I struggled to get past the ableism and fatphobia, but it was really the terrible, scattershot organization of the book that made me give it a single star. The topic is timely and the stories are important to tell, but the book reads like a first draft of a student thesis, lacking coherence and a sense of narrative or linearity as well as lacking context.

A fun read that emphasizes the fact that the Cold War was about cultural expression as much as politics and spheres of influence. English brilliantly illustrates the power of the written word to shape hearts and minds, challenge authoritarian narratives, and carrying the torch for liberal humanism. This book made me further appreciate the need for freedom of expression, all the more so in our current climate of book banning and library purges. WE would do well to heed English's warning - the Cold War may be over, but antiliberalism is on the rise.

“The CIA Book Club” was a fascinating read. I was unaware of the extent of the efforts to develop and maintain an underground publishing industry and to smuggle books into Poland and other Eastern European countries. I was also unaware that the CIA helped finance and facilitate those activities. The book highlights Polish citizens both in Poland and in Western Europe or the US who were instrumental in smuggling in books, printing equipment and other materials, as well as important non-Polish individuals and organizations who provided valuable assistance. It explains how the CIA became involved and the nature of its assistance. The story discusses how the Solidarity movement came about and its ups and downs; how the underground press operated and how it supported and magnified the impact of Solidarity; how the Polish communist regime responded; and the events that eventually led to a free Poland.

I particularly enjoyed learning about the different methods used to get the books and printing equipment into Poland; how the material was disseminated in Poland; how Polish citizens snuck printed material and information out of the country to make the world more aware of what was happening in Poland and allowing Polish emigres to assemble the information into newsletters or books that could then be smuggled back into Poland and disseminated.