Beware the British Serpent: The Role of Writers in British Propaganda in the United States, 1939-1945Offers provocative new insights into the war work of more than forty prominent British authors Provides a comprehensive analysis of the suspicions beneath the wartime Anglo-American alliance Describes the tensions that arose between the British Ministry of Information and the Foreign Office During World War II, the United States was the target of what Gore Vidal has called the largest, most intricate and finally most successful conspiracy directed at it in the twentieth century - Great Britain's vast conspiracy to manoeuvre an essentially isolationist country into the war. involvement in this propaganda campaign, including lecturing and touring in the United States, broadcasting on American radio, writing screenplays for films such as Mrs. Miniver and This Above All, and writing articles and books for publication in America. Using newly uncovered archival material, Calder offers provocative new insights into the war work of more than forty prominent British authors, focusing particularly on Somerset Maugham, Noel Coward, H.G. Wells, Vera Brittain, and J.B. Priestley. He provides a comprehensive analysis of the suspicions beneath the wartime Anglo-American alliance and describes the tensions that arose between the British Ministry of Information and the Foreign Office over the nature and direction of the propaganda campaign in the United States. |
Contents
The Yanks Arent Coming | 3 |
The Strangling Old School | 21 |
The Magic of the Word | 39 |
Making the War Seem Personal | 56 |
Uncoordinated Observations | 89 |
One GodDamned Thing after Another | 116 |
A Sad Story of Official Duplicity | 134 |
Unheralded Ambassadors from England | 151 |
British Propaganda in Fiction and Poetry | 181 |
A Friendly Intruder in a NonBelligerent World | 205 |
The Most Gigantic Engines of Propaganda | 239 |
Bibliography | 289 |
Other editions - View all
Beware the British Serpent: The Role of Writers in British Propaganda in the ... Robert L. Calder No preview available - 2004 |
Common terms and phrases
Allied Amer American Division American listeners American public Anglo-American April argued Atlantic Monthly audience August became Britain Britain Speaks British authors British cause British government British Library British propaganda British writers Britons broadcast Cecil Roberts Churchill Committee democracy Diaries director Duff Cooper effort England English Europe European February fight film Foreign Office France German Halifax Hilton Hitler Hodson Hollywood Home Ibid ican isolationist J.B. Priestley journalist July June Kilham Roberts later lecture tour letter Library of Information literary London Calling Louis MacNeice March Ministry of Information Miniver months Nazi Noel Coward North American Service novel novelist November October peace Phyllis Phyllis Bentley political Press Priestley's propaganda propagandists published quoted radio Roberts Papers Roosevelt screenplay script Second World Second World War September Somerset Maugham speakers Storm Jameson story Struther talk tion told United Vera Brittain Walpole wartime Washington Waterfield Whyte wrote York