From Quills to Tweets

International Affairs / Communications

"The American way of communicating war dates back to the 18th century and has matured alongside the development of the latest media technologies. For anyone wanting a comprehensive overview of how domestic and global publics have been informed about America's role in armed conflict, From Quills to Tweets is indispensable."
- Philip Seib, professor of journalism and public diplomacy and professor of international relations, University of Southern California

While today's presidential tweets may seem light years away from the scratch of quill pens during the American Revolution, the importance of political communication is eternal. This book investigates the roles that political narratives, media coverage, and evolving communication technologies have played in precipitating, shaping, and concluding or prolonging wars and revolutions over the course of US history.

The case studies begin with the Sons of Liberty in the era of the American Revolution, explore the American wars in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and conclude with a look at the conflict against ISIS in the Trump era. Special chapters also examine how propagandists shaped American perceptions of two earthshaking revolutions: the Russian Revolution and the Chinese Revolution. Each chapter analyzes its subject through the lens of the messengers, messages, and communications media to reveal the effects on public opinion and the trajectory and conduct of the conflict. This book is a unique overview of the history of American strategic communications about wars and revolutions that is essential reading for scholars, students, and communications strategists.

Andrea J. Dew is the Maritime Irregular Warfare Forces Chair and Codirector of the Center on Irregular Warfare and Armed Groups at the US Naval War College.

Marc A. Genest is the Forrest Sherman Professor of Public Diplomacy in the Strategy and Policy Department at the US Naval War College.

S. C. M. Paine is the William S. Sims University Professor of History and Grand Strategy at the US Naval War College.

Contributors Judith Baroody, Troy Bickham, Michael G. Carew, Steven Casey, Andrea J. Dew, Matthew C. DuPée, Bruce A. Elleman, Marc A. Genest, Michelle D Getchell, Haroro J. Ingram, Thomas H. Johnson, David Kaiser, Martin J. Manning, S. C. M. Paine, David J. Silbey, J. Lee Thompson, Craig A. Whiteside