George Orwell wrote the book Animal Farm during WW2 as he tried to come to terms with his disappointment in the harsh reality of life in the Soviet Union under Stalin. The themes of overturning an authoritarian government made the book the perfect story for the CIA to be using for propaganda.  Over a period of a few months in 1955, they distributed 260,000 copies of the novella behind the iron curtain in an attempt to encourage a revolution. The book celebrated its 80th birthday on 17 August 1925.

Guest: Charlie English, author of  The CIA Book Club - The Best Kept Secret of the Cold War (Harper Collins)