OUR WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRACTION

Soft Power Robert Winder Little, Brown £20

Who would imagine the nostalgic song Forty Years On, written for Harrow School in the 19th Century, helps promote Britain in the cut-throat modern world? Robert Winder argues so in this stimulating overview of ‘soft power’.

That slippery oxymoronic phrase refers to the art of projecting one’s country without wielding a big stick – something Britain, having lost an empire, needs to be good at, and is.

Starting with the huge advantage of a universal language, it has maximised its soft-power assets – attracting tourists with its history (notably its Royal Family), getting its message across via the BBC and British Council, and instructing future world leaders through education – which is where Forty Years On comes in, as it is still sung, perpetuating British values, in schools across the globe.

Soft power took hold around 1990, after the Cold War. As countries strove for advantage in a less demarcated world, Western democracies followed Britain, promoting their strongest suits: France its wine, food and culture; America its brands such as Amazon and McDonald’s, underpinned by Disney and Hollywood.

The game gets more interesting with newer participants. Japan seems cool, but there’s a disturbing undertow of violence in its culture. China spends billions on infrastructure near and far, but its image is plagued by heavy-handedness. African countries enjoy excellent soft-power resources including wildlife and a young population. Small, as with Sweden, generally plays better than big, as in Russia.

The trick is to promote a national story and do it well. While hedging his bets on the effectiveness of this ‘weapon of mass distraction’, Winder is fascinating on related issues, such as the restitution of artworks. He suggests Britain could steal a march here by distributing its own cultural heritage across the world. Sutton Hoo gold in an Accra museum? Another win for soft power.