THE CIA BOOK CLUB The Secret Mission to Win the Cold War with Forbidden Literature

Narrator Michael David Axtell excels in ease, clarity, and pacing, qualities essential to audiobooks that address the active mind, rather than the edge of the seat. In Poland in the 1980s, copies of Orwell's 1984 and other forbidden books circulated hand to hand, fueling a popular uprising that by decade's end had spread across Eastern Europe. American operatives fueled this movement not with guns and explosives, but with printers' ink and photocopy machines. And lots of books. Expect no fisticuffs or chases here. English's story lacks the customary thrills and suspense of spy narratives but, skillfully presented, proves compelling and affirmative--even inspiring. Axtell is a solid and reliable no-frills narrator who knows how to hold the ear and reach the heart. D.A.W. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JULY 2025]