It’s 1940, and the world is at war. The Allies and Axis powers are scrambling to lock down supplies of the industrial diamonds needed to mass produce their tanks, planes and submarines.But when the White House demands De Beers hands over a year’s supply of industrial diamonds, it soon learns the cartel is as hard to break as the diamonds it sells. Listen ad- ... Show More
Jul 2020
Diamond Wars | Monopolies Aren’t Forever | 6
It’s the late 1990s and rebel armies in Angola, Sierra Leone and Congo are bankrolling campaigns of mass murder and terror with diamonds. Now, after years of turning a blind eye, the diamond-buying public is starting to notice the bloodshed. But as the issue of so-called “blood d ... Show More
23m 16s
Oct 2025
189: World War II in Europe & the American Response (1941): Production & Preparation
"At long last, Mr. President.”—Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill This is the story of the second year of WWII and the United States’ response. As the war enters its second full year, things are looking dire for Britain: Germany has forced France into submission, the Blitz is i ... Show More
1h 2m
Sep 2023
Why are we still buying diamonds?
They’re shiny rocks that we’ve somehow agreed embody romance and eternity. But diamonds, it turns out, are not as rare as we think. And these days, they can be made in a lab. So why do we continue to spend so much money on them? This week, the story of a century-long, internation ... Show More
54m 33s