Overview

For Britain, the Suez crisis of 1956 was - along with the 1938 Munich crisis - the most divisive and controversial episode of the twentieth century. Centred on a narrow man-made canal linking the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, the Suez crisis caused fighting on London's streets, split families and friendships and destroyed a prime minister. It tested the government's propaganda skills to the full and pushed the mass media's independence to breaking point. For many, 'Suez' symbolises the end of the British Empire and its spectre has haunted British governments for two generations. ""Eden, Suez and the Mass Media"" examines the battle for hearts and minds waged through the mass media during the Suez crisis. It explains why the British government assigned such a critical role to propaganda and charts how Prime Minister Anthony Eden sought to use the press and broadcasting as instruments to destroy Egypt's leader, Gamal Abdel Nasser. The book dispels the myth that Fleet Street and the BBC were mere ciphers for public opinion and reveals how Eden's strategy disastrously backfired, trapping him into the notorious pact of collusion with the French and Israelis. This new edition of the definitive history of the media's role in the Suez crisis also draws interesting parallels with the contemporary Iraq War, which Shaw argues bears an uncanny resemblance to the earlier conflict.

Full Product Details

Author:   PhD Tony Shaw
Publisher:   Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Imprint:   I.B. Tauris
Dimensions:   Width: 13.80cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 21.60cm
Weight:   0.340kg
ISBN:  

9781848850910

ISBN 10:   1848850913
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   07 September 2009
Audience:   General/trade ,  General
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Manufactured on demand  
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.

Table of Contents

Contents Acknowledgements Preface Map Introduction: the propaganda strategy PART ONE The British Press Eden and the press: the state of play in July 1956 Nationalization ‘Rattling the sabre’ Losing the initiative Collusion and war The press: conclusino PART TWO The BBC Collision course ‘Are they enemies of just socialists?’ Division and disunity The crucible The BBC: conclusion PART THREE the Campaign in the United States The ‘special relationship’ and the role of public opinion Mobilizing American opinion An identity of interests? Communism versus colonialism Going it alone The campaign in the United States: conclusion Conclusion and epilogue APPENDIX A Circulation of the principal British newspapers in 1956 APPENDIX B Readership of the main British newspapers in 1956 APPENDIX C A classified index of Suez publicity and guidance material Notes Bibliography and sources Index

Reviews

""Hilarious...and brilliant"" - Robert Fisk, 'Independent'; ""Invaluable for the study of the making of foreign policy, of prime ministerial power and Eden as Prime Minister...Above all, it makes an excellent case-study in the relations of government and the media"" - Peter Madgwick, 'English Historical Review'

Hilarious...and brilliant - Robert Fisk, 'Independent'; Invaluable for the study of the making of foreign policy, of prime ministerial power and Eden as Prime Minister...Above all, it makes an excellent case-study in the relations of government and the media - Peter Madgwick, 'English Historical Review'

Hilarious...and brilliant - Robert Fisk, 'Independent'. Invaluable for the study of the making of foreign policy, of prime ministerial power and Eden as Prime Minister...Above all, it makes an excellent case-study in the relations of government and the media - Peter Madgwick, 'English Historical Review.'

Author Information

Tony Shaw is Reader in International History at the University of Hertfordshire. His publications include 'British Cinema and the Cold War: The State, Propaganda and Consensus'. He is currently working on two projects: an account of Hollywood's propaganda role during the Cold War, and a history of British government propaganda during the Cold War.

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