Iran Contra: A New Introduction from Leon Neyfakh

Iran Contra: A New Introduction from Leon Neyfakh

Author: Pushkin Industries April 7, 2025 Duration: 6:03

Host Leon Neyfakh transports listeners into the day-to-day reality of our country’s most pivotal historical events, bringing to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past while shedding light on the present. Fiasco: Iran-Contra tells the story of a secret war, a secret deal, and a foreign policy scandal that threatened to destroy Ronald Reagan’s presidency — until it didn’t.

For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this season visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics


Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear the entire season of Fiasco: Iran Contra, ad-free, right now. Find Pushkin+ on the Fiasco show page in Apple Podcasts or at Pushkin.fm.

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In Fiasco, a production of Pushkin Industries, host Leon Neyfakh doesn't just recount history-he reconstructs it, placing you inside the tense rooms and critical moments where things went wrong. Each season of this podcast meticulously examines a different political or governmental disaster, moving beyond the headlines to reveal the human decisions, bureaucratic failures, and unforeseen consequences that defined these events. The result is a gripping narrative that feels both immediate and deeply researched. You'll hear how the 2012 attack in Benghazi, which killed Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans, ignited a political firestorm that reshaped American diplomacy and partisan combat. Neyfakh's storytelling illuminates how these crises are born and how their echoes shape our present. For anyone fascinated by the messy intersection of power, history, and human error, this is an essential listen. The podcast turns complex history into compelling audio, revealing the often-overlooked details that explain why we live with the aftermath of these fiascos today.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 41

Fiasco
Podcast Episodes
Iran Contra: Episode 6 - Fault Lines [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:26
How the Iran-Contra hearings made Oliver North an icon, and got Ronald Reagan off the hook.For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopoliticsSee omnystudio.com/…
Iran Contra: Episode 5 - All Out [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:05
How the Reagan administration tried to prevent the Iran scandal from becoming a second Watergate.For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopoliticsSee omnystudi…
Iran Contra: Bonus - Bombs, Drugs, and the Contra War [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:00
A bonus interview with journalists Martha Honey and Tony Avirgan. Honey and Avirgan tell Leon about their time reporting on the Contra war from the southern front in Costa Rica. For a list of books, documentaries and res…
Iran Contra: Episode 4 - Diverted [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:35
How Oliver North decided to do a little multitasking -- and ended up on a plane to Tehran.For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics Subscribe to Pushki…
Iran Contra: Episode 3 - Contra Dance [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:34
How the United States got involved in a not-so-secret secret war in Nicaragua.For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics Subscribe to Pushkin+ to hear t…
Iran Contra: Episode 2 - Trade Secrets [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:12
How the Reagan administration landed in a hostage crisis…and extended a hand to one of America’s sworn enemies.For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitic…
Iran Contra: Episode 1 - Get Me Kevin Kattke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:45
How a crew of amateur spies from Long Island helped the Reagan administration set the stage for Iran-Contra.For a list of books, documentaries and resources we used to research this episode visit: bit.ly/fiascopolitics S…
Introducing Fiasco: Iran-Contra [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:13
Host Leon Neyfakh transports listeners into the day-to-day reality of our country’s most pivotal historical events, bringing to life the forgotten twists and turns of the past while shedding light on the present. Fiasco:…
Bush v. Gore: Bonus - Legacy. [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:58
The late Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens talks about his memories of Bush v. Gore, and why the ruling’s legacy, years after the fact, looks even worse than he thought it would.See omnystudio.com/listener for priv…
Bush v. Gore: Bonus - Lawfare [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:17
Attorneys David Boies and Ted Olsen, who represented the Gore and Bush sides, respectively, talk about the unique challenges that came with representing their clients before the Supreme Court.See omnystudio.com/listener…