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How To Stage A Coup: And Ten Other Lessons from the World of Secret Statecraft
'A compelling history of the dark arts of statecraft... Fascinating' Jonathan Rugman
'Rich in anecdote and detail.' The Times
Today's world is in flux. Competition between the great powers is back on the agenda and governments around the world are turning to secret statecraft and the hidden hand to navigate these uncertain waters. From poisonings to electoral interference, subversion to cyber sabotage, states increasingly operate in the shadows, while social media has created new avenues for disinformation on a mass scale.
This is covert perhaps the most sensitive - and controversial - of all state activity. However, for all its supposed secrecy, it has become surprisingly prominent - and it is something that has the power to affect all of us.
In an enthralling and urgent narrative packed with real-world examples, Rory Cormac reveals how such activity is shaping the world and argues that understanding why and how states wield these dark arts has never been more important.
'Rich in anecdote and detail.' The Times
Today's world is in flux. Competition between the great powers is back on the agenda and governments around the world are turning to secret statecraft and the hidden hand to navigate these uncertain waters. From poisonings to electoral interference, subversion to cyber sabotage, states increasingly operate in the shadows, while social media has created new avenues for disinformation on a mass scale.
This is covert perhaps the most sensitive - and controversial - of all state activity. However, for all its supposed secrecy, it has become surprisingly prominent - and it is something that has the power to affect all of us.
In an enthralling and urgent narrative packed with real-world examples, Rory Cormac reveals how such activity is shaping the world and argues that understanding why and how states wield these dark arts has never been more important.
423 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2022
25 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Rory Cormac
12 books10 followersRory Cormac is an Associate Professor of International Relations at the University of Nottingham. A Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a leading expert among a new generation of intelligence historians, he specialises in British covert operations and the secret pursuit of foreign policy.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 5, 2023
How to stage a coup
Covert actions by states have been around for thousands of years. There is tension between the 3 pillars: control, secrecy and effectiveness.
1. Assassination: killing a leader does not really change a state as replacements are plentiful and behave similarly to the target. It’s sometimes used to kill dissidents to sow fear. High political price
2. Coup: need to choose the ‘right’ group to support. Success may not mean the new regime will be a puppet as no government wants to be seen as such. Sometimes it fails and relationship will become very bad
3. Sabotage: disrupt critical infrastructure to defuse the victim’s attention
4. Disinformation: Russian campaign against Hillary
5. Espionage: spying
6. Cyber: similar to spying and sabotage combined. Human element still needed. Not as apocalyptic as feared.
Many examples are given, so besides Russian, Chinese and American exploits, British, French and other countries secret services all participate. Covert missions need to be used in conjunction with other statecraft to be effective, and it’s just a tool.
Love this book!
Covert actions by states have been around for thousands of years. There is tension between the 3 pillars: control, secrecy and effectiveness.
1. Assassination: killing a leader does not really change a state as replacements are plentiful and behave similarly to the target. It’s sometimes used to kill dissidents to sow fear. High political price
2. Coup: need to choose the ‘right’ group to support. Success may not mean the new regime will be a puppet as no government wants to be seen as such. Sometimes it fails and relationship will become very bad
3. Sabotage: disrupt critical infrastructure to defuse the victim’s attention
4. Disinformation: Russian campaign against Hillary
5. Espionage: spying
6. Cyber: similar to spying and sabotage combined. Human element still needed. Not as apocalyptic as feared.
Many examples are given, so besides Russian, Chinese and American exploits, British, French and other countries secret services all participate. Covert missions need to be used in conjunction with other statecraft to be effective, and it’s just a tool.
Love this book!
October 30, 2022
If I could give 4.5 stars, I would.
First, realize that you will not know how to stage a coup after reading this. Clever title, though. Something like ‘The Hidden Hand in History and Modern Happenings’ may be a bit more descriptive - but probably would not sell as many copies.
Second, Prof Cormac brings immense knowledge and information on multiple levels of darks arts in modern times. While not overly academic, he clearly documents stories and assertions lending more credibility to the book.
Last, and the reason for the star deduction, is the book just lacked narrative flow and cohesiveness in some parts. I found myself wanting to put the book down rather than pick it up and continue due to the energy needed to finish reading not the content itself.
Overall, however, I believe I have a better understanding of world events from reading this book. Well worth the time.
First, realize that you will not know how to stage a coup after reading this. Clever title, though. Something like ‘The Hidden Hand in History and Modern Happenings’ may be a bit more descriptive - but probably would not sell as many copies.
Second, Prof Cormac brings immense knowledge and information on multiple levels of darks arts in modern times. While not overly academic, he clearly documents stories and assertions lending more credibility to the book.
Last, and the reason for the star deduction, is the book just lacked narrative flow and cohesiveness in some parts. I found myself wanting to put the book down rather than pick it up and continue due to the energy needed to finish reading not the content itself.
Overall, however, I believe I have a better understanding of world events from reading this book. Well worth the time.
May 25, 2023
I thought that it would be more along the lines of Luttwak's coup handbook. It's not a bad book for a beginner audience, but i felt it was a bit superficial.
I would have liked an extensive use of notes, especially given the "murky" nature of the subject, you need to back up your claims with something. Also because i might want to dig deeper into some topics.
It is basically a collection of cool facts about covert operation (most of them true, some doubtfully so) and not much more. Some "political" comments also didn't sit right.
I would have liked an extensive use of notes, especially given the "murky" nature of the subject, you need to back up your claims with something. Also because i might want to dig deeper into some topics.
It is basically a collection of cool facts about covert operation (most of them true, some doubtfully so) and not much more. Some "political" comments also didn't sit right.
September 22, 2022
Such a cool book.
February 15, 2025
Let's do this, to parliament!
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews