Deception in War: The Art of the Bluff, the Value of Deceit, and the Most Thrilling Episodes of Cunning in Military History, from the Trojan Horse to the Gulf War [Paperback]

Jon Latimer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2003

Deception on the battlefield is surely as old as warfare itself. The examples stretch from the very beginnings of recorded military history –Pharaoh Ramses II’s campaign against the Hittites in 1294 B.C.—to modern times, when technology has placed a stunning array of devices into the arsenals of military commanders. Military historians often underestimate the importance of deception in warfare. This book is the first to fully describe its value. Jon Latimer shows how simple some tricks have been, but also how technology has increased the range and subtlety of what is possible –bogus radio traffic, virtual images, even smell. He draws examples from land, sea, and air to show how great commanders have always had, as Winston Churchill put it, that indispensable "element of legerdemain, an original and sinister touch, which leaves the enemy puzzled as well as beaten."

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

From simple low-tech tricks to the digitized crackle of false data, Latimer, a combat-experienced British intelligence officer, offers a wide-ranging history of military deception. He divides the ruses into their respective warfare modes "Naval Deception"; "Deception in Air Operations"; "Deception in Counter-Revolutionary and Irregular Warfare," etc. and analyzes the fundamentals of deception, "always aimed clearly at the mind of the enemy commander." Although the bulk of the book centers on WWII, Latimer also shows how the Hittites lured Ramses II into an ambush, tells the familiar biblical story of the Israelite commander Gideon and how he panicked a much larger Midianite soldiery, then looks at Venetian-Genoese rivalry in the Mediterranean. British decoy aircraft, Operation Bodyguard (one of 36 bluffs covering the allied invasion of Europe in 1944 that is a chapter in itself), and commanders and theorists like Eisenhower, German Generaloberst Franz Halder and China People's Liberation Army commander Liu Po-Ch'eng are all put through their paces, along with the now much talked-about "Hail Mary" maneuver that enabled coalition forces to rout Saddam Hussein's large army in the Gulf War. The end result is a broad study of military bluff and how it has influenced decisive wars, campaigns and battles. Perhaps it should be classified. 10 maps; 35 illus.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Seeming to be strong where you are weak and weak where your force lies ready in concealment, making your intentions seem plain enough to be credible when you're really ready to do something else these have been part of the art of combat since ancient armies fought wars. Written by a former officer in the Royal Welch Fusiliers, this overview of the history of warfare and its various examples of subterfuge describes various tactics, including tying lamps to a herd of livestock to simulate a moving army at night, false bragging at local bars, simulating the sounds of tanks on bivouac, and initiating an entire blizzard of radio communications intended for enemy interception. The examples run right up through the end run used in the Gulf War against Iraqi defenders in Kuwait. Recommended for students of military tactics. Mel Lane, Sacramento

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Overlook TP (April 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585673811
• ISBN-13: 978-1585673810
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,004,443 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging and lively, this is the best book on the subject, November 14, 2001

By 

Peter Tyson (London United Kingdom) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Deception in War: The Art of the Bluff, the Value of Deceit, and the Most Thrilling Episodes of Cunning in Military History, from the Trojan Horse to the Gulf War (Hardcover)

As an armchair historian I was intrigued when I saw this book on a topic not widely written on or understood in western military thinking. Covering deception from ancient history to the 20th century (and beyond) Latimer examines the theory and practice of deception in war.

Dividing the book into sections dealing with air, land, naval, tactical and operational deception and then providing a detailed look at how deception works at each level has proved an excellent way to break down this complex topic. Each chapter is also full of colorful examples of deception efforts in history (eg. the British in WW2 observed the Germans building a intricate wooden mock-up airfield. On the day of its completion they sent over a lone Lancaster and dropped a large wooden bomb on it!). The lessons from history serve to illustrate each point Latimer brings up and keep the book lively and interesting.

Latimer has excelled at making this a very accesabile book which while it provides the detail a military buff wants is interesting enough to capture readers with a more general interest. I was genuinely disapointed when I completed the book, wishing there was more to read!

3.0 out of 5 stars Introduction to use of deception in wartime, September 9, 2011

By 

E. Jaksetic (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Deception in War: The Art of the Bluff, the Value of Deceit, and the Most Thrilling Episodes of Cunning in Military History, from the Trojan Horse to the Gulf War (Paperback)

The author, a former officer in the British Army, discusses the history of deception in wartime. The book focuses primarily on Western militaries in the 20th Century (with an emphasis on the British military), but it does look at examples of deception in earlier centuries and by non-Western military leaders. The author discusses both the theory and the practice of deception, and provides historical examples to illustrate his arguments and observations.

The book has 10 maps and 29 illustrations. The maps can be helpful and informative if read in conjunction with pertinent passages in the book. Most of the illustrations are interesting, but are largely limited to photographs pertaining to World War II. Also, there are numerous endnotes and an extensive bibliography that provides an interested reader with helpful leads to additional publications.

The author explicitly states the book is intended for the general reader, not scholars or military professionals (Preface at page xi). Although the book is written for the general reader, some knowledge of military history would make it easier for the reader to follow the author's discussion and better understand the meaning and significance of his observations and arguments about deception in wartime. The book should not be considered a definitive work on the subject of deception in wartime, but it does provide an adequate introduction to the subject.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book and Delivery Time!!!!, January 3, 2011

By 

Jorge F. Cazarez - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Deception in War: The Art of the Bluff, the Value of Deceit, and the Most Thrilling Episodes of Cunning in Military History, from the Trojan Horse to the Gulf War (Paperback)

The book was in great condition and reasonable delivery time, it arrived before my course started which is a great plus for me!!!