About this episode
American intelligence services like the CIA are commonly thought of as global behemoths of international surveillance and covert operations, responsible for carrying out everything from cyber espionage to assassinations and political coups. But its origins in the Second World War paint a picture of a very different kind of intelligence agency, operating on a smaller scale, and with very different goals. We are joined by historian Nicholas Reynolds, who has in his time been a marine and an employee of the CIA, who will guide us through the birth and growth of the agency, and tackle some of the most persistent conspiracy theories that surround it along the way. Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Joseph Knight. If you'd like to learn more, we have hundreds of history documentaries, ad-free podcasts and audiobooks at History Hit - subscribe to History Hit today! To download the History Hit app please go to the Android or Apple store. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.