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Charlie English

Biography

Charlie English

Charlie English is a former journalist for The Guardian, where he held several positions, including arts editor and head of international news. A fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the author of THE CIA BOOK CLUB, THE STORIED CITY and THE SNOW TOURIST, he has traveled and reported widely around the globe. He lives in London with his family.

Charlie English

Books by Charlie English

by Charlie English - History, Nonfiction

For nearly five decades after the Second World War, the Iron Curtain divided Europe, forming the longest and most heavily guarded border on earth. No physical combat would take place along this frontier. Instead, the war was fought psychologically. It was a battle for hearts, minds and intellects. Few understood this more clearly than George Minden, head of a covert intelligence operation known as the “CIA book program,” which aimed to undermine Soviet censorship and inspire revolt by offering different visions of thought and culture. Minden’s “book club” secretly sent 10 million banned titles into the East. Charlie English narrates this tale of Cold War spycraft, smuggling and secret printing operations for the first time, highlighting the work of a handful of extraordinary people who fought for intellectual freedom.