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b'Books are often seen as \\u201cvictims\\u201d of combat. When the flames of warfare turn libraries to ashes, we grieve this loss as an immense human and cultural tragedy. But that\\u2019s not the complete picture. Books were used in war across the twentieth century\\u2014both as agents for peace and as weapons. On one hand, books represent solace and solidarity for troops and prisoners of war desperate for reading materials. On the other hand, books have also been engines of warfare, mobilizing troops, spreading ideologies, and disseminating scientific innovation. With accounts that span from ancient Rome to the Cold War, from Uncle Tom\\u2019s Cabin to Mao\\u2019s Little Red Book, Pettegree demonstrates how books have shaped societies at war\\u2014for both good and ill.

Today\\u2019s guest is Andrew Pettegree, author of \\u201cThe Book at War: How Reading Shaped Conflict and Conflict Shaped Reading.\\u201d We explore the weaponization of the publishing industry, the mechanics of mass-scale censorship, and why the Soviets Hated Ian Fleming.'