2. G-Men
Hoover takes on legendary gangsters of the 1930s and builds his own myth. Emily Maitlis continues the story of arguably the most powerful figure in 20th-century America.
Hoover takes on legendary gangsters of the 1930s and builds his own myth. 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. His job was to enforce the law...but he would not always be bound by it.
Presenter: Emily Maitlis
Producer: Neal Razzell
Researcher: Louise Byrne
Production Coordinator: Janet Staples
Sound: James Beard
Editor: Hugh Levinson
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Broadcast
- Tue 14 Jun 2022 13:45Â鶹Éç Radio 4 FM
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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.