Paper Beats Censors: Review of Books Are Weapons: The Polish Opposition Press and the Overthrow of Communism

Author Siobhan Doucette has written a nuanced, rigorously researched account of the role played by the Polish underground press and the Solidarity press. The latter “Solidarity press” (which in various ways was not underground and was censored) helped establish and strengthen a civil society and public sphere beyondg the control of the Polish communist state. Combined, these two types of opposition press, comprised of dozens of publishing houses and printed books, yes, but also periodicals with many different ideological foci and for many different audiences. It also printed millions of flyers, which were “dropped” to publicize upcoming protests and strikes. Books were only part of the story