1. The Director Will See You Now
The story of the ascent to power of the man who made presidents wait. With Emily Maitlis.
Emily Maitlis on the ascent to power of the man who made presidents wait. J Edgar Hoover built then ran the FBI for almost five decades. He turned it from a bureaucratic backwater into a premier crime fighting and counterintelligence force. In the process, he arguably became America’s most powerful man. He’s been dead 50 years and still his shadow looms over the US. Today’s fears of a ‘deep state’ - of unaccountable government officials working against the public in their own interest – can be traced back to him. In the first of an 8-part series, Emily shows how though his job was to enforce the law...he would not always be bound by it.
Producer: Neal Razzell
Research: Louise Byrne
Editor: Hugh Levinson
Production Coordinator: Janet Staples
Sound: Tom Brignell
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How Hoover's influence shaped America
Nine moments that defined the founding father of the FBI's career.
Broadcast
- Mon 13 Jun 2022 13:45´óÏó´«Ã½ Radio 4 FM
Podcast
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The People vs J Edgar Hoover
An examination of how the first director of the FBI's iron grip still permeates America.