Reviews
Historians and political scientists will find value in this book.
In a series of five fascinating case studies, Jon Western develops a complex model of the power plays and tussle for real-world effect amongst Washington's foreign policy elites.
Western's book is especially timely because the era of active interventionism sponsored by the George W. Bush administration may continue beyond the presidential election of 2008.
Western has done an excellent job on an important topic and his book is worth reading for any scholar studying the war, news, and public opinion connection. Students, in particular, will find this book extremely useful.
An excellent contribution to our understanding of how different groups in American government and society—with different beliefs about the proper use of force—try to sell their position on either promoting intervention or preventing it. It is a natural for courses on American foreign policy or for students studying the role of the media in foreign policy.
Book Details
Preface and Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Liberal Theory and the Politics of Selling War
Chapter 2. Saying No to the French at Dienbienphu
Chapter 3. Intervention in Lebanon
Chapter 4. Battling the Vietnam
Preface and Acknowledgments
Chapter 1. Liberal Theory and the Politics of Selling War
Chapter 2. Saying No to the French at Dienbienphu
Chapter 3. Intervention in Lebanon
Chapter 4. Battling the Vietnam Syndrom in Grenada
Chapter 5. Famine in Somalia and Ancient Hatreds in Bosnia
Chapter 6. The War over Iraq
Chapter 7. Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index