Dissidents, including prominent figures like Adam Michnik, argue that this literature was vital to the anti-communist movement in Poland, asserting that books played a crucial role in the fight against oppression.

The Mazovia Weekly, supported by Jerzy Giedroyc and the CIA, significantly influenced Polish politics and negotiations with the regime, contributing to the first partially free elections in 1989.

A new book titled The CIA Book Club by Charlie English reveals that the CIA smuggled Guardian Weekly and other literature into Eastern Bloc countries during the Cold War.

This operation, which began in the early 1970s, targeted nations such as Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania, as part of a broader secret initiative to combat censorship and promote freedom of thought.

Over three decades leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, approximately 10 million books were sent to the Eastern Bloc to counter the effects of Stalinism.

In addition to smuggling literature, the CIA also funded underground publications and provided printing equipment to support dissident movements.

The smuggling operations utilized various methods, including trucks, yachts, and travelers' luggage, with creative packaging solutions like tampon boxes and baby diapers.

Many Solidarity-era dissidents were influenced by these uncensored publications, which offered a glimpse of cultural freedom beyond their oppressive environment.

Giedroyc was instrumental in facilitating the book smuggling operations and is regarded as a hero in the Polish independence movement.

Despite the significant impact of this literary program, Operation Cyclone, which funded the Afghan mujahideen, received greater credit for ending the Cold War due to its larger budget and military focus, overshadowing these literary efforts.