CIA Interrogations From Cold War to War on Terrorism to Lead off International Institute World Beyond Our Borders Book Series

HOLD FOR RELEASE January 17, 2006 Contact: Ronnie Hess, Director of Communications, Division of International Studies, UW–Madison, rlhess@wisc.edu (608) 262-5590 CIA INTERROGATIONS FROM COLD WAR TO WAR ON TERRORISM TO LEAD OFF INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE’S NEXT “WORLD BEYOND OUR BORDERS” BOOK SERIES Madison, WI – A new book by University of Wisconsin–Madison Professor Alfred McCoy (History) on CIA interrogation, A Question of Torture: CIA Interrogation, from the Cold War to the War on Terror, will lead off the next “World Beyond our Borders” series, sponsored by the University’s International Institute and Borders Books. Other books in the series will examine the history of Russia and the Soviet Union, Indian theatre and performance, and the evolution of Chilean democracy. Professor McCoy’s book (Henry Holt/Metropolitan Books, 2006) is “a startling exposé” of the CIA’s development and spread of psychological torture from the Cold War to Abu Ghraib. “Far from aberrations, A Question of Torture shows that these abuses are the product of a long-standing covert program of interrogation.” Naomi Klein of The Nation has called the book, “an indispensable and riveting account.” Professor McCoy will discuss the book on Wednesday, February 1. The faculty book series, now in its third year, has featured over two dozen UW–Madison faculty authors discussing the international dimensions of their new works. All events are at 7 p.m. at Borders West, 3750 University Avenue, Madison, WI. The dates are subject to change. Other books in the series include:

• Tuesday, March 21 – Empire of Nations: Ethnographic Knowledge and the Making of the Soviet Union (Cornell University Press, 2005), by Francine Hirsch (History). The book has been called “a major contribution to the history of Russia and the Soviet Union,” offering insights into the connection between ethnography and empire.
• Tuesday, April 11 – Theatres of Independence: Drama, Theory, and Urban Performance in India since 1947 (University of Iowa Press and Oxford University Press, 2005), by Aparna Dharwadker (Theatre and Drama, and English). This book establishes post-independence Indian theatre as a major contemporary national tradition, and a vital part of world theatre. It is “an extraordinary contribution to postcolonial literary and performance theory that will shape the field in the years ahead.”
• Tuesday, May 2 – Courage Tastes of Blood: The Mapuche Community of Nicolás Ailío and the Chilean State, 1906-2001 (Duke University Press, 2005) by Florencia Mallon (History). The book describes the movement for cultural and political recognition by Chile’s largest indigenous group, the Mapuche. The book “offers a distinctive perspective on the evolution of Chilean democracy and its rupture with the military coup of 1973.”

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