The CIA book club : the secret mission to win the Cold War with forbidden literature / Charlie English.
"For nearly five decades after the Second World War, the Iron Curtain divided Europe, forming the longest and most heavily guarded border on earth. No physical combat would take place along this frontier: the risk of nuclear annihilation was too high for that. Instead, the war was fought psychologically. It was a battle for hearts, minds, and intellects. Few understood this more clearly than George Minden, head of a covert intelligence operation known as the 'CIA book program,' which aimed to undermine Soviet censorship and inspire revolt by offering different visions of thought and culture. From its Manhattan headquarters, Minden's 'book club' secretly sent ten million banned titles into the East. Volumes were smuggled aboard trucks and yachts, dropped from balloons, hidden aboard trains, and stowed in travelers' luggage. Nowhere were the books welcomed more warmly than in Poland, where they would circulate covertly among circles of like-minded readers, quietly making the case against Soviet communism. Such was the demand for Minden's texts that dissidents began to reproduce them in the underground. By the late 1980s, illicit literature was so pervasive in Poland that censorship broke down: the Iron Curtain soon followed. Charlie English narrates this tale of Cold War spycraft, smuggling, and secret printing operations for the first time, highlighting the work of a handful of extraordinary people who fought for intellectual freedom -- people like Mirosław Chojecki, who suffered beatings, imprisonment, and exile in pursuit of his clandestine mission. 'The CIA book club' is a story about the power of the printed word as a means of resistance and liberation."-- Publisher's website, viewed on September 17, 2025.
"Recounts a covert Cold War operation led by George Minden to smuggle banned literature into Eastern Europe, focusing on the cultural and psychological battle against Soviet censorship and the role underground reading networks played in weakening totalitarian control, especially in Poland"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780593447901
- ISBN: 0593447905
- Physical Description: xxxi, 341 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
- Edition: First US edition.
- Publisher: New York : Random House, [2025]
- Copyright: ©2025
Content descriptions
- General Note:
- "Originally published in the United Kingdom by William Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, London"-- Title page verso.
- Bibliography, etc. Note:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-328) and index.
- Formatted Contents Note:
- Prologue: Teresa's flying library -- Part one, Hope (1980-1981): A snaggle-toothed thought machine ; Our friends down south ; The French connection ; An international spiderweb ; They will crush us like bugs ; The deal -- Part two, War (1981-1985): The night of the general ; This is big casino ; Citizens versus the secret police ; Raphael ; Ideas for getting out of a no-win situation ; Helpful ; Oh sh**! Reactionary propaganda! ; This turbulent priest ; The network -- Part three, Reckoning (1986-1989): The Regina affair ; A general, a lowly recruit, and all ranks in between ; Television free Europe ; High noon ; Bloody Feliks -- Epilogue: The best-kept secret.
Search for related items by subject
- Subject:
- United States. Central Intelligence Agency > History > 20th century.
Books and reading > Europe, Eastern > History > 20th century.
Information warfare > United States > History > 20th century.
Information warfare > Europe, Eastern > History > 20th century.
Publishers and publishing > Political aspects.
Cold War > Propaganda. - Genre:
- Informational works.
Available copies
- 37 of 45 copies available at NC Cardinal. (Show)
- 1 of 1 copy available at Madison County Public Library.
Holds
- 2 current holds with 45 total copies.
Show All Copies
| Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mars Hill Library | 327.12 ENG (Text) | 30229101396280 | Adult Nonfiction | Available | - |
Accessibility Features
Summary:
"For nearly five decades after the Second World War, the Iron Curtain divided Europe, forming the longest and most heavily guarded border on earth. No physical combat would take place along this frontier: the risk of nuclear annihilation was too high for that. Instead, the war was fought psychologically. It was a battle for hearts, minds, and intellects. Few understood this more clearly than George Minden, head of a covert intelligence operation known as the 'CIA book program,' which aimed to undermine Soviet censorship and inspire revolt by offering different visions of thought and culture. From its Manhattan headquarters, Minden's 'book club' secretly sent ten million banned titles into the East. Volumes were smuggled aboard trucks and yachts, dropped from balloons, hidden aboard trains, and stowed in travelers' luggage. Nowhere were the books welcomed more warmly than in Poland, where they would circulate covertly among circles of like-minded readers, quietly making the case against Soviet communism. Such was the demand for Minden's texts that dissidents began to reproduce them in the underground. By the late 1980s, illicit literature was so pervasive in Poland that censorship broke down: the Iron Curtain soon followed. Charlie English narrates this tale of Cold War spycraft, smuggling, and secret printing operations for the first time, highlighting the work of a handful of extraordinary people who fought for intellectual freedom -- people like Mirosław Chojecki, who suffered beatings, imprisonment, and exile in pursuit of his clandestine mission. 'The CIA book club' is a story about the power of the printed word as a means of resistance and liberation."--
"Recounts a covert Cold War operation led by George Minden to smuggle banned literature into Eastern Europe, focusing on the cultural and psychological battle against Soviet censorship and the role underground reading networks played in weakening totalitarian control, especially in Poland"--
"Recounts a covert Cold War operation led by George Minden to smuggle banned literature into Eastern Europe, focusing on the cultural and psychological battle against Soviet censorship and the role underground reading networks played in weakening totalitarian control, especially in Poland"--
