This study reveals the hidden story of the secret book distribution program to Eastern Europe financed by the CIA during the Cold War. At its height between 1957 and 1970, the book program was one of the least known but most effective methods of penetrating the Iron Curtain, reaching thousands of intellectuals and professionals in the Soviet Bloc. Reisch conducted thorough research on the key personalities involved in the book program, especially the two key figures: S. S. Walker, who initiated the idea of a "mailing project, " and G. C. Minden, who developed it into one of the most effective political and psychological tools of the Cold War.The book includes excellent chapters on the vagaries of censorship and interception of books by communist authorities based on personal letters and accounts from recipients of Western material. It will stand as a testimony in honor of the handful of imaginative, determined, and hard-working individuals who helped to free half of Europe from mental bondage and planted many of the seeds that germinated when communism collapsed and the Soviet bloc disintegrated.
eBook - PDF
Hot Books in the Cold War
The CIA-Funded Secret Western Book Distribution Program Behind the Iron Curtain
- 596 pages
- English
- PDF
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - PDF
Hot Books in the Cold War
The CIA-Funded Secret Western Book Distribution Program Behind the Iron Curtain
About this book
Trusted by 375,005 students
Access to over 1.5 million titles for a fair monthly price.
Study more efficiently using our study tools.
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Title page
- Copyright page
- Table of Contents
- Introduction by Mark Kramer
- Acknowledgements
- Foreword
- Chapter 1 Origins, Objectives, and Launching of the Book Project Under Sam Walker
- Chapter 2 Titles, Contents, Numbers, Targets, and Aims of the Mailings
- Chapter 3 The Man in the Grey Suit. George C. Minden and his Concept of Cultural and Ideological Competition
- Chapter 4 The New York Book Center. Books, Books, and More Books
- Chapter 5 The Book Project Reaches New Heights. The Golden Age of the 1960s
- Chapter 6 Western and Émigré Books and Periodicals Published with Covert Support
- Chapter 7 New Opportunities Through East-West Contacts
- Chapter 8 The Early 1970s. The International Advisory Council
- Chapter 9 A Lasting Enemy
- Chapter 10 The Communist Regimes on the Defensive: Criticisms, Warnings,and Attacks
- Chapter 11 The Person-to-Person Distribution Program: A Direct Way to Reach East Europeans. The Early Polish Program 1958–1959
- Chapter 12 Another Vehicle for Reaching the People of Eastern Europe: the Person-to-Person Distribution Program and Personalized Mailings
- Chapter 13 The Most Important Book Distribution Point: Vienna
- Chapter 14 Letters from Poland, the Crucial Country
- Chapter 15 Letters from Czechoslovakia Before and After 1968
- Chapter 16 Letters from Hungary Under Goulash Communism
- Chapter 17 Letters from Romania Under the Ceauşescu Regime
- Chapter 18 Letters from Bulgaria Despite Very Strict Censorship
- Chapter 19 The Last Seventeen Years: International Literary Centre, Ltd., East Europe,and the USSR
- Conclusion The Impact of the Book Distribution Project and its Contributionto the Ideological Victory of the West
- Bibliography
- Subject Index
- Index of Names
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cancel anytime from the Subscription tab in your account settings on the Perlego website. Your subscription will stay active until the end of your current billing period. Learn how to cancel your subscription
No, books cannot be downloaded as external files, such as PDFs, for use outside of Perlego. However, you can download books within the Perlego app for offline reading on mobile or tablet. Learn how to download books offline
Perlego offers two plans: Essential and Complete
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.5M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
We are an online textbook subscription service, where you can get access to an entire online library for less than the price of a single book per month. With over 1.5 million books across 990+ topics, we’ve got you covered! Learn about our mission
Look out for the read-aloud symbol on your next book to see if you can listen to it. The read-aloud tool reads text aloud for you, highlighting the text as it is being read. You can pause it, speed it up and slow it down. Learn more about Read Aloud
Yes! You can use the Perlego app on both iOS and Android devices to read anytime, anywhere — even offline. Perfect for commutes or when you’re on the go.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app
Yes, you can access Hot Books in the Cold War by Alfred A. Reisch in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in History & Eastern European History. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.