Hoskins was an undergraduate writing essays in student housing while the Gulf War was unfolding on television in the background. Later, at Lancaster U., a mentor showed him the 80 videotapes she had made of the continuous American news coverage of that war, sparking an interest in television, memory, and history-making that led eventually to this volume. In it, Hoskins provides a critical account of the relationship between the media and conflict, showing the influence the media have had on the public's perceptions of war from the televised loss in Vietnam to the 24-hour coverage of the current war in Iraq. Hoskins is a lecturer in media at the U. of Wales, Swansea. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)