- Paperback: 292 pages
- Publisher: OUP USA; New Ed edition (13 Mar 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0195111508
- ISBN-13: 978-0195111507
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.5 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
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- #31 in Books > History > World History > World War II 1939-1945 > Propaganda
Selling War
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More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"Nicholas John Cull has made a major study of Britain's potent efforts to get a reluctant United States to fight."--International Herald Tribune
."..this is a sensible, thoughtful, and--in revealing the foibles of many key actors--an often amusing book."--Kirkus Reviews
"Cull writes with wit and zest about the efforts of Britons to help Roosevelt to bring the USA into the war....Based on careful research in many archives, this book provides a definitive account of important factors bearing on a decisive moment in world history."--Angus Calder, author of The People's War and The Myth of the Blitz
Product Description
'British propoganda brought America to the brink of war, and left it to the Japanese and Hitler to finish the job.' So concludes Nicholas Cull in this absorbing study of how the United States was transformed from isolation to belligerence in the years before the attack on Pearl Harbor. From the moment it realized that all was lost without American aid, the British Government employed a host pf persuasive tactics to draw the U. S. to its rescue. With the help of talents as varied as those of matinee idol Leslie Howard, Oxford philosopher Isaiah Berlin and society photographer Cecil Beaton, no section of America remained untouched and no method - from Secret Service intrigue to the publication of horrifying pictures of Nazi attrocities - remained untried. A fascinating story of how a foreign country promoted America's involvement in its greatest war, Selling War will appeal to all those interested in the modern cultural and political history of Britain in the twentieth century and World War II. The Kirkus Review wrote, 'A valuable study of how British propoganda helped to bring the U. S. into W. W. II...This is a sensible thoughtful, and - in revealing the foibles of many key actors - an often amusing book.'
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First Sentence
On February 15, 1942, Winston Churchill broadcast an address to the world. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
On February 15, 1942, Winston Churchill broadcast an address to the world. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Nicholas John Cull has produced a book version of his stirring 1991 PhD dissertation at the University of Leeds, titled "The British Campaign Against American 'Neutrality': Publicity and Propaganda 1939-1941". This important book was published in 1995 by Oxford University Press when Dr Cull was lecturing in history at the University of Birmingham.
To appreciate Dr Cull's original and valuable research into the activities of the British fifth column to America, some background of the historical events is helpful. Basically, Nazi Germany was defeated by the Soviets and the British months before the Yanks arrived in Europe. But it was Germany's eastern front where the Nazis were failing quickly and Britain grew concerned that all of Europe would go Communist. Hence Churchill's plan to get the Yanks back over to Europe for the second half of the world war for which he "dreamed of, aimed at, and worked for" (p3). The Yanks were needed to stop the Soviets, not to stop the Nazis who were already going down. But the propagandists, both British and later American, sold the war to the American public as a war to defeat Hitler and smash his concentration camps.
Still, it was a hard sell to an American public who had said after the first part of the world war - never again! That was why FDR provoked the Japanese to retaliate at Pearl Harbor and why FDR sat on his hands while the Japanese planes flew over the Pacific to bomb U.S. navy ships. The Yanks became "9/11 crazy" after Pearl Harbor was hit and FDR sent the Yanks to Europe to fight the Nazis in order to secretly stop the Soviets. The plan was successful and British empire has been American-powered ever since.
Dr Cull's research uncovers information warfare by the British as well as propaganda employed by the British fifth column in America "to undermine U.S. neutrality and somehow sell Britain and a second world war to a skeptical American public" (p4). British propagandist Isaiah Berlin said "My brief was to drag the Americans into the war" (p127). FDR was trying to figure out how to provoke the Japanese to bring war to America, asking "how we should maneuver them into the position of firing the first shot without too much danger to ourselves" (p185). Churchill, who held both British and American citizenships, told him how. America's foreign policy has been British foreign policy ever since.
As a former lecturer in Modern European History at Bournville College, I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it is that important in helping one to understand what is happening around the world today. In addition to Cull's book, I recommend Philip M. Taylor's "If War Should Come: Preparing the Fifth Arm for Total War, 1935-1939" in the Journal of Contemporary History, 16, (1981): 27-51 and David Ignatius's "Britain's War in America: How Churchill's Agents Secretly Manipulated the U.S. Before Pearl Harbor" in the Washington Post, Sec C, 17 Sep 1989, pp1-2.
To appreciate Dr Cull's original and valuable research into the activities of the British fifth column to America, some background of the historical events is helpful. Basically, Nazi Germany was defeated by the Soviets and the British months before the Yanks arrived in Europe. But it was Germany's eastern front where the Nazis were failing quickly and Britain grew concerned that all of Europe would go Communist. Hence Churchill's plan to get the Yanks back over to Europe for the second half of the world war for which he "dreamed of, aimed at, and worked for" (p3). The Yanks were needed to stop the Soviets, not to stop the Nazis who were already going down. But the propagandists, both British and later American, sold the war to the American public as a war to defeat Hitler and smash his concentration camps.
