.

— Episode: SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works

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Episode: SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works

The series was listed among the most challenged books for reasons including nudity and sex education.

"

A few of these are the Color of Earth series by Kim Dong Hua and the Reasons Why, nudity, sex education, the Hunger Games trilogy. My Mom's Having a Baby, a Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy.

My Mom's Having a Baby!: A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy Cover

Dori Hillestad Butler

My Mom's Having a Baby!

A Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy

Cited as a challenged book because of its content on pregnancy and sexuality.

"

A few of these are the Color of Earth series by Kim Dong Hua and the Reasons Why, nudity, sex education, the Hunger Games trilogy. My Mom's Having a Baby, a Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy.

— Episode: SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works

Cited as a challenged book because of its content on pregnancy and sexuality.

"

A few of these are the Color of Earth series by Kim Dong Hua and the Reasons Why, nudity, sex education, the Hunger Games trilogy. My Mom's Having a Baby, a Kid's Month-by-Month Guide to Pregnancy.

Harry Potter Hardcover Boxed Set: Books 1-7 (Slipcase) Cover

J. K. Rowling

Harry Potter Hardcover Boxed Set

Books 1-7 (Slipcase)

Cited as the most challenged series since 2000, often due to alleged satanic overtones.

"

You'll also find in just about every list, the most challenged series since 2000 is the Harry Potter books. Yeah, because of Satan. They received 3,000 challenges and that was from up to I believe 200...

— Episode: SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works

Cited as the most challenged series since 2000, often due to alleged satanic overtones.

"

You'll also find in just about every list, the most challenged series since 2000 is the Harry Potter books. Yeah, because of Satan. They received 3,000 challenges and that was from up to I believe 2008 or 9, maybe 2010, from 2000 to 2010.

Forever (Heart on Fire Book 3) Cover

Hannah Sparks

Forever (Heart on Fire Book 3)

Noted as a frequently challenged book because it deals with a young girl's burgeoning sexuality.

"

Julie Bloom's Forever is one that's always on the list too for that reason because it deals with a young girl's burgeoning sexuality and the confusion and the awkwardness and the thri...

— Episode: SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works

Noted as a frequently challenged book because it deals with a young girl's burgeoning sexuality.

"

Julie Bloom's Forever is one that's always on the list too for that reason because it deals with a young girl's burgeoning sexuality and the confusion and the awkwardness and the thrill that comes along with that.

Daddy's Roommate Cover

Michael Willhoite

Daddy's Roommate

Described as a banned book about a boy whose dad has a gay boyfriend, which attracted controversy from figures like Sarah Palin.

"

And so books like Daddy's New Roommate gets banned. About a boy whose dad has a new boyfriend now. He's a divorced dad and his new roommate moves in as gay.

— Episode: SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK Selects: How Book Banning Works

Described as a banned book about a boy whose dad has a gay boyfriend, which attracted controversy from figures like Sarah Palin.

"

And so books like Daddy's New Roommate gets banned. About a boy whose dad has a new boyfriend now. He's a divorced dad and his new roommate moves in as gay.

The Search for Big Foot: Monster, myth or man? Cover

Peter Byrne

The Search for Big Foot

Monster, myth or man?

The hosts noted that Tom Slick had authored a book titled The Search for Bigfoot, Monster, Myth or Man, published in 1976, which they considered a notable title on the subject of Bigfoot.

"

And even wrote a book called The Search for Bigfoot, Monster, Myth or Man.

— Episode: Tom Slick: Not the Cartoon

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Episode: Tom Slick: Not the Cartoon

The hosts noted that Tom Slick had authored a book titled The Search for Bigfoot, Monster, Myth or Man, published in 1976, which they considered a notable title on the subject of Bigfoot.

"

And even wrote a book called The Search for Bigfoot, Monster, Myth or Man.

So, uh, I think that's a great 1976 in particular title for a book on Bigfoot.

Claudette Colvin: I Want Freedom Now! Cover

Claudette Colvin

Claudette Colvin

I Want Freedom Now!

