Persuasion and Power: The Art of Strategic Communication

by James P. Farwell, John J. Hamre (Foreword)

Now more than ever, in the arenas of national security, diplomacy, and military operations, effective communication strategy is of paramount importance. A 24/7 television, radio, and Internet news cycle paired with an explosion in social media demands it.

According to James P. Farwell, an expert in communication strategy and cyber war who has advised the U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND and the Department of Defense, and worked nationally and internationally as a media and political consultant, this book examines how colorful figures in history from Julius Caesar to Winston Churchill, Napoleon to Hugo Chavez, Martin Luther to Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, have forged communication strategies to influence audiences.

Mark Twain said that history doesn't repeat itself, but rhymes. In showing how major leaders have moved audiences, Farwell bears out Twain's thesis. Obama and Luther each wanted to reach a mass audience. Obama used social media and the Internet. Luther used the printing press. But the strategic mindset was similar. Hugo Chavez identifies with Simon Bolivar, but his attitude towards the media more closely echoes Napoleon. Caesar used coins to build his image in ways that echo the modern use of campaign buttons. His "triumphs," enormous parades to celebrate military victories, celebrated his achievements and aimed to impress the populace with his power and greatness. Adolph Hitler employed a similar tactic with his torchlight parades.

The book shows how the US government's approach to strategic communication has been misguided. It offers a colorful, incisive critical evaluation of the concepts, doctrines, and activities that the US Department of Defense and Department of State employ for psychological operations, military information support operations, propaganda, and public diplomacy.

Persuasion and Power is a book about the art of communication strategy, how it is used, where, and why. Farwell's adroit use of vivid examples produce a well-researched, entertaining story that illustrates how its principles have made a critical difference throughout history in the outcomes of crises, conflicts, politics, and diplomacy across different cultures and societies.

Genres: Business

288 pages, Paperback

First published November 27, 2012

Reviews

[Dennis Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Persuasion and Power: The Art of Strategic Communication by James Farwell is a good book with a lot of information, that suffers from an at times dull presentation. This took a long time for me to finish, nearly a month, precisely because of this concern. The audiobook did little to help, as Tim Lundeen appears at time to be an upgraded electronic reader, rather than someone who can imbue life into a text that sorely needed it. Judging only from the text, Farwell comes across as a Neoconservative trying to be centrist, and only making it halfway. I imagine this may grate on some's nerves, depending on your political persuasion and character. Further, while the book may sample many different types of communication, the heart of the book appears to be an answer and guide for communication for politicians and the army vis-a-vis the Middle East. Part Four of the book is geared towards its most overt policy implications, and makes up the stronger part of the Farwell's argument. It takes some of the wind out of Part 5's sales, the policy prescriptions. The ultimate point of the book, which is persuasively put, is that the US should not shy away from influence operations, but these should be clear, understood, and under proper guidance and authority.

Give it a look if you want, especially if you are in communications or work in political affairs.

87/100

[Katie Orr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farwell delivers a straightforward and accessible study of the ways in which strategic communications can both inform and influence behaviour. Whilst not the most riveting read, it provides a thorough analysis of different mediums of communication as well as a breakdown of the contemporary understandings (at timing of writing) of psychological operations, MISO, propaganda, public affairs, and public diplomacy.

He argues that the US Government should avoid stating that their operations seek only to inform and not influence, on the basis that this is evidently not true and that when conducted in good faith and with the proper guidance, influence campaigns are an essential part of advancing national and international security. Farwell however states that such operations that seek to influence should always be clear, well communicated and honest.

[Kateřina Kňapová · Rating 4 out of 5]

Must read pro ty, kteří se zabývají strategickou komunikací, propagandou nebo třeba informačními operacemi.

[Susan Weinstein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Persuasion and Power is a rare nonfiction classic--about an old practice

This nonfiction work is a rare classic. There are lots of books on Communications, Public Relations, Public Affairs, Social Media, TV & Radio, Internet Marketing, Media strategy. But no other book I’ve seen looks at the permeable borders of these categories as they contribute to the big picture of political campaigns, national security—Strategic Communications.

In PERSUASION AND POWER (Georgetown University Press), James Farwell shows that skill in the use of images, words, and symbols, does not necessarily guarantee success. The end result often depends on the content of the message and its goal. Deception is not as successful as truth, consistent, and persuasive. It also helps to remember that any success is within a specific time-frame. With the speed and incessant change of the 24/7 news cycle, a permanent end result is a chimera.

Yet this book analyzes the strategic communications embodied in our Declaration of Independence, a document of enormous impact. The writers, looking for support from abroad, based their revolution not on a religion but an idea of the Enlightenment—that all men are equal. They talk about the tyranny of the British King but omit Parliament, a decision that makes this a document of careful strategic communications. It persuades with reason and motivates with emotion for desired ends—foreign support and rallying at home.

The book shows the similarity between Obama’s use of the Internet to reach a mass audience and Martin Luther’s use of broadsides, why Argentina’s Chavez may be closer to Napoleon than Simon Bolivar, how the distribution of Roman coins with Caesar’s face echoes our campaign pins. The book also draws darker parallels on the propaganda of Hitler and the use of racist incendiary radio in Rawanda’s genocidal war. And it astutely explains the intelligence behind Al Quaeda’s video campaigns.

Author James Farwell is a defense consultant, who advises the U.S. Depts of Defense and Special Operations. He also shows how successful strategic communications can escape powerful nations. They will build a communications strategy to advance national security with psychological operations, military information support operations, propaganda, and public diplomacy. Yet concepts, definitions, doctrines, and operations can be misguided. Farwell’s art is not a science.

[Michael Brady]

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[Lulu]

I won this book from the first reads giveaways and I am so excited to read it. Thanks.

[Johnathan]

I read this while I was in my Speech class in University. It is highly recommended. I experimented with ideas shared in this book and found them to be irreplaceable.