Culture, Crisis and America's War on Terror

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