Explore the untold story of CIA’s covert operations in “Toppling the First Ministry: Kerala, The CIA, and the Struggle for Social Justice” by T. M. Thomas Isaac and Richard W. Franke. Discover how India’s first Communist ministry in Kerala, aiming for radical land redistribution, public education, and healthcare, was targeted by anti-communist forces and the CIA in 1957. This compelling narrative, drawing on declassified documents, reveals the global pattern of CIA interference in post-colonial nations while highlighting Kerala’s exceptional achievement in social development. Understand how, despite these efforts, Kerala remains a vibrant example of a democratic development alternative and a stronghold of the left. A must-read for history and political science enthusiasts at The Bookish Owl.