The World Around Us #6

In the early 20th century, a young Theodore Roosevelt pushes for a federal force to protect public lands from exploitation, laying the foundation for a new kind of investigative agency. Over time, this effort grows into the modern F.B.I., shaped by figures like J. Edgar Hoover and tested by threats ranging from organized crime to extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and American Nazis. The story traces how this institution emerged from a single vision, shaped by evolving challenges and the men who led it through turbulent times.

John Dillinger’s nationwide crime spree draws the F.B.I. into a relentless manhunt, aided by an anonymous informer. As the net closes, a woman in red becomes an unexpected figure in the final, deadly confrontation.