Broadcasts from the Blitz: How Edward R. Murrow Helped Lead America into War

by Philip Seib

With the words “This is London,” Edward R. Murrow’s groundbreaking radio broadcasts from 1939 to 1941 brought the blitz into America’s living rooms. Countering the tide of U.S. isolationism, Murrow told his huge audience that the United States could not avoid a confrontation with Hitler and that the bombs it heard falling during his reports would eventually be targeted at American cities. But although often cited as the paragon of journalistic objectivity, Murrow had a clear agenda—to bring America into the war—and he slanted his broadcasts accordingly. And behind the scenes, he helped the British court U.S. public opinion and secure American funds for a British intelligence operation. Broadcasts from the Blitz examines Murrow’s work and life during this crucial time. It also profiles unsung heroes of those days, such as U.S. ambassador John Winant and Winston Churchill’s confidant Brendan Bracken, and villains as well—such defeatists as Joseph Kennedy and Charles Lindbergh, who believed England was doomed. Other compelling characters include Eric Sevareid, Mollie Painter-Downs, and Nancy Astor, whose “Cliveden set” was accused of being too cozy with the Germans. They and many others mixed in a London that remained vibrant even as it was being battered. Broadcasts from the Blitz is a story of courage—of a journalist broadcasting live from London rooftops as bombs fell around him—and of intrigue, as the machinery of two governments pulled America and Britain together in a common cause. Finally there is the drama of December 7, 1941, when Murrow was the sole journalist to meet with Roosevelt. Broadcasts from the Blitz is for all those interested in the influential career of an extraordinary man and in the relationship between journalism and politics.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

200 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2006

About the author

Philip Seib is a Professor of Journalism and Public Diplomacy and Professor of International Relations.

Seib's research interests include the effects of news coverage on foreign policy, particularly conflict and terrorism issues. He is author or editor of numerous books, including Headline Diplomacy: How News Coverage Affects Foreign Policy; The Global Journalist: News and Conscience in a World of Conflict; Broadcasts from the Blitz: How Edward R. Murrow Helped Lead America into War; Beyond the Front Lines: How the News Media Cover a World Shaped by War; New Media and the Middle East (2007); The Al Jazeera Effect (2008); Toward a New Public Diplomacy: Redirecting U.S. Foreign Policy (2009); and Real-Time Diplomacy: Politics and Power in the Social Media Era (2012). Seib is also the editor of the Palgrave Macmillan Series in International Political Communication, co-editor of the Palgrave Macmillan Series in Global Public Diplomacy and co-editor of the journal Media, War and Conflict, published by Sage.

Prior to joining the USC faculty in 2007, Seib was a professor at Marquette University and before that at Southern Methodist University.

[source: http://annenberg.usc.edu/faculty/comm... ]

Reviews

[Andrew Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book on the efforts of one of the most important radio journalists of the second world war who brought the London blitz to American homes.

It does a good job of telling how he wasn't a one man band and his contributions to maintaining journalistic integrity during the war. It is worth looking into a full biography of the mans life so you see how he changed not only radio journalism but television as well.

[Brian Page · Rating 3 out of 5]

Broadcast from the Blitz: How Edward R. Murrow Helped Lead America into War is a good book, within limits. It’s not particularly a biography of Murrow as much as it is a study of U. S./British relations on the eve of World War II. Phillip Seib’s thesis is that Murrow was instrumental, through his pioneering radio news broadcasts, in nudging American public opinion away from isolationism and towards belligerency. Then there are the limits. Seib credits the America First crowd too liberally in shaping isolationism. He never mentions how fresh was the memory of the slaughtering trench warfare of World War I in the minds of the public. Isolationism was not a view held only by crackpots. Also, Japan doesn’t appear until page 156, just twenty pages shy of the end of the book. It’s pure speculation the course that the U. S. would have taken had the Japanese failed to attack Pearl Harbor.

In some ways these concerns are simply my nit-pickings about the larger historical perspective. The book itself is a great read and full of vignettes and dialogue involving everyone of importance in the shaping of U. S. public opinion. It’s based on solid research, well-written, and even humorous at times. I can recommend this book to anyone with interest in WW II or the history of journalism, particularly journalistic ethics. Here’s one quote from Murrow to an audience at the Waldorf in New York City: “In reporting this new kind of warfare we have tried to prevent our own prejudices and loyalties from coming between you and the information which it is our duty to impart. We may not always have succeeded. An individual who can entirely avoid being influenced by the atmosphere in which he works might not even be a good reporter…” (p. 149)

[Rob Masse · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you hear the name Edward R. Murrow many people think the father of modern American journalism and reference his battles with Sen. Joseph McCarthy. But Murrow's greatest work was done a decade before the Red Scare. "This is London.." brought the American radio audience into the Blitz. Morrow's work in London before the United States entered the war was pivotal to changing the hearts and minds of Americans isolationist mentality. Murrow brought not only the devastation of the Blitz into the American living room but he brought the resolve and courage of a people under siege. This book is a must read for anyone that wants to learn about the buildup to World War II, Murrow's importance to journalism and his work to lead America into the fight.

[Georgene · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is more than a biography of Edward R. Murrow. The author also tells us about the people who were involved in Britain and the U.S. during the Blitz. People like Neville Chamberlain, Winston Churchill, Joseph Kennedy, as well as Brendan Bracken, Harold Nicholson, Mollie Painter-Downes and Charles Lindbergh are profiled. It was interesting to see how Edward R. Murrow persuaded his listeners in the U.S. away from isolationism and toward support for joining the war in Europe against Hitler without using overt propaganda. His broadcasts put his listeners right there in London during the Blitz to show how brave the common people were in Britain. Good background knowledge about a different time and place that was critical to history.

[Michelle X. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Short but packed with well-researched information. Despite what the cover says, the book is far from merely being about Ed Murrow-- it really examines the multiple factors in America and the UK that led up to the outbreak of war. The book explores a lot of frequently overlooked yet fascinating war-related figures, like John Winant, the American ambassador to the UK during WWII. Definitely recommend if you're at all interested in WWII.

[Sam Erickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was an interesting read. I picked it up for an extra-credit assignment, but I found myself more interested than I thought. It would go into details that didn't seem as relevant to the overall idea, but it was still interesting. It is written as a story/biography, so it thankfully wasn't like slogging through a textbook. If you want to see a different viewpoint from World War II and the different aspects that helped Americans join the war, this book is a good read for just that.

[Elisha Condie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got interested in Murrow after seeing the film "Goodnight, and Goodluck" (which is AWESOME). And I loved reading more about him. He is an amazing guy, and I loved his courage and determination. THis book was so short though, I wanted to know more. For anyone who is interested in WWII, this is a good book.

[Faith · Rating 2 out of 5]

First of all, this poor book was endnoted within an inch of its life! It's like the author never had an original thought, just collated a bunch of facts, figures, anecdotes and quotes into a book which reads sort of like a sophisticated senior thesis.

If this kind of dense historical reading is your cup of tea, you might like it. The story was compelling the but telling not so much...

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Straight-forward, interesting biography of Edward R Murrow. If journalistic history is your bag, it's a must-read.

[Robert Winters · Rating 5 out of 5]

He did help to some degree, but until Pearl Harbor was attacked, and Hitler declared War on the U.S. FDR was paralyzed, as was the isolationist congress.