The Persian Gulf TV War

I found this book on my girlfriend's bookshelf (she had it for a class at UT while in undergrad), and I really enjoyed it and have recommended it to many people. Kellner brings a lot of interesting footage from the first Persian Gulf War to light and puts it in historical context. I read it before the start of the war in Iraq, and felt much more educated and objective when watching the countless hours of footage from all the major news networks. Kellner accurately questions the objectivity of our news sources, news anchors, and the media conglomerates that own them. Any person serious about perserving a democracy in which the public is accurately informed should give it a read.

This book is an important contribution to the clearer comprehension of media coverage of a major US foreign intervention. Douglas Kellner has unearthed some rather ugly truths that make democracy and freedom of the press appear mere illusions. Kellner analyzes "official" media presentations and compares them to more reliable sources, producing a nuanced treatment of US imperialism in the Persian Gulf. An excellent source for critical perspective and analysis, Kellner consistently poses the important questions pressing politicians and policy-makers for answers.Kellner leaves the reader to continue questioning fundamental issues regarding foreign policy and how our blind acceptance of the professed goals further the power of our interventionist state. I highly recommend any of Douglas Kellner's books.