Six books you didn’t know were propaganda

We have published more than 100 “Economist reads” articles in the past couple of years. Our latest considers six books that you didn’t know were propaganda in one way or another. Some authors wrote at the behest of a government agency; in other cases governments used books to suit their own purposes. It turns out that they influence a surprising amount of literature. Some of it is even good. If you are after more evidence of the political power of books, look no further than this piece, which rounds up eight books you are forbidden from reading. Some other recent “Economist reads” highlights include a selection of novels to read this autumn, a reading list on the Israel-Palestine conflict and five books that capture the essence and ethics of journalism. We’ve gathered them all in one place. If you tell us what other topics you’d like us to take on, we’ll consider them. You can reach us at [email protected].

Adam Roberts, Digital editor

Editor’s picks

Six books you didn’t know were propaganda

Governments influence a surprising amount of literature. Some of it pretty good

Eight books you are forbidden from reading

In some places, at least. A brief world tour of book bans in the 21st century

A selection of novels to read this autumn

We review five recent works of fiction

The Israel-Palestine conflict: a reading list

Six books that shed light on a century of violence

What to read to understand journalism

Four non-fiction books and one novel about the essence and ethics of the trade

What to read to understand why the heyday of the automobile is over

Five books explain why it’s a good thing that conventional cars may be leaving the road

The Economist reads

Browse our full collection of reading lists

Enjoyed this newsletter?

Read three free articles each month on Economist.com—register for free. If you are not a subscriber, enjoy full access by subscribing here.