They mentioned the book as a way to shine light on Claudette Colvin, a lesserknown civilrights figure, and to bring attention to her role in the movement.

"

There's a book, by the way, called Claudette Colvin colon twice toward justice from Phil Who's or Who's.

— Episode: Selects: Rosa Parks: Agent of Change

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: Rosa Parks: Agent of Change

They mentioned the book as a way to shine light on Claudette Colvin, a lesserknown civilrights figure, and to bring attention to her role in the movement.

"

There's a book, by the way, called Claudette Colvin colon twice toward justice from Phil Who's or Who's.

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks Cover

Jeanne Theoharis

The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks

The hosts referred to the awardwinning biography that explores Rosa Parks' full life and activism beyond the bus incident.

"

And this was written by the same person who wrote the award winning book, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks.

— Episode: Selects: Rosa Parks: Agent of Change

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: Rosa Parks: Agent of Change

The hosts referred to the awardwinning biography that explores Rosa Parks' full life and activism beyond the bus incident.

"

And this was written by the same person who wrote the award winning book, The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks.

Mouse Picture Book: Learn All About Mice with Fun Photos and Mouse Facts for Kids & Adults Cover

Julian W. Ashford

Mouse Picture Book

Learn All About Mice with Fun Photos and Mouse Facts for Kids & Adults

The hosts noted that Art Spiegelman, the creator of the graphic novel Mouse, was an art director who helped conceptualize the Garbage Pail Kids series.

"

One thing I didn't realize is that one of the art directors who helped conceptualize Garbage Pail Kids from the outset was Art Spiegelman, who created Mouse.

— Episode: SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: Cabba...

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Episode: SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: Cabbage Patch K...

The hosts noted that Art Spiegelman, the creator of the graphic novel Mouse, was an art director who helped conceptualize the Garbage Pail Kids series.

"

One thing I didn't realize is that one of the art directors who helped conceptualize Garbage Pail Kids from the outset was Art Spiegelman, who created Mouse.

I've not read Mouse, but I know it's like a legendary graphic novel about fascism.

The MONOPOLY Companion: The Players' Guide Cover

Philip Orbanes

The MONOPOLY Companion

The Players' Guide

They noted that a book titled The Monopoly Companion had been published, which named the board's characters such as Milburn Pennybags and Jake the Jailbird.

"

There was a book published, and this is one of those after the fact deals called The MONOPOLY Companion. And they named all the characters on the board Milburn Pennybags and then the...

— Episode: SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How M...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How Monopoly Wo...

They noted that a book titled The Monopoly Companion had been published, which named the board's characters such as Milburn Pennybags and Jake the Jailbird.

"

There was a book published, and this is one of those after the fact deals called The MONOPOLY Companion. And they named all the characters on the board Milburn Pennybags and then the jail guy is Jake the jailbird.

The Billion Dollar Monopoly (r) Swindle Cover

Ralph Anspach

The Billion Dollar Monopoly (r) Swindle

They mentioned that Ralph had written a book titled The Billion Dollar Monopoly and Swindle, describing the secret history and legal battles surrounding Monopoly.

"

He wrote a book awkwardly titled The Billion Dollar Monopoly and Swindle, colon. During a David and Goliath battle, anti-monopoly uncovers the secret history of monopoly.

— Episode: SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How M...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: SYSK's 12 Days of Christmas… Toys: How Monopoly Wo...

They mentioned that Ralph had written a book titled The Billion Dollar Monopoly and Swindle, describing the secret history and legal battles surrounding Monopoly.

"

He wrote a book awkwardly titled The Billion Dollar Monopoly and Swindle, colon. During a David and Goliath battle, anti-monopoly uncovers the secret history of monopoly.

The Secret History of Home Economics: How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live Cover

Danielle Dreilinger

The Secret History of Home Economics

How Trailblazing Women Harnessed the Power of Home and Changed the Way We Live

The hosts noted that Danielle Drellinger authored The Secret History of Home Economics, which explores the hidden aspects of homeeconomics history and its impact on practices like fostering babies for research.

