The CIA Bookclub: The Best Kept Secret of the Cold War
£25.00
notes
A story about the power of the printed word as a means of resistance and liberation, ‘The CIA Bookclub’ charts the astonishing tale of the ten million books that were smuggled across the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. The covert intelligence operation known as the ‘CIA books programme’ aimed to win the Cold War using literature as a means of spreading dissidence. Banned volumes were smuggled in via boat, road, luggage, even balloons, to be circulated secretly amongst like-minded readers. The Observer said, ‘Entertaining and vivid… This is a gripping account of an intriguing and little-known Cold War moment’.
Dimensions
H: 24cm (9in) x W: 16cm (6in)
Features
notes
A story about the power of the printed word as a means of resistance and liberation, ‘The CIA Bookclub’ charts the astonishing tale of the ten million books that were smuggled across the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. The covert intelligence operation known as the ‘CIA books programme’ aimed to win the Cold War using literature as a means of spreading dissidence. Banned volumes were smuggled in via boat, road, luggage, even balloons, to be circulated secretly amongst like-minded readers. The Observer said, ‘Entertaining and vivid… This is a gripping account of an intriguing and little-known Cold War moment’.
Insights
Charlie English is the former head of international news at ‘The Guardian’. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, he is the author of several widely acclaimed histories including ‘The Snow Tourist’, ‘The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu’ and ‘The Gallery of Miracles and Madness’. He lives in London.
Details & Care
- Publisher: William Collins
- Hard cover
- Black and white photographs
- Number of pages: 384
- ISBN: 9780008495121
Glossary