Lyle Munson

Lyle Hugh Munson (September 13, 1918 – November 1, 1973) was an American intelligence agent and then, later, a book publisher and distributor under the corporate name The Bookmailer, Inc. Based in the New York area, his company was known particularly for offering right-wing and anti-communist works. Robert W. Welch Jr., the head of the John Birch Society, considered him a "good friend". He was involved in the John Paton Davies Jr. affair, which led to Davies's ultimate dismissal as a diplomat.

Early life Lyle H. Munson was born in Moultrie County, Illinois, on September 13, 1918, to Faye Young Munson and Bruce Munson. He had a brother, David. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1942.

Intelligence Munson worked for the Office of Strategic Services starting in 1940, and in the CIA's He was at that time the CIA's plans officer for psychological warfare and covert activity in the Far East.

Munson was the head of The Bookmailer, a small right-wing publishing house, in addition to distributing books published by small publishers. They were based in New York City, changing offices after an April 18, 1961, burglary. In 1964, they moved to Linden, New Jersey.

The company was 20% owned by P. C. Beezley. Sales circa 1960 were about 200,000 volumes per year, and grew to around 2 million in 1961 off of a wave of interest in anti-communist material. The Bookmailer sold as a set for $100 a 35 volume "freedom library". Munson was editor of Bookmailer's publication "For the Skeptic", which was a collection of readings aimed to "help you to understand the mechanics of the Communist spy apparatus and its successes"; this was promoted by the John Birch Society.

Books published Attack by Mail The John Franklin Letters, published anonymously but probably written by Revilo P. Oliver Major Jordan's Diaries by George Racey Jordan with Richard L. Stokes (reprint edition) The World's Most Orphaned Nation by Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty A volume of speeches by US Senator Thomas J. Dodd

Personal life Munson married Anne Roberts (born 1920) on July 10, 1939. They had two children, Donna and Katherine. Munson and Anne moved from New Jersey to Mattoon, Illinois, less than a year before his death. After he passed, Anne started her own by-mail bookselling operation, Munson Books.

Death He retired shortly before his death on November 1, 1973, at the age of 55, in Mattoon, Illinois. He was buried in Smyser Cemetery.