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Frances Stonor Saunders

The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters Paperback – April 1, 2001

by Frances Stonor Saunders (Author)

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In addition to being short-listed for the Guardian First Book Award upon publication in 2000, Frances Stonor Saunders's The Cultural Cold War was met with the kind of attention reserved for books that directly hit a cultural nerve. Impassioned reviews and features in major publications such as the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal have consistently praised Saunders's detailed knowledge of the CIA's covert operations. The Cultural Cold War presents for the first time shocking evidence of cultural manipulation during the Cold War. This "impressively detailed" (Kirkus Reviews) book draws together newly declassified documents and exclusive interviews to expose the CIA's astonishing campaign wherein some of the most vocal exponents of intellectual freedom became instruments of the American government. Those involved included George Orwell, Bertrand Russell, Jean-Paul Sartre, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., and Gloria Steinem. The result is "a tale of intrigue and betrayal, with scene after scene as thrilling as any in a John Le Carre novel" (The Chronicle of Higher Education).8 pages of black-and-white photographs.

Print length

528 pages
Language

English
Publisher

The New Press
Publication date

April 1, 2001
Dimensions

5.98 x 1.06 x 9.02 inches
ISBN-10

1565846648
ISBN-13

978-1565846647
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Editorial Reviews

Review

A real contribution to popular understanding of the postwar period. -- The Wall Street Journal

Saunders...is very good on the ethical and political ironies of the CIA's cultural projects. -- San Francisco Chronicle

[A] tale of intrigue and betrayal, with scene after scene as thrilling as any in a John Le Carré novel. -- The Chronicle of Higher Education

[I]mpressively detailed. -- Kirkus Reviews

[Saunders] writes with a sense of humor and an appreciation of the historical circumstances... -- Lewis Lapham, Los Angeles Times Book Review

[T]he most comprehensive account yet of the [CIA's] activities between 1947 and 1967. -- The New York Times

About the Author

Frances Stonor Saunders has worked as an independent film producer on such documentaries as Hidden Hands: A Different History of Modernism. She is an arts editor at the New Statesman in London.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ The New Press (April 1, 2001)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 528 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1565846648
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1565846647
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.98 x 1.06 x 9.02 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,770,052 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,577 in Intelligence & Espionage History
- #13,324 in Art History (Books)
- #67,498 in World History (Books)

Customer Reviews:
36 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		62%
4 star		20%
3 star		4%
2 star		7%
1 star		6%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Catherine Wheaton

Can I get my money back?

Reviewed in the United States on March 2, 2021

Verified Purchase

I'm 100 pages in, and so far, this is an awful book. Boring, repetitive, and how can an author write SO MUCH and NEVER SAY ANYTHING?! That alone is so far the only impressive thing in this boring book. I feel so misled by the title and the other reviews. It is a total sleeper, and so far, she doesn't give any real information. A ridiculous amount of detail about who was in what office and what location, but other than that, absolutely no information of any interest. The writing style is strange, it's like the author can't decide whether she wants the book to be fiction or non-fiction (do we really care the hotel room was smoky?) and then to make matters worse, did I mention no real information of any interest whatsoever? Don't buy this book, in my opinion. I just wish I could get my money back, ugh****

Helpful

M. A. Krul

Exciting history of CIA propagandism in the West

Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2007

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Most people are probably aware that the CIA sponsored a lot of activities, legal and extralegal, in the war against the Communist bloc known as the Cold War. But it is perhaps less well-known to what extent the CIA was involved in sponsoring, bribing and suborning writers, musicians, actors and intellectuals to agitate against the Soviet Union and its allies, as well as communism and Marxism in general. In particular the CIA-run organization "Congress for Cultural Freedom" and its flagship intellectual journal 'Encounter' had a great influence in the West in terms of effective propagandizing for the US point of view.

