Description: Spinning the World is the first book to examine the public relations industry's hidden hand of influence on American foreign relations. By working with groups of American citizens, domestic and overseas businesses, and US and foreign governments, PR firms influenced foreign policy debates and shaped how Americans thought about their place in the world in the twentieth century. Since World War I, the relationship between the public relations industry and American foreign relations has been complex and controversial. The century saw recurring debates and investigations into PR's role in creating propaganda, as fears grew that PR might be used to undermine American democracy. Convincing the American people to buy products as consumers was one thing. Persuading them to think differently about the nation's place in the world as citizens was something else altogether. In this book, Andrew Johnstone shows how business interests helped shape the broader national interest, for better or worse.
Brief description: Andrew Johnstone is Associate Professor of History at the University of Leicester. He is the author and editor of five books, including Against Immediate Evil and US Presidential Elections and Foreign Policy (with Andrew Priest).
Review Quotes: 'Andrew Johnstone has made the case that the history of twentieth century US foreign relations is inextricable from public relations. As much as the 'mad man' in the White House he's shown we should investigate the 'Mad Men' who, for the right price, nimbly manufactured perceptions of world issues.' David Ekbladh, author of Plowshares into Swords: Weaponized Knowledge, Liberal Order, and the League of Nations