The Long War of Ideas

Name: The Long War of Ideas
Price: 59.95 AUD
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ISBN: 9780231215961

American Public Diplomacy in Arabic After 9/11

Nathaniel Greenberg

$59.95

Paperback

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English

Columbia University Press
03 March 2026

Middle Eastern history; History of the Americas; 21st century history: from c 2000 -; Diplomacy; Political control & freedoms

In the wake of the September 11 attacks, US officials identified the so-called battle for hearts and minds as the “second front” in the war on terror. A wave of funding flowed into public diplomacy in the Middle East, seeking to change views of the United States through Arabic-language communications—often while hiding the traces of American origins. To what extent did this vast propaganda apparatus sway Arab public opinion? Which ideas and actors shaped American public diplomacy in this period? What are the lessons for information strategy today?

This groundbreaking book tells the story of American propaganda campaigns in the Middle East after 9/11, drawing on in-depth interviews with key players and previously classified documents. Nathaniel Greenberg shows how the United States tried to control perceptions of its response to 9/11 through news and entertainment, and reveals that Arab governments and unofficial actors were involved—knowingly or not—in distributing US propaganda. He explores the institutions, strategy, and rhetoric deployed in the war on terror, placing them in the context of American and Soviet influence campaigns during the Cold War. Greenberg argues that US government-backed broadcasting laid the groundwork for global information warfare, such as the rise of competing Russian and Chinese state media operations. Shedding light on the ideological underpinnings of American propaganda in Arabic after 9/11, The Long War of Ideas offers new insight into soft power in the twenty-first century.

By: Nathaniel Greenberg
Imprint: Columbia University Press
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 140mm,
ISBN: 9780231215961
ISBN 10: 0231215967
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 03 March 2026
Audience: College/higher education , Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Public Diplomacy and the Arab World 2. Free Play 3. Iraq and the World 4. Gray Is the New Black 5. Silicon Armies 6. Endgames Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

Nathaniel Greenberg is professor of Arabic at George Mason University. His books include How Information Warfare Shaped the Arab Spring: The Politics of Narrative in Tunisia and Egypt (2019).

Reviews for The Long War of Ideas: American Public Diplomacy in Arabic After 9/11

Written with deep knowledge of Middle East culture, Greenberg’s book is a meticulous deconstruction of a largely futile public diplomacy campaign. This is an exemplary work that needs to be read by scholars of US foreign policy and the Arab world and anyone interested in public diplomacy. -- Nicholas J. Cull, author of <i>Public Diplomacy: Foundations for Global Engagement in the Digital Age</i> The Long War of Ideas presents a riveting, deeply researched and often entertaining tour of decades of open and covert American efforts to influence Arab public opinion through the media. It is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand why those expensive programs have so often failed—and how the United States might better engage with the world. -- Marc Lynch, author of <i>The New Arab Wars: Anarchy and Uprising in the Middle East</i>