Hollywood, the Pentagon and Washington: The Movies and National Security from World War II to the Present Day Hardcover - 2005

First line

Who has not seen James Bond foil a series of transnational plots endangering the world's strategic balance; Bruce Willis destroy armies of terrorists before saving humanity from outer space menaces; Rambo end the Vietnam War by winning it; the president of the United States take charge of the Air Force to beat extraterrestrials?

From the rear cover

Hollywood and the Pentagon: on one side a great industry, 'the makers of dreams', on the other the US Defence department. What relations unify these two potent symbols of American power? This extensive analysis of mainstream Hollywood movies lifts the lid on the interdependence between these two institutions. The movie industry is exposed as a key protagonist in the US strategy debate through the production of films on national security across many genres, from comedy to thriller, from sci-fi to war movies. This timely book also explores prevailing ideas on the 'threat' to homeland USA that is put forward by the national security network, a threat that is seen as the justification for and legitimization of America's military operations and strategic choices. This book reveals how in the last 20 years there has been a consistent collaboration between these two industries: enormous contracts have been exchanged between the studios and the defence department. It shows how Hollywood is completely penetrated by the ideological and political thinking of Washington, which in turn appears to be directly inspired by the productions of Hollywood.