The Official CIA Manual Of Trickery And Deception

The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception is now

Review“An enchanting account of esp,ionage and wizardry at their blackest.” -- Peter Earnest, Executive Director of the International Spy Museum
“Melton and Wallace have achieved the ultimate mastery of the shadow world where CIA’s smoke and mirrors meet Hollywood’s art of magic, deception and illusion. Like any good stage show, the never-before-disclosed techniques are spellbinding. The history of esp,ionage is expanded by this factual, fascinating account.” -- Tony and Jonna Mendez, Masters of Disguise
“A legendary ‘lost’ piece of magic history…It’s James Bond meets Harry Houdini!” -- Lance Burton, Master Magician
“Entrancing! I was amazed to see how the magician’s trade can be twisted to aid in the dark arts of esp,ionage.” -- Jeff McBride, Creator of The Magic and Mystery School
“Esp,ionage and magic! A special thrill to read the once-classified CIA magician’s manual.” -- Danny Biederman, author of The Incredible World of SPY-FiFrom the Back CoverMagic or spycraft? In 1953, against the backdrop of the Cold War, the CIA initiated a top-secret program, code-named MKULTRA, to counter Soviet mind-control and interrogation techniques. Realizing that clandestine officers might need to covertly deploy newly developed pills, potions, and powders against the adversary, the CIA hired America's most famous magician, John Mulholland, to write two manuals on sleight of hand and covert communication techniques.In 1973, virtually all documents related to MKULTRA were destroyed. Mulholland's manuals were thought to be among them—until a single surviving copy of each, complete with illustrations, was recently discovered in the agency's archives.The manuals reprinted in this work represent the only known complete copy of Mulholland's instructions for CIA officers on the magician's art of deception and secret communications.About the AuthorH. Keith Melton, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, is an intelligence historian and a specialist in clandestine technology and esp,ionage "tradecraft." He is the author of several books, including CIA Special Wea,pons and Equipment, Clandestine Warfare, and The Ultimate Spy Book.
Robert Wallace retired from the CIA in 2003 with thirty-two years of service as an operations officer and senior executive, including an assignment as director of the Office of Technical Services. Wallace is coauthor, with H. Keith Melton, of Spycraft: The Secret History of the CIA's Spytechs from Communism to Al-Qaeda.