The First Resort of Kings: American Cultural Diplomacy in the Twentieth Century
During the last five decades, U.S. cultural diplomacy programs have withered because of politics and accidents of history that have subordinated cultural diplomacy to public relations campaigning, now called "public diplomacy." With anti-Americanism on the rise worldwide, cultural diplomacy should become an immediate priority, but politicians continue to ignore this relatively inexpensive, age-old tool for promoting understanding among nations. Richard Arndt probes the history of American...
Search in google:
A landmark study of the most-neglected tool of U.S. foreign policy
Ch. 1Cultural diplomacy from the Bronze Age to World War I1Ch. 2Total war and its aftershocks, 1917-193224Ch. 3Designing cultural relations, 1932-194049Ch. 4Nelson Rockefeller and other new boys, 1940-194575Ch. 5MacLeish's moment, spring, 194598Ch. 6Early field staffing : the point of contact121Ch. 7Two classic cultural products : architecture and libraries142Ch. 8Benton, Fulbright, Smith, and Mundt161Ch. 9Products and people : English, books, and two visionaries187Ch. 10Postwar losses and Fulbright's gift213Ch. 11Reorienting enemies, campaigning for truth237Ch. 12The birth of USIA264Ch. 13George Allen in the middle288Ch. 14New frontiers for old : Murrow and Coombs314Ch. 15Battle's rescue and the birth of the Peace Corps338Ch. 16The arts of vision360Ch. 17The ordeal of Charles Frankel380Ch. 18The arts of performance398Ch. 19Intellect, government, and Fulbright drift418Ch. 20Nixon and Ford, Shakespeare and Richardson437Ch. 21Six intellectual CAOs458Ch. 22Stanton's challenge : status quo or change?480Ch. 23Paved with good intentions : Carter's reorganization499Ch. 24Two decades of decline520Afterword : sunset or new dawn?544
\ From the Publisher"Arndt's work is a valuable resource for specialists in U.S. foreing relations. His encyclopedic knowledge, first-person perspective, and timely warnings about the perils of American solipsism make this study essential reading for anyone concerned with 'why they hate us.'"\ ". . . .people who enjoy history will find this book a real treasure. . . .With the skill of a master mosaicist, Arndt pieces together archives, interviews, and personal experiences to reveal the inner workings of diplomacy."\ "[Arndt's] lengthy and well-written book examines the people, programs, ideas, and debates that have shaped U.S. cultural diplomacy. . . .No other book has, or is likely to have, comparable scope and detail. . . . He has provided an essential and encyclopedic resource for anyone interested in the past and future of cultural diplomacy. The book appears to be the product of a lifetime of work and of research, and it is passionately and eloquently written."\ "Never in the history of the republic have we Americans been so cordially disliked around the world. Never have we needed an effective strategy for cultural diplomacy more. In The First Resort of Kings, Richard Arndt presents the neglected history of American cultural diplomacy, and his story is as accurate and engrossing as it is depressing. We desperately need to do better, and Arndt has some important advice about how and where we can improve. This is a valuable book for anyone who cares about improving America’s place in the world."\ "A massive and disturbing discussion of the bureaucratic politics and the general schizophrenia that have informed America’s attitude toward ‘cultural diplomacy.’ Richard Arndt gives us an insider’s examination of the best, and the worst, official efforts to create a favorable image of the U.S. abroad."\ "With twenty-four years of direct experience in America’s efforts at cultural diplomacy, Richard Arndt is adept at sorting out the petty bureaucratic struggles from the serious efforts of many talented practitioners to find an answer to the proper role of our government in this policy minefield. His broad intellectual background and his felicitous expression make him an ideal guide through this contentious field, and his many personal portraits of distinguished Americans in our recent history are a real treat."\ "An intriguing book."\ ". . . .a vitally important history of the neglect and occasional ostracism within federal bureaucracies of the mechanisms for cultural understanding between the United States and other nations of the world in favor of information. . . .[Arndt's] plan for the rehabilitation of cultural diplomacy deserves a wide audience."\ \ \
