Beware the British serpent

the long version

"Robert Calder demonstrates that Britain's well-organized propaganda campaign to persuade the United States to enter World War I had left isolationist and anglophobic Americans highly suspicious of anything that hinted of manipulation. Any effort to influence American public opinion during World War II had therefore to be carefully and subtly undertaken and the British government soon realized that well-known authors - employed officially or semi-officially - were ideal for the task. Respected for the power of their pens, they were especially suited to reminding Americans of their strongest links with Britain - a common language and a shared cultural heritage of Shakespeare, Dickens, Austen, and others. As well, their profession had often led them to tour, speak, write, and live in America and, because they could undertake propaganda work without being on the payroll of the British government, they were not identifiable as paid foreign agents."--BOOK JACKET.