Still, it was a hard sell to an American public who had said after the first part of the world war - never again! That was why FDR provoked the Japanese to retaliate at Pearl Harbor and why FDR sat on his hands while the Japanese planes flew over the Pacific to bomb U.S. navy ships. The Yanks became "9/11 crazy" after Pearl Harbor was hit and FDR sent the Yanks to Europe to fight the Nazis in order to secretly stop the Soviets. The plan was successful and British empire has been American-powered ever since.
Dr Cull's research uncovers information warfare by the British as well as propaganda employed by the British fifth column in America "to undermine U.S. neutrality and somehow sell Britain and a second world war to a skeptical American public" (p4). British propagandist Isaiah Berlin said "My brief was to drag the Americans into the war" (p127). FDR was trying to figure out how to provoke the Japanese to bring war to America, asking "how we should maneuver them into the position of firing the first shot without too much danger to ourselves" (p185). Churchill, who held both British and American citizenships, told him how. America's foreign policy has been British foreign policy ever since.
As a former lecturer in Modern European History at Bournville College, I cannot recommend this book highly enough - it is that important in helping one to understand what is happening around the world today. In addition to Cull's book, I recommend Philip M. Taylor's "If War Should Come: Preparing the Fifth Arm for Total War, 1935-1939" in the Journal of Contemporary History, 16, (1981): 27-51 and David Ignatius's "Britain's War in America: How Churchill's Agents Secretly Manipulated the U.S. Before Pearl Harbor" in the Washington Post, Sec C, 17 Sep 1989, pp1-2.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
7 of 12 people found the following review helpful
American-powered British Empire
6 Jan 2005
Format:Paperback
Sixty-five years ago, Americans believed that their government's renewed relations with the British Empire in support of the Queen's military effort in Europe's Great War had been a mistake. They believed that ignoring Thomas Jefferson's wisdom of "Friendship and trade with all nations; Entangling alliances with none", was a costly and deadly mistake. In the future, they said, Americans would leave the Europeans to settle their differences without American interference and the British Empire would have to tread without American brawn - "Burn everything British except their coal" said one Irish-American banner in 1921.
According to Prof Nicholas John Cull of Leicester Univ, American neutrality was contrary to British foreign policy so a British 'Fifth Column' was implemented to suck America back into her Mama's Empire. Winston Churchill, who held American and British citizenships, probably did more to suck America back into the British Empire than any other single British statesman. Churchill boasted that he had "dreamed of, aimed at, and worked for" American brawn to backup British Empire during WWII. Everywhere the Yanks are embroiled today are those quagmires originally created by the British, Iraq is just one good example (See also 'Churchill's Folly: How Winston Churchill Created Modern Iraq' by C. Catherwood at www.amazon.co.uk).
Prof Nicholas John Cull at Leicester Univ did his PhD in 1991 at Leeds on British propaganda and information warfare aimed at getting America off her libertarian footing and back to providing the brawn to British Empire as was accomplished for the first world war. At the same time that Cull wrote his dissertation, Susan Brewer of Cornell Univ in New York wrote hers - 'Creating the Special Relationship: British Propaganda in America in World War Two', Cornell Univ, PhD 1991. Cull's book 'Selling War' is basically a 1995 rewrite of his PhD disseration, while he was teaching at the Univ of Birmingham in England.
The point to all this is that America, which had fought two wars against Britain and Empire in 1776 and 1812, was sucked back in by a deal between American elites and British elites who saw BIG oil money $$$ if they partnered up to do a snow job on the American public. That's why everywhere Bush goes today you see Blair whispering into his ear. I mean think about it - that dumb cowboy pulling the strings?!! If it isn't his British bosses calling the shots, then who?
According to Prof Nicholas John Cull of Leicester Univ, American neutrality was contrary to British foreign policy so a British 'Fifth Column' was implemented to suck America back into her Mama's Empire. Winston Churchill, who held American and British citizenships, probably did more to suck America back into the British Empire than any other single British statesman. Churchill boasted that he had "dreamed of, aimed at, and worked for" American brawn to backup British Empire during WWII. Everywhere the Yanks are embroiled today are those quagmires originally created by the British, Iraq is just one good example (See also 'Churchill's Folly: How Winston Churchill Created Modern Iraq' by C. Catherwood at www.amazon.co.uk).
