If your aim is to really understand propaganda, this is the one book you absolutely must read. Now in its 6th edition, Propaganda & Persuasion is a sweeping and in depth look at propaganda and its role in society.
Authors Garth S. Jowett and Victoria O’Donnell have compiled the seminal book pulling together the various bits of independent research on propaganda that has mostly emerged in the past century. Propaganda & Persuasion goes much further, however, than simply bringing studies together, recounting how propaganda has been used in a grand historical showcase, reviewing the various research areas covering propaganda and theories put forward as a result, and guiding the reader through identifying and analyzing propaganda through real case studies.
Sheepishly, I must admit it took me quite some time to get through the entire book – but not because of the writing. The authors offer up an engaging and enjoyable style, that even makes the review on different schools of thought around propaganda easy to read and absorb. More so it is the sheer volume of information comprising Propaganda & Persuasion – this really is a comprehensive work – and I look forward to any future updates to it.
Propaganda & Persuasion is available for purchase at Amazon.