Frances Stonor Saunders, an independent film producer and writer for the New Statesman, has now produced an authoritative modern history of the CIA and the Congress, as well as related organizations, focusing both on the global political dimen. She focuses on the global politics, but also on the individuals involved on all sides, the many prominent writers and intellectuals in the organizations, and what it looked like from the CIA's perspective, for which she makes use of newly declassified documents. She shows convincingly that the "non-Communist Left" was by and large bribed or cajoled by the CIA, in so far as they didn't enthousiastically volunteer, into joining their propaganda front. She also shows that later denials by people such as Stephen Spender and Melvin Lasky of their knowledge of CIA involvement is extremely unrealistic and most likely just another lie.

That is not to say that this work is a polemic; far from it, Saunders writes very matter-of-factly and evenhandedly, and has little interest in discussing the merits of various political positions, though she does not fail to comment on the context of the Cold War at times, when she contrasts high-minded phrasery with the rather brutal and cynical realities of Vietnam, CIA activity in Latin America, the Soviet purges, the repression of Hungary, etc. The book is very extensive, making use of various sorts of sources, including interviews with important participants, in which they reflect remarkably often in a rather cynical way on their past activities. It's quite astounding how many famous writers, composers, intellectuals etc., from Nabokov's cousin to Stravinsky and from Russell to Stuart Hampshire, were involved in organized campaigns to attack and discredit their socialist colleagues. For that alone, this book is worth reading, that these crimes are not forgotten.

31 people found this helpful

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Eric Otto

Art Imitates CIA

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2015

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Wow, this will change your views on things regarding culture and popular culture. In a lot of way the post WWII art, music and literary culture was a creation of the CIA. One wonder if say the classical world had avoid a-tonal music and architect avoided just being about boxes what kinds of music and architecture we could have had. On the other hand, the CIA did pick out some talented folks to promote. If they hadn't, would there have been any kind of art scene in the US in the 50s, 60s, and 70s? One of the people cited in the book eventually created the TV show 8 IS ENOUGH which makes wonder about his taste and insights about art in general. In the book poets and English literature were more important than people who could write computer code.

6 people found this helpful

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Priscilla Ciccariello

The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2013

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One of the first books on this subject published in the 1970s, printed first in England under a different title, documenting Congressional initiated and funded C.I.A. activities in support of the arts and artists though government programs during the (1950s) "cold war." This, as a means of countering U.S.S.R. government sponsored art and literature propaganda. Interesting and revealing regarding possible influence that this Congressional support meant in the development of various styles of art in the U.S. Well documented and interesting to see the influence of these programs in the Cold War of the two great powers for the 10 - 20 years following the WW II.Well documented and footnoted, with comprehensive Bibliography. Reviews on Amazon demonstrate interesting opinions

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James D. Vogt

Interesting Little Known History of CIA Involvement in the Arts

Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2014

Verified Purchase

Very detailed and thoroughly researched into the post WWII history of the CIA and its efforts to rebut the Soviet propaganda using the CIA's own form of propaganda disguised as coming from the artists and intelligentsia.

2 people found this helpful

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Graydon Parrish

Fascinating. The chapter on abstract expressionism should be required ...

Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2014

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Fascinating. The chapter on abstract expressionism should be required reading.

5 people found this helpful

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paul

One of the most influencial and important works for those interested in seeing how deep the rabbit hole really is

Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2013

Verified Purchase

Should be a must read for all students. Saunders has eloquently and meticulously unveiled the shadowy world behind the scenes.

4 people found this helpful

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Drew

Well Written, Very Informative

Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2014

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This book was very insightful and mostly objective. I recommend it for anyone interested in how Governments (and foreign policy) can influence media, the arts and culture in general, specifically as these topics relate to the Cold-War Era.

10 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

reader

Excellent book

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 21, 2013

Verified Purchase

Interesting to know how many of the best known personalities in 'Culture' were promoted indirectly by the CIA.
Much of this was very new to me.

2 people found this helpful

Jomarleen

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 14, 2014

Verified Purchase

Great book, worth reading

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