John’s Reviews > The CIA Book Club: The Secret Mission to Win the Cold War with Forbidden Literature > Status Update

At halfway through the book, the whole operation becomes methodical after Polish and Soviet authorities clamp down on the Solidarity movement. In response, the CIA expands support for book smuggling, but much of the real work is carried out by Polish citizens abroad, handling contacts and logistics. In Poland, a printing operation keeps dissenting ideas alive forced to shift locations to avoid detection.- w/chatgpt

I’ve learned how state censorship wasn’t just about banning political dissent, but about shaping inner life—suppressing self-sufficiency and alternative ways of living through even seemingly harmless books.