"

And apparently there's a writer, a historian named Danielle Drellinger, who wrote a book, The Secret History of Home Economics. And she said that for adoptive parents who would go to...

— Episode: What We Lost When We Lost Home Ec

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: What We Lost When We Lost Home Ec

The hosts noted that Danielle Drellinger authored The Secret History of Home Economics, which explores the hidden aspects of homeeconomics history and its impact on practices like fostering babies for research.

"

And apparently there's a writer, a historian named Danielle Drellinger, who wrote a book, The Secret History of Home Economics. And she said that for adoptive parents who would go to a foster home, they'd show up and be like, you got any one of them babies that's been in the home economic classes? Heck yeah, man.

The Raggedy Ann 100th Anniversary Treasury: How Raggedy Ann Got Her Candy Heart; Raggedy Ann and Rags; Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the ... Ann and Andy and the Nice Police Officer Cover

Johnny Gruelle

The Raggedy Ann 100th Anniversary Treasury

How Raggedy Ann Got Her Candy Heart; Raggedy Ann and Rags; Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the ... Ann and Andy and the Nice Police Officer

The hosts noted that Raggedy Ann originated as a children's book by cartoonist Johnny Gruelle, created for his daughter, and later became a popular doll series.

"

Raggedy Ann and her little brother, Raggedy Andy, were big hits. I had Raggedy Ann and Andy when I was little. It was a children's book from cartoonist Johnny Gruelle. He made it for his daughter. It'...

— Episode: Dolls and Dolls, Guys!

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Dolls and Dolls, Guys!

The hosts noted that Raggedy Ann originated as a children's book by cartoonist Johnny Gruelle, created for his daughter, and later became a popular doll series.

"

Raggedy Ann and her little brother, Raggedy Andy, were big hits. I had Raggedy Ann and Andy when I was little. It was a children's book from cartoonist Johnny Gruelle. He made it for his daughter. It's very sweet. Dolls came out a couple of years later in 1920, but they had movie appearances. They had a TV show. They had a Broadway musical in the 80s.

Alone: A new look at the Drake Equation Cover

Michael Keating

Alone

A new look at the Drake Equation

The hosts noted that two listeners created a photodocumentary about life in the National Radio Quiet Zone and published it as a book titledDrake Equation, which they sent to the podcast.

"

they went to the Quiet Zone around Green Bank and took, like, they basically made a photo documentary of life in the area. Oh, cool. And they named their book Drake Equation and they sent us a copy.

— Episode: Doin’ Science in the National Radio Quie...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Doin’ Science in the National Radio Quiet Zone

The hosts noted that two listeners created a photodocumentary about life in the National Radio Quiet Zone and published it as a book titledDrake Equation, which they sent to the podcast.

"

they went to the Quiet Zone around Green Bank and took, like, they basically made a photo documentary of life in the area. Oh, cool. And they named their book Drake Equation and they sent us a copy.

So hats off to those guys for the book, for making the book and sending it to us.

In A Dark Place: The Story of a True Haunting Cover

Ray Garton

In A Dark Place

The Story of a True Haunting

The speakers explained that Ray Gorton was paid to write this book about the Snedeker case and later admitted it was entirely fictional.

"

They worked with an author, I mean, which is true. His name was Ray Gorton to write a book about that case called In A Dark Place, colon, the story of a true haunting. And Gorton in 2...

— Episode: The Warrens: Paranormal Power Couple

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: The Warrens: Paranormal Power Couple

The speakers explained that Ray Gorton was paid to write this book about the Snedeker case and later admitted it was entirely fictional.

"

They worked with an author, I mean, which is true. His name was Ray Gorton to write a book about that case called In A Dark Place, colon, the story of a true haunting. And Gorton in 2009 said that book was entirely fiction.

DSM-III: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition Cover

American Psychiatric Association

DSM-III

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition

They mentioned that about five years after Kernberg's description, BPD was included in the third edition of the DSM.

