The epiphany of Men on Horseback is the role that an earlier media “revolution” played in actual revolutions occurring on the ground. Princeton history professor David A. Bell makes the argument that the spread of newspapers and pamphlets in the 1700 and early 1800s—and innovations allowing the mass production of engravings—enabled George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte, Simon Bolivar and Toussaint Louverture to mount their horses and seize control. In each case, Bell writes, the heroic leaders benefitted from good press and the birth of celebrity culture.
Already in the 18th century, mass media gave rise to false feelings of a relationship between ordinary folks and individuals endowed with star power. In the U.S., Washington was at once removed yet intimate as details real and imagined circulated about his life and character. The four men Bell explores all possessed charisma, defined as extraordinary and inspirational gifts (but whose recognition depended on the cultural context). The ascent of charismatic celebrity leaders can be seen as part of the rise of democratic impulses, yet with the exception of the U.S., nothing resembling democracy was achieved by them in the short run.
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