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Nov 2023
31m 45s

Walter's War: An English gentleman

The Observer
About this episode

To listen to the full series subscribe to the Tortoise Investigates feed.


It’s London, 2012. Oliver is a dashing diplomat. Charlie is a young graduate trying to find her feet in the world. They meet online and she falls in love. A few months into the relationship, and with his encouragement, Charlie applies for a job in British intelligence. She's feeling optimistic, the interview goes well. Then, she receives a text message that turns her life - and her relationship - upside down. 


10 years later, a mystery is still hanging over her.


Walter's War is an investigation into what happened next – a journey through big tech and national security, hype and hucksterism, where anyone who can tell a good story can go far. But how much is true?


This is episode one of four. To continue listening to Walter's War just search for Tortoise Investigates. For the premium Tortoise listening experience, curated by our journalists, download the free Tortoise audio app. 


For early and ad-free access, subscribe to Tortoise+ on Apple Podcasts. If you’d like to further support slow journalism and help us build a different kind of newsroom, do consider donating to Tortoise at tortoisemedia.com/support-us. Your contributions allow us to investigate, campaign and explore, and to build a newsroom that is responsible and sustainable.



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