It’s not every day Atlas Network’s late founder makes headlines, but recently, BBC Radio 4 aired a brand new episode of The History Podcast that opens with the true story of Sir Antony Fisher, the World War II hero turned chicken farmer who helped spark a free market revolution in Britain and went on to found Atlas Network in 1981.
Narrated by veteran broadcaster David Dimbleby, this episode from BBC Radio 4 traces Fisher’s journey from personal tragedy to a relentless campaign for freedom that ultimately laid the groundwork for Margaret Thatcher’s reforms (and the worldwide freedom movement that followed). It’s gripping, surprising, and refreshingly relevant.
During the Battle of Britain, Antony and his brother Basil served as fighter pilots in the 111th Hurricane Squadron, defending against German air raids. But in 1940, Antony watched as Basil was shot down and killed. The experience left Fisher with a conviction that he needed to help create a world where freedom and prosperity would discourage countries from going to war with each other.
After the end of World War II, Fisher was disappointed to watch as the United Kingdom moved further and further toward socialism, the opposite of what he knew the country needed to recover from years of devastation during the war. After reading F.A. Hayek's The Road to Serfdom, he decided that entering politics would be the most effective way to change the country's course. When he approached Hayek with his plan, however, Hayek explained his belief that it was more important and effective to influence the climate of ideas, especially through think tanks and other civil society organizations.
Fisher was also an entrepreneur, and his introduction of innovative chicken farming techniques made him a fortune. It was that fortune, and his entrepreneurial spirit and know-how, that he used to launch and support numerous think tanks around the world, including London’s Institute of Economic Affairs in 1955. In 1981, he founded Atlas Network, which to this day carries out the mission of sharing Fisher’s decades of experience with those who would follow in his footsteps to start free-market organizations. The strength of the worldwide freedom movement today owes much to his vision and conviction that classical liberal ideas are the key to a better world.
Fisher’s story rarely gets told in the modern media, but it’s a powerful reminder of how bold ideas, carried by determined individuals, can change the course of history.
Enjoy the listen – and share it with a friend who’ll love this glimpse into the roots of today’s freedom movement.
