David Dimbleby is returning to Radio 4 and BBC Sounds with a new run of his acclaimed Invisible Hands series.
The first series chronicled the UK’s free market revolution, including the 1980s Big Bang and privatisation, and the second outing will show how America became a global superpower in the wake of Europe’s devastation during World War 2.
Across the series Dimbleby will tell the story of what happened and the invisible hands that made it happen, from the architect of the dollar as the world’s reserve currency, to the CIA operatives orchestrating coups, and the strategists defining – and later questioning – the fight against communism.
Invisible Hands: The American Century starts on BBC Radio 4 in July and is part of The History Podcast strand.
Commissioning Editor Daniel Clarke says: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming back David Dimbleby, whose authority and curiosity make him the perfect guide to the forces that have shaped America – 250 years on from the Declaration of Independence.
“This series will offer a riveting ride through America’s rise as a global superpower, through the individuals who made it happen.”
David Dimbleby said: “I have reported on the United States for many years. I’ve interviewed Presidents about their vision for America and heard them describe America as the leader of the free world. That America led and everyone followed. What Reagan called the shining city on the hill.
“But now in the age of Trump it seems that aspiration has become irrelevant. And so I wanted to explore where the idea of the American Century came from in the first place. How did America become the world’s dominant superpower and what did that mean for the world?”