Known today as one of the most powerful law enforcement agencies in the world - the Federal Bureau of Investigation, more colloquially known as the FBI, didn't always have such a great reputation. Once riddled with scandal and unseemly behaviour, how did the FBI turn into the well oiled machine it is today? And just who was responsible for this change?

In today's episode, James joined Professor Beverly Gage at Yale University to talk about the man behind this extraordinary feat - J. Edgar Hoover. Looking at Beverly's decade of research into this infamous figure - just how did Hoover transform the FBI, and what secrets was she able to uncover in the process?

Beverly's book G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century is available here.

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