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A review by xvicesx
The CIA Book Club by Charlie English
adventurous
challenging
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
A solid read. Depressing in places, inspiring in others, I'd somehow expected that it would cover more than just one operation, but the one operation certainly warranted the entire book.
This particular operation of the CIA in Poland may not make up for its more disastrous operations, but it certainly offers a silver lining to their existence and use of government money. It's certainly interesting to read just how much effort went into the underground operations that tried to free the countries behind the Iron Curtain of the communist yoke. It's a topic close to my heart, and the stories were both inspiring and heartbreaking. People gave up a lot, lost a lot, and suffered terribly for other people's ability to have their voice heard in the future, and look at what we use it for today.
Oh, well. Excellent read. It makes me very interested to read Gulag Archipelago, which was frequently mentioned throughout the book as a popular read for the downtrodden Poles. Orwell's 1984 also came up with some frequency, but I've already read that one.
This particular operation of the CIA in Poland may not make up for its more disastrous operations, but it certainly offers a silver lining to their existence and use of government money. It's certainly interesting to read just how much effort went into the underground operations that tried to free the countries behind the Iron Curtain of the communist yoke. It's a topic close to my heart, and the stories were both inspiring and heartbreaking. People gave up a lot, lost a lot, and suffered terribly for other people's ability to have their voice heard in the future, and look at what we use it for today.
Oh, well. Excellent read. It makes me very interested to read Gulag Archipelago, which was frequently mentioned throughout the book as a popular read for the downtrodden Poles. Orwell's 1984 also came up with some frequency, but I've already read that one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Torture, Violence, Police brutality
Minor: Suicide