Practise to Deceive: Learning Curves of Military Deception Planners

by Estate of Barton Whaley, Susan Stratton Aykrord (Editor), A. Denis Clift (Introduction)

Written by the undisputed dean of U.S. denial and deception experts, Practise to Deceive is the most in-depth look at deception as a military strategy. Barton Whaley knew the history of denial and deception across time, disciplines, and culture. He was the foremost authority on the intricacies of denial and deception strategy and tactics. For Whaley, deception was a mind-game, requiring imagination, deep critical thought, a profound understanding of the enemy as well as one's self (a variation of Sun Tzu), and patience and fortitude. This book presents 88 vividly descriptive case studies to serve as a handbook for intelligence and military professionals. In Whaley's analysis, variations in guilefulness between opposing individuals or groups can be crucial in deciding who achieves victory in combat.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Psychology, Business, War

256 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 15, 2016

Reviews

[Iskandar Muhammad · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of operational deception and a useful read for any intelligence or military officer. However, certain sections of Whaley's writings require pre-requisite knowledge of his other previous works to be able to comprehend. Consequently, one or two chapters may come across as disjointed if reading without reference to his academic papers or books.