The CIA Book Club: The Secret Mission to Win the Cold War with Forbidden Literature

The CIA Book Club: The Secret Mission to Win the Cold War with Forbidden Literature by Charlie English

The CIA had a small clandestine operation to funnel books to eastern block underground. These would include various books like 1984, that the sensors had banned. This was a low budget operation on the part of the CIA, with most of the Eastern Europeans not knowing the true source of the books.

This book focusses on publishing in Poland in the late 1980s. The solidarity union had come into being and got some key concessions out of the communist government. Shortly thereafter, the government took those back and started a crackdown on publshing and freedom. This lead to more clandestine operations to smuggle in literature and printing presses. Additionally, the rise of VCRs and satelite video transmissions provided another source of "contraband." Smugglers worked to bring in material by various means. Many of the anecdotes would be fitting in a cold war thriller. Poland eventually aquiesed to free elections, and through the help of publishing, the oposition swept into power.

Uprising

Uprising by Jennifer A. Nielsen

A young girl  (Lidia Durr) is living with her family in Poland at the outbreak of World War II. Her father is a former officer in the Polish army and goes off to help protect his country.  However, the country quickly capitulates as it is attacked by both the Russians and Germans. The Germans occupy Poland and put an end to school. (Somehow law and order seem generally in place.) Jews are rounded up in a ghetto. Poles that attempt to support them are shot. However, Lidia still wants to do what she can to help them out, especially as she remembers a family friend who is Jewish. They try to sneak things in when delivering potatoes.

The family loses their house and their savings to the Nazis. Mother most work a job to feed them and they move to a smaller house. Lidia goes to an underground school. Her brother joins the underground fighters. The Jews fight back through a ghetto uprising that is defeated. Later the Poles launch the Warsaw Uprising to take back the country. They have some moments, but they don't succeed.

In an afterward, the author mentions that the story was based on the real-life experiences of Lidia Durr. It is a terrifying story of a society that is marginalized as well as the marginalized of the marginalized.

Jews in the Garden: A Holocaust Survivor, the Fate of His Family, and the Secret History of Poland in World War II

A farmer hid a group of Jews in his farmhouse. They survived almost until the liberation of Poland. However, a group came and and sought out the Jews shortly before the liberators game. This group was not made up of Germans, but instead local Poles. They killed the Jews and attempted to take their riches. Only one young girl survived. Little is known about her fate. This book covers the quest ( a half decade later) to find this missing relative. In process it also unearths details about Poland's past and current conditions.

Poland had a huge Jewish population before World War II. Jews had lived in Poland for centuries and numbered more than 10% of the population. In Warsaw, they made up one third of the population. Now there are just a few thousand Jews in the country. Many were killed during the Holocaust. Poles continue to look down on Jews even though very few remain in the country. Poland also feels that it was victimized in World War II and does not want to admit complacency in killing of Jews. Digging into details of the history of Polish atrocities can be quite the challenge.

The Books of Jacob: A Novel

Jacob Frank was a Jew living in 18th century Poland. He was a proclaimed Messiah who lead a group of people. This book is a fictionalized account of his life and times. He would seemingly convert to Islam and Christianity. His brand of beliefs would alienate the other Jews and not fully accepted by Christians. His followers tended to stick together rather than become part of the general Christian culture. They did not feel obligated to follow the previous rules. "Illegitimate" children were common. The book is very long, but does provide an interesting view of life in 18th century Poland.