Customer Reviews

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

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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!

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.

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

This is one of the seminal works for denial and deception (D&D) studies. It is pretty much a must-have for all D&D scholars. Unfortunately, the author Jon Latimer died in January 2009, and this book is out of print. Fortunately, through Amazon, I tracked down this book in excellent used condition through another book retailer.

Obviously written by a professional. Not necessarily thrilling, but a worthwhile look into the history of military deception. Seperation by chapters of deception through the various mediums and modes of warfare is useful. Nevertheless, the chapter on deception in revolutionary and counterrevolutionary warfare (insurgency) is weak in comparison with the book's treatment of conventional/regular war.

One of the best books I've read on the subject. Well organized with good detailed examples from history. I would highly recommend this work to both experts in military art as well as to the average military history buff. A very readable book and simply a fun spark for the imagination, enjoy.