Prof Nicholas John Cull at Leicester Univ did his PhD in 1991 at Leeds on British propaganda and information warfare aimed at getting America off her libertarian footing and back to providing the brawn to British Empire as was accomplished for the first world war. At the same time that Cull wrote his dissertation, Susan Brewer of Cornell Univ in New York wrote hers - 'Creating the Special Relationship: British Propaganda in America in World War Two', Cornell Univ, PhD 1991. Cull's book 'Selling War' is basically a 1995 rewrite of his PhD disseration, while he was teaching at the Univ of Birmingham in England.
The point to all this is that America, which had fought two wars against Britain and Empire in 1776 and 1812, was sucked back in by a deal between American elites and British elites who saw BIG oil money $$$ if they partnered up to do a snow job on the American public. That's why everywhere Bush goes today you see Blair whispering into his ear. I mean think about it - that dumb cowboy pulling the strings?!! If it isn't his British bosses calling the shots, then who?
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
British propaganda in World War II
27 Feb 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Book was, generally, 'okay'. There were some information errors. For instance, author says the British loss the Battleships "Nelson and Barham". The HMS Nelson was mined twice and scrapped in 1949. A second serror was saying the German heavy cruiser Priz Eugen was a German battleship. It was, as I wrote, a heavy cruiser with 8 inch naval rifles. A more important error was the author saying that Churchill proposed France and Britain amalgamate. He said it was a propaganda ploy. William Shirer in his book about the downfall of the French republic say it was a proposal to stop the French government from signing a separate treaty. Such a treaty was in violation of an earlier treaty under provisions said neither nation would sign a separate peace without mutual consent.
Author kept moving around from different events somewhat breaking cohesion of the premise. The British may have found sympathy in America but it did not get America to get into the war.
Author kept moving around from different events somewhat breaking cohesion of the premise. The British may have found sympathy in America but it did not get America to get into the war.
7 of 24 people found the following review helpful
Britain did not trick America into war
15 Sep 2001
Format:Paperback
From June 1940 through to June 1941, Britain stood alone against an alliance of European countries, led by Germany, that were hell-bent on the destruction of freedom and the subjugation of all non-Germanic peoples. Cull has studied Britain's attempts to gain itself an ally against Nazism, but concludes oddly that these attempts were in some way sinister. He fails to convince. Britain's role against fascism was surely a heroic one, a subject for our admiration, and Britain's desire to obtain American help is surely neither insidious nor surprising.
Cull describes in detail the propaganda methods used by the British. They sent American radio stations recordings of British news broadcasts, and wrote articles in American newspapers seeking support. This rather mundane activity is related as if it is quite spine-chilling. Now, if Cull could prove that the British terrorized America and then framed the Germans I would sit up and take notice, but the fact is the British did nothing of the kind - they were, after all, the champions of the free world and not about to erode the very principles of justice they were fighting to preserve.
One of Cull's main grudges revolves around a "Nazi map of German plans for South America" which, he says, Roosevelt used to convince Americans of German villainy and which, he says, was forged. Having already convinced himself of British villainy, he concludes that this map can only have been foisted on the American people by British spies. Cull seems to have moved mountains to obtain evidence that his theory is correct, but admits to having failed. Undaunted, he concludes that his theory is correct, the map must have been forged by the British secret service, but - here's Catch 22 - they were so crafty that they ensured no-one would ever find any proof. This aside, it still makes no sense to blame Britain for America's entry into the war. Pearl Harbor happened because the Japanese were smarting at American economic sanctions - and America had put sanctions on Japan because Japan was attacking Indo-China. This had little to do with Germany, and nothing at all to do with Britain.
Cull describes in detail the propaganda methods used by the British. They sent American radio stations recordings of British news broadcasts, and wrote articles in American newspapers seeking support. This rather mundane activity is related as if it is quite spine-chilling. Now, if Cull could prove that the British terrorized America and then framed the Germans I would sit up and take notice, but the fact is the British did nothing of the kind - they were, after all, the champions of the free world and not about to erode the very principles of justice they were fighting to preserve.
One of Cull's main grudges revolves around a "Nazi map of German plans for South America" which, he says, Roosevelt used to convince Americans of German villainy and which, he says, was forged. Having already convinced himself of British villainy, he concludes that this map can only have been foisted on the American people by British spies. Cull seems to have moved mountains to obtain evidence that his theory is correct, but admits to having failed. Undaunted, he concludes that his theory is correct, the map must have been forged by the British secret service, but - here's Catch 22 - they were so crafty that they ensured no-one would ever find any proof. This aside, it still makes no sense to blame Britain for America's entry into the war. Pearl Harbor happened because the Japanese were smarting at American economic sanctions - and America had put sanctions on Japan because Japan was attacking Indo-China. This had little to do with Germany, and nothing at all to do with Britain.
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