The Story of Propaganda in 50 Images

Propaganda is thousands of years old. But the development of mass media, and later social media in the 20th century,  has proved a fertile ground for its dissemination, and the century’s global conflicts have provided the necessary impetus for its growth.

Propaganda takes many forms, is fluid and constantly developing, most obviously in our own digital era. Commonplace terms such as ‘fake news’, ‘post-truth’, ‘gate-keepers’ and ‘asymmetrical warfare’ were unknown a decade ago and are often cynically derided.

In this timely and international book, David Welch has selected 50 images to highlight the continuities and dis-continuities of mass-communication throughout history, exploring recurring themes and devices employed by propagandists throughout history – from early Egyptian coins eulogizing Alexander the Great to the psychological warfare used in the war on terror, and the use of social media in the current Covid pandemic.

Hardback, 144 pages.