Before we start this History Extra podcast, we want to tell you a bit about this week's sponsor, Warner Hotels.

BBC History Magazine is running two history weekends at Warner Hotels in October and November this year.

So if you were looking for a relaxing and historical UK escape this autumn, let me mark your card about these weekends.

Ideal for history lovers. Each free night stay includes breakfast, dinner and live entertainment,

plus fascinating talks and Q&As with top historians such as Fernredale, Ruth Goodman,

Janina Ramirez, Mark Morris, Gordon Carrera and Tracey Borman.

What a treat. Find out more and book your break now at warnerhotels.com.com.com

forward slash history.

Welcome to the History Extra podcast, fascinating historical conversations from the makers of BBC

History magazine.

Sending a secret message in Elizabeth in England was a risky business.

Letters were in constant danger of being intercepted, copied, or perhaps even passed on with a change of information.

In their new book, Spycraft, Tricks and Tools of the Dangerous Trade, from Elizabeth I to

the Restoration, Nadine Ackerman and Pete Langman explore and recreate the many techniques used by

spies and counter spies to thwart messages, discover plots and

conceal information in the early modern period. From invisible ink to smuggled eggs, Eleanor Evans spoke to

them to find out more. Thank you so much, Nadine and Pete, for joining us today to discuss your book,

Spycraft, tricks and tools of the

dangerous trade from Elizabeth I first to the restoration. It's a shadowy world full of fascinating

techniques. We're going to dive into some of them today, but broadly to situate us in this period,

I wondered if we could come to you first, Nadine, and we could talk about what characterised

spies in this period and why they

...