News and insights read out for you.
10,000+ audio articles. 30+ world-leading publications.
All in 1 subscription.

Nest of spies: M and the cuckoo

21 mins | Dec 11, 2017

The cuckoo is both an icon of Englishness and a symbol of suspicion and deceit — so it is the perfect pet for an MI5 officer. Helen Macdonald, writing in Aeon magazine, explores the story of Maxwell Knight, the original ‘M’.

Similar stories

The spaceport at the edge of the world

23 min

The extremely enchanting, totally perplexing, possibly never-ending quest for the Golden Owl

63 min

How to use AI to talk to whales—and save life on Earth

35 min

Do animals have fun?

15 min

The deeply silly, extremely serious rise of ‘Alpha Male’ Nick Adams

25 min

What birds really listen for in birdsong

18 min