'Bowman delves behind the scenes to uncover how the Anglo-American relationship was forged, utilizing a wealth of previously untapped materials. Cleary written, highly accessible, its adds significant depth to our understanding of the complex nature of trans-Atlantic networks.'Erik Goldstein, Boston University

'An absolutely first-rate account of one of the most influential advocacy groups ever in the transatlantic world. Stephen Bowman's account of the Pilgrims Society's public diplomacy from the late 1890s to the Second World War is essential reading for anyone trying to understand the origins and evolution of the Anglo-American "special relationship."'
David G. Haglund, Queen's University, Canada


Explores the Pilgrims Society and its role in pioneering Anglo-American public diplomacy

Labelled by an Irish-American newspaper in 1906 as a 'nondescript aggregation of degenerate Americans, Britishers and Jews', the Pilgrims Society has long excited the imaginations of conspiracy theorists. Founded in London in 1902, this upper-class dining club acted to bring Britain and the USA closer together in political, diplomatic and cultural terms. Drawing on rich archival research, this book explores how an elite network - whose members included J. P. Morgan and Andrew Carnegie - attempted to influence the Anglo-American relationship in the days before it became 'special'.

A series of original case studies, focusing on the proceedings and wider diplomatic significance of lavish banquets held across the period at iconic New York and London hotels, like the Waldorf Astoria and the Savoy, provide unique insights into the Pilgrims Society's activities. Bowman challenges existing orthodoxies about the origins of public diplomacy and shows that only through the earlier work of semi-official organisations operating within a state-private nexus was greater governmental involvement in public diplomacy legitimised.

Stephen Bowman is a lecturer at the Centre for History, University of the Highlands and Islands. His research centres on transatlantic ideological exchange, with a particular focus on the Scottish-American connection.


Cover image: Union Jack, New York, April morning, by Childe Frederick Hassam, 1918 © Washington, Hirshhorn Museum/akg-images

Cover design:

[EUP logo]
edinburghuniversitypress.com

ISBN 978-1-4744-1781-5
Barcode

Acknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Public Diplomacy Conceptualised; 2. The Founding of the Society; 3. Earl Grey's Public Diplomacy; 4. The Pilgrims and the First World War; 5. The Decline of the Great Rapprochement; 6. Public Diplomacy Ascendant; Conclusion; Bibliography.