"Nicholas Cull's comprehensive history of USIA begins by clarifying what is meant by 'public diplomacy,'" the article states. "This is a great service, because since 9/11 every committee, think tank, advisory board and broom closet in Washington has published a report on the topic, and while some are less eye-glazing than others, none cuts through the semantic muddle as deftly as Mr. Cull."
The book explores the history and effectiveness of American "soft power" in dealings with foreign nations from the end of World War II to the end of the Cold War, and provides a comprehensive survey of American propaganda and its effects and lessons.
"Mr. Cull's invaluable contribution is to divide public diplomacy into five components, beginning with the most important: listening," the article states, adding that the other components are advocacy, cultural diplomacy, international broadcasting, and — quarantined from the others except during wartime — psychological warfare. "Public diplomacy cannot redeem a floundering policy, Mr. Cull notes, but it can shape the surrounding climate of opinion — provided it separates the different components."
Book review
The Cold War and the United States Information Agency
More
More on Cull
