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Rating: 
Summary: Recommended - especially timely with Iraqi War
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: Recommended - especially timely with Iraqi War
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Channel Surfing
Review: I found this book to be rather interesting and fresh look at the war and the TV coverage. It is also interesting given the current events in the Gulf. Reading a book like this you really get a good feel for how countries look after themselves in international affairs. The book takes a bit of a dissenting look at the war with a cautious eye at the news media. Basically the author does not have a lot of good things to say about President Bush and his administration. There are some conspiracy theories floated in the book, but not enough to make the document fall into the "unbelievable rant" category. The overriding direction the book takes is the argument that instead of debating the issues of public concern surrounding the war, the mainstream media uncritically promoted the policies of the Bush administration and military. The author goes on to try and prove that the media was managed by the US government in one of the best-managed media propaganda campaigns in history. The author certainly believed this theory; it was just that I as the reader was not convinced that there was the large conspiracy. It just seamed to me that the issues the author highlighted could also be explained as the media needing to fill 24 hours a day of breaking news so they grasp at anything they can get. Also the claims he makes that the new outlets were in the Bush back pockets because they were so excited to be at war, I came away thinking it was just natural to be excited when reporting about such issues as a war. The one complaint I do have is the authors almost debilitating hatred for all things large and bureaucratic, he dislikes the government and big media. The problem is that it tended to shade his writing and I found myself skipping past some of the nastier comments or sections. This took away from what otherwise was an interesting and unique look at the war and the TV coverage it received.
Rating:
Summary: Channel Surfing
Review: I found this book to be rather interesting and fresh look at the war and the TV coverage. It is also interesting given the current events in the Gulf. Reading a book like this you really get a good feel for how countries look after themselves in international affairs. The book takes a bit of a dissenting look at the war with a cautious eye at the news media. Basically the author does not have a lot of good things to say about President Bush and his administration. There are some conspiracy theories floated in the book, but not enough to make the document fall into the "unbelievable rant" category. The overriding direction the book takes is the argument that instead of debating the issues of public concern surrounding the war, the mainstream media uncritically promoted the policies of the Bush administration and military. The author goes on to try and prove that the media was managed by the US government in one of the best-managed media propaganda campaigns in history. The author certainly believed this theory; it was just that I as the reader was not convinced that there was the large conspiracy. It just seamed to me that the issues the author highlighted could also be explained as the media needing to fill 24 hours a day of breaking news so they grasp at anything they can get. Also the claims he makes that the new outlets were in the Bush back pockets because they were so excited to be at war, I came away thinking it was just natural to be excited when reporting about such issues as a war. The one complaint I do have is the authors almost debilitating hatred for all things large and bureaucratic, he dislikes the government and big media. The problem is that it tended to shade his writing and I found myself skipping past some of the nastier comments or sections. This took away from what otherwise was an interesting and unique look at the war and the TV coverage it received.
Rating: 
Summary: Great discussion of media coverage during the Gulf War.
Review: 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.
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