"

five years after that was in the DSM version 3.

— Episode: Selects: BPD: The Worst Disorder or Not...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: BPD: The Worst Disorder or Not a Disorder...

They mentioned that about five years after Kernberg's description, BPD was included in the third edition of the DSM.

"

five years after that was in the DSM version 3.

Moralia in Job: or Morals on the Book of Job, Vol. 1 - Parts 1 and 2 (Books 1-10) (Moralia in Job (Morals on the Book of Job)) Cover

Gregory the Great

Moralia in Job

or Morals on the Book of Job, Vol. 1 - Parts 1 and 2 (Books 1-10) (Moralia in Job (Morals on the Book of Job))

They explained that Pope Gregory the Great, before becoming pope, authored his influential masterwork Moralia in Job, which laid out the seven principal vices.

"

So Pope Gregory the first, before he was a pope, wrote his masterwork. And it was basically sort of a real dissection of the book of Job called Moralia in Job.

— Episode: Short Stuff: The S7VEN Deadly Sins

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Short Stuff: The S7VEN Deadly Sins

They explained that Pope Gregory the Great, before becoming pope, authored his influential masterwork Moralia in Job, which laid out the seven principal vices.

"

So Pope Gregory the first, before he was a pope, wrote his masterwork. And it was basically sort of a real dissection of the book of Job called Moralia in Job.

And it was a very influential book. And this is where his seven principal vices were laid out. And we're not going to read all the sort of gobbledygook, but it was, you know, vainglory, envy, anger, melancholy, avarice, gluttony, and lust.

Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory Cover

Ben Macintyre

Operation Mincemeat

How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory

The hosts noted that the 2010 book by Brett McIntyre provided a wellcited account of the Operation Mincemeat deception, which they referenced during the episode.

"

There's a book called Operation Mincemeat by a guy named Brett McIntyre. All right. It came out in 2010. That's a very good, wellcited book that we inadvertently cited here or there.

— Episode: Selects: Operation Mincemeat: How A Corp...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: Operation Mincemeat: How A Corpse Fooled...

The hosts noted that the 2010 book by Brett McIntyre provided a wellcited account of the Operation Mincemeat deception, which they referenced during the episode.

"

There's a book called Operation Mincemeat by a guy named Brett McIntyre. All right. It came out in 2010. That's a very good, wellcited book that we inadvertently cited here or there.

The Man Who Never Was Cover

Ewen Montagu

The Man Who Never Was

The podcast mentioned Ewan Montague's book, The Man Who Never Was, as another source covering the Operation Mincemeat story.

"

And then there's The Man Who Never Was, which was written by Ewan Montague, which is not just about Operation Mincemeat, but also about basically how to carry out deception plans.

— Episode: Selects: Operation Mincemeat: How A Corp...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: Operation Mincemeat: How A Corpse Fooled...

The podcast mentioned Ewan Montague's book, The Man Who Never Was, as another source covering the Operation Mincemeat story.

"

And then there's The Man Who Never Was, which was written by Ewan Montague, which is not just about Operation Mincemeat, but also about basically how to carry out deception plans.

The Milliner's Hat Mystery: An Inspector Richardson Mystery Cover

Basil Thomson

The Milliner's Hat Mystery

An Inspector Richardson Mystery

The hosts referred to the 1937 novel The Milliner's Hat Mystery by Basil Thompson when discussing earlier espionage ideas linked to Ian Fleming.

"

In fact, that was a 1937 novel, The Milliner's Hat Mystery.

— Episode: Selects: Operation Mincemeat: How A Corp...

Listen on Audible 7-day free trial

Episode: Selects: Operation Mincemeat: How A Corpse Fooled...

The hosts referred to the 1937 novel The Milliner's Hat Mystery by Basil Thompson when discussing earlier espionage ideas linked to Ian Fleming.

"

In fact, that was a 1937 novel, The Milliner's Hat Mystery.

Note: The book recommendations on this page are discovered automatically from podcast transcripts, and may be incorrect or incomplete.