About this episode

Jeffrey Whyte discusses his book on the history and impact of psychological warfare from WWII to the Vietnam War.

Jeffrey Whyte's book The Birth of Psychological War: Propaganda, Espionage, and Military Violence from WWII to the Vietnam War (Oxford UP, 2023) explores the history, politics, and geography of United States psychological warfare in the 20th century against the backdrop of the contemporary 'post-truth era'. From its origins in the Second World War, to the United States' counterinsurgency campaigns in Vietnam, Whyte traces how the theory and practice of psychological warfare transformed the relationship between the home front and theatres of war. Whyte interrogates the broader political mythologies that animate popular conceptions of psychological war, such as its claim to make war more humane and less violent. On the contrary, The Birth of Psychological War demonstrates the role of psychological warfare in expanding the scope and scale of military violence amidst ostensible efforts to 'win hearts and minds'. While casting a critical eye on psychological warfare, Whyte establishes its continued significance for the contemporary student of international relations. Dr. Whyte earned his Ph.D. with the Department of Geography, University of British Columbia and before that a MA with…

People in this episode

Host: Marshall Poe

Guest: Jeffrey Whyte

Topics covered

• psychological warfare
• propaganda
• military violence
• counterinsurgency
• international relations
• post-truth era

Keywords

• psychological warfare
• propaganda
• military violence
• counterinsurgency
• post-truth
• international relations

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Oxford UP, Department of Geography, University of British Columbia, School of Communication, Simon Fraser University, Department of Politics, Philosophy, and Religion, Lancaster University

Places: British Columbia, United States

More episodes of New Books in National Security

• Richard Bennet and Alexander Noyes, "War at Arm's Length: How America Can Build Effective Partners Through Military Assistance" (Yale UP, 2026) · June 12, 2026 · 40 min
• Witold J. Henisz, "Geostrategy by Design: How to Manage Geopolitical Risk in The New Era of Globalization" (Disruption Books, 2024) · June 5, 2026 · 1h 10m
• Damien Van Puyvelde, "The DGSE: A Concise History of France's Foreign Intelligence Service" (Georgetown UP, 2026) · May 27, 2026 · 54 min
• Charles L. Glaser, "Retrench, Defend, Compete: Securing America's Future Against a Rising China" (Cornell UP, 2025) · May 13, 2026 · 59 min
• Chiara Libiseller, "Reconceptualizing War: The Rise and Fall of Fashionable Concepts in Strategic Studies" (Oxford UP, 2026) · May 12, 2026 · 52 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the New Books in National Security podcast page.