Images of power - Brendan Bruce

What exactly is image making? Who are the image makers? In his analysis of the image making process, Brendan Bruce (one of Margaret Thatcher's former image advisers) unravels the mystery that has surrounded this subject for decades. Tracing image making back to its historical roots, Bruce shows that it is by no means a modern phenomenon: the powerful have been employing image makers since Tudor England. This century has witnessed the development of sophisticated techniques for shaping the public images of the famous (and would-be famous) in politics and business. Bruce explains the debt the contemporary image experts owe to the Hollywood studios who raised "hype" to an art form, perfected "scandal management" and used the "makeover" system to turn truck drivers and waitresses into legends.;Bruce examines in detail how the "body language" gurus, "grooming" experts and voice coaches prepare the world's leaders for their public appearances. He also explains how "attack" advertising is ruthlessly exploited to destroy opposition and how sophisticated technology is used to manipulate mass audiences. Churchill, Kennedy, Thatcher, Reagan, Major and Bush are only a few of the famous personalities that are analyzed in this study.