Podcast / American Prestige / Jul 22, 2025

The CIA’s Imperial History, Part 2

On this episode of American Prestige, the final part of our conversation with Hugh Wilford.

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The CIA’s Imperial History, Pt. 2 | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Hugh Wilford, professor of history at California State University, Long Beach, is back on the program to conclude the discussion of his book The CIA: An Imperial History. In this episode they talk about figures like Edward Lansdale and James Angleton, “regime maintenance,” counterinsurgency, the agency’s use of publicity, the effect of the War on Terror on the CIA, and more. 

Listen to Part 1 here⁠!

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CIA chief Allen Dulles in 1958.

CIA chief Allen Dulles in 1958.

(ullstein bild via Getty Images)

Hugh Wilford, professor of history at California State University, Long Beach, is back on the program to conclude the discussion of his book The CIA: An Imperial History. In this episode, we talk about figures like Edward Lansdale and James Angleton, “regime maintenance,” counterinsurgency, the agency’s use of publicity, the effect of the War on Terror on the CIA, and more.

Listen to Part 1 here⁠!

Subscribe to The Nation to support all of our podcasts: thenation.com/podcastsubscribe.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

Trump-Putin Summit, India Turns From US to China, and Bolivia Election w/ Olivia Arigho-Stiles | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Subscribe now to skip the ads and hear the full interview on the Bolivia election.

Don’t forget our Welcome to the Crusades and Of This Worldseries!

Derek took away Danny’s iPad, so now Danny has to help with the news. This week: the great Trump-Putin summit takes place (1:39) as Zelensky visits the White House (5:44); Hamas accepts the newest ceasefire (9:39), the IDF appears to have begun its Gaza City operation (12:44), and the Israeli government approves the E1 settlement in the West Bank (15:46); Wang Yi of China visits India in a sign of improving relations, as US-India relations are worsening (18:48); the Myanmar junta schedules an election (21:49); the DRC-M23 negotiations continue to falter (23:11); the US sends warships to Venezuela (25:26); and Derek goes into detail with Olivia Arigho-Stiles about the results of the Bolivia election (27:08).

Read Olivia’s piece in Jacobin, “Is This the End of MAS?”

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Daniel Bessner

Daniel Bessner is an historian of US foreign relations, and cohost of American Prestige, a podcast on international affairs.

Derek Davison

Derek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.

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