Narrative and the Making of US National Security

This book shows how dominant narratives have shaped the national security policies of the United States.

Ronald R. Krebs (Author)

9781107103955, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 27 August 2015

414 pages, 25 b/w illus. 12 tables
23.6 x 15.5 x 2.3 cm, 0.77 kg

'Overall, the book is very engaging. Krebs lays out and follows a clear path for the reader. The book is appropriate for and will interest both students and scholars who study narrative specifically, and those in national security studies, international relations, and communications. Krebs anticipates readers' questions in the text. He provides alternate explanations throughout the book, which is very commendable, and in the final chapter he discusses some ideas for possible further research. These include conducting analysis on other countries and other policy domains, and on the role of narrative in the new media age … this is a worthy addition to the literature on the study of narrative and international relations.' John Sislin, H-Net

Dominant narratives - from the Cold War consensus to the War on Terror - have often served as the foundation for debates over national security. Weaving current challenges, past failures and triumphs, and potential futures into a coherent tale, with well-defined characters and plot lines, these narratives impart meaning to global events, define the boundaries of legitimate politics, and thereby shape national security policy. However, we know little about why or how such narratives rise and fall. Drawing on insights from diverse fields, Narrative and the Making of US National Security offers novel arguments about where these dominant narratives come from, how they become dominant, and when they collapse. It evaluates these arguments carefully against evidence drawn from US debates over national security from the 1930s to the 2000s, and shows how these narrative dynamics have shaped the policies pursued by the United States.

1. Narrating national security
Part I. Crisis, Authority, and Rhetorical Mode: The Fate of Narrative Projects, from the Battle against Isolationism to the War on Terror: 2. Domination and the art of storytelling
3. Narrative lost: missed and mistaken opportunities
4. Narrative won: opportunities seized
Part II. Narrative at War: Politics and Rhetorical Strategy in the Military Crucible, from Korea to Iraq: 5. The narrative politics of the battlefield
6. Tracking the Cold War consensus
7. Tracing the Cold War consensus
8. Puzzles of the Cold War, lessons for the War on Terror
9. Narrative in an age of fracture
Appendices.

Subject Areas: International relations [JPS]