Media Reviews
'Stuart Croft has admirably addressed how the 'objective' military threats, like other social phenomena, are the product of a reality-constructing social dialogue ... an essential read for those who want to understand the emergence, construction, and evolution of national security policies in the US and elsewhere.' Professor Chris C. Demchak, University of Arizona
'Stuart Croft offers here a brilliant discussion of America's efforts to narrate, and make sense of, the 9/11 terror attacks. He mines a rich seam of popular and elite discourse, showing how narratives of 9/11 have reflected and reinforced pre-existing American self-images. Croft's lively style and command of his material make this book a joy to read.' Professor John Dumbrell, University of Leicester
'Culture, Crisis and America's War on Terror is simply the most comprehensive and thought-provoking analysis of the political-cultural discourse of the war on terror to date. Combining powerful theoretical insights with an ambitious and sweeping survey of American cultural production since the World Trade Center attacks, Stuart Croft has crafted an eloquent and provocative essay on the relationship between culture, national identity and international politics. His unique focus on the cultural dimensions of the September 11 foundational myth does much to enliven our understanding of contemporary US foreign policy and fills an increasingly important gap in the study of international relations and security studies. This book deserves the widest possible audience.' Dr Richard Jackson, Department of Politics, Manchester University and author of Writing the War on Terrorism: Language, Politics and Counterterrorism (2005)
'... an innovative and essential guide to the politics of American foreign policy today.' Professor Michael C. Williams, Department of International Politics, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
'Stuart Croft has written a first rate book, which is based on careful scholarship and reasoned argument. This strikes me as one of the most important books published in the aftermath of 9/11. It shows in great detail how political elites and popular commentators engaged in a discourse, which depicted the United States as a victim of an unprovoked attack. This discourse had really geopolitical consequences. As a 'victim', the Bush administration has 'Americanised' this extraordinary event and choose to launch a war on terror which will have lasting and deeply damaging consequences for the United States. We should be thankful that critical scholars such as Croft are prepared to tease out those consequences.' Professor Klaus Dodds, Professor of Geopolitics, Royal Holloway, University of London
'This book is a brilliant analysis of the cultural and political preconceptions and assumptions out of which the United States fashioned the narrative of a global war against terror in response to the trauma of the attacks on the American mainland on 11 September 2001. ... It is an immensely detailed and empirically rich study that through the use of illuminating examples entertains as well as informs.' Professor Adrian Guelke, Queen's University Belfast
'In the rapidly burgeoning academic literature on 9/11 and the 'war on terror', Stuart Croft's latest book stands out as an important contribution to the contemporary debate. Croft's aim is to critically analyse the discourse that emerged from the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001 and its constitutive role in shaping the American response to the threat of international terrorism. As a political realist, this reviewer does not share the epistemological and ontological assumptions underpinning the analysis, and approached this book with considerable scepticism. However, the analysis stands out from other social constructivist work in two important respects: first, Croft presents a sophisticated and coherently articulated theoretical framework, and second, his analysis is substantiated by detailed empirical analysis. It is also written with considerable style and elegance, making it both a pleasure to read and intellectually challenging. The result is a book of outstanding intellectual merit, which will stand as a central point of reference in the academic debate on America and the war on terror.' Professor Adrian Hyde-Price, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Leicester
'Culture, Crisis and America's War on Terror by Stuart Croft is undoubtedly one of the most exciting contributions not only to the literature on 9/11 but also on security studies in general. We perhaps all know, at intuitive level at least, that security and culture might have something to do with each other, but a scholarly demonstration of such connection is an extremely challenging exercise. In this book, Croft did this with an outstanding success. Referring to an overwhelming number of examples, he illustrates how security discourse and popular culture are mutually constructed in the United States. He also provides us with a very sophisticated model of how security narratives emerged, developed and created further narratives. A must-read for anyone who is seeking for a very original and eye-opening analysis of American politics, society and security.' Dr Atsuko Higashino, Senior Lecturer, Hiroshima City University, Japan
'... Stuart Croft has done nothing less than produce the definitive cultural history of America's response to 9/11. ... It is a big, bold, brassy take on post 9/11 America. Croft looks beyond policy debate and elite opinion to understand how American civil society and ordinary Americans felt and reacted to the worst attack against the homeland since Pearl Harbour. ... Croft's book is the essential guide to how this happened.' http://wimw-theo.blogspot.com
Stuart Croft has admirably addressed how the objective military threats, like other social phenomena, are the product of a reality-constructing social dialogue. He looks at the discourse after 9/11 and how the reality of the attack was interpreted and integrated into the national policies in response. This work impressively argues for a more nuanced understanding of how culture and events intertwine to create the crisis attributes and its future paths, weaving the national discourse between the preferences of political leaders and other cultural players and drivers. The volume is an essential read for those who want to understand the emergence, construction, and evolution of national security policies in the US and elsewhere. It is particularly critical for those who wish to understand how this discourse will affect future American decisions in global anti-terrorism operations and campaigns. Professor Chris C. Demchak, University of Arizona
Stuart Croft offers here a brilliant discussion of America's efforts to narrate, and make sense of, the 9/11 terror attacks. He mines a rich seam of popular and elite discourse, showing how narratives of 9/11 have reflected and reinforced pre-existing American self-images. Croft's lively style and command of his material make this book a joy to read. His study of the telling and re-telling of 9/11 sheds important new light on the policies of the George W. Bush Administration, as well as demonstrating how contemporary international politics and American popular culture are closely intertwined. Professor John Dumbrell, University of Leicester
Culture, Crisis and America's War on Terror is simply the most comprehensive and thought-provoking analysis of the political-cultural discourse of the war on terror to date. Combining powerful theoretical insights with an ambitious and sweeping survey of American cultural production since the World Trade Center attacks, Stuart Croft has crafted an eloquent and provocative essay on the relationship between culture, national identity and international politics. His unique focus on the cultural dimensions of the September 11 foundational myth does much to enliven our understanding of contemporary US foreign policy and fills an increasingly important gap in the study of international relations and security studies. This book deserves the widest possible audience. Dr Richard Jackson, Department of Politics, Manchester University and author of Writing the War on Terrorism: Language, Politics and Counterterrorism
Tracing the connections between popular culture and political elites, between domestic and foreign policy, and between international crises and political mobilization, Stuart Croft not only illuminates the dynamics of current US foreign policy, but also provides crucial and challenging insights into the relationship between America and the rest of the world. Culture, Crisis and America's War on Terror is an innovative and essential guide to the politics of American foreign policy today. Professor Michael C. Williams, Department of International Politics, University of Wales, Aberystwyth
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