Robert Winder: Soft Power

Robert Winder: Soft Power

Regular price£10.99
/
+ Shipping. Free shipping on orders over £40.

Format

Robert Winder is one of the original trustees of the Migration Museum and it was one of his books that inspired several of our staff and trustees to start the journey to building a permanent Migration Museum for Britain. 

 

In recent years the modern world has developed a brave new concept: 'soft power'. It is the power of friendly persuasion rather than command, and it invites nations to compete (as they did in the nineteenth century) to expand their 'sphere of influence' as brands in a global marketplace.

In Bloody Foreigners and The Last Wolf, Robert Winder explored the way Britain was shaped first by migration, and then by hidden geographical factors. Now, in Soft Power he reveals the ways in which modern states are asserting themselves not through traditional realpolitik but through alternative means: business, language, culture, ideas, sport, education, music, even food - the texture and values of history and daily life.

Moving from West to East, the book tells the story of soft power by exploring the varied ways in which it operates - from an American sheriff in Poland to an English garden in Ravello, a French vineyard in Australia, an Asian restaurant in Spain, a Chinese Friendship Hall in Sudan; the fact that fifty-eight modern heads of state were educated in Britain; the student exchange that took a teenage Deng Xiaoping to a small town on the Loire; the way that Japan could seduce the world with chic food and smart computer games.

Now there may be a new twist in this Great game. With soft power's quiet ingredients - education, science, trade, cultural values - and a new emphasis on shared mutual interest, it may be the only force supple enough to tackle the challenges the future looks likely to pose - not least the slam-the-door reflexes pulling in the other direction.

UK Only Shipping

We are currently only able to offer shipping to customers in the UK. Apologies to our international friends - we are hoping to expand our shipping options to include international customers very soon.

Prices

Orders under £40 : £4.50

Orders over £40: Free

Dispatch and delivery time

We aim to dispatch within 4 working days and use a 48 hour delivery services. Please allow at least 6 working days for your item to arrive.

Ordering our organic cotton, sustainable clothing range

In order that we are able to offer a wide range of sizes and variations of our most popular design, we work with a print-on-demand clothing company. These items will be fulfilled separately from other items ordered from the Migration Museum and therefore attract a separate shipping charge of £4. 

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Support our museum

The Migration Museum explores how the movement of people to and from Britain across the ages has made us who we are – as individuals and as a nation.

All purchases help to fund our work.

Find out more
Borough of Culture
Based In Lewisham

We are very proud to be based in Lewisham. Lewisham is the London Borough of Culture 2022 and has a proud history of supporting refugees and migrants. It's been formally recognised as a Borough of Sanctuary and is teeming with creative individuals and communities.

You may also like


Recently viewed