A Nation’s Troubled History
From Fearful Symmetry by Bob Paris
November 2, 2024 · 23 min · Season 2 · Episode 4
About this episode
This episode explores the tumultuous history of 20th-century Albania, focusing on its societal issues and a significant television series.
In Part Four, we look at the paranoia, persecution, and lunacy of 20th-century Albanian life; a struggling president’s affection for booze and air hockey; and a legendary CIA spy’s plan to keep the nation from economic ruin. The podcast series HATCHET MAN tells the tale of a little-known but extraordinary Albanian television series that aired in 1996 and ushered in social chaos and civil war.
People in this episode
Host: Bob Paris
Topics covered
- 20th-century Albania
- paranoia
- civil war
- CIA
- television series
- economic ruin
Keywords
- Albania
- CIA
- HATCHET MAN
- civil war
- 20th century
- television series
- economic ruin
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: CIA
Books & works: HATCHET MAN
Places: Albania
More episodes of Fearful Symmetry
- Friday Night Purge · June 11, 2026 · 38 min
- Poor Thing · March 24, 2026 · 29 min
- Washing Away · January 22, 2026 · 28 min
- Trumpmore · December 13, 2025 · 30 min
- Epilogue — Where Are They Now? · December 6, 2024 · 6 min
- I Too Shall Be No More · November 29, 2024 · 29 min
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