About the Author

Barton Whaley received his bachelor of arts in Chinese studies from the University of California, Berkeley before serving with the intelligence section of U.S. Army Psychological Warfare headquartered in Tokyo during the Korean War. Following the war, he attended London University School of Oriental and African Studies before receiving his PhD at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was affiliated with the Department of Defense Analysis at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, and worked for the director of National Security's Foreign Denial and Deception Committee of the Director of National Intelligence. He passed away in 2013.

Reviews

This unusual book collects 88 short case studies put together by the late Whaley, who wrote extensively on strategic deception, to inform military officers in that particular art. In these writings, Whaley was less interested in whether the actions in question were successful than in their conception and implementation. Whaley offers advice on how to institutionalize the practice of deception and leavens his guidance with a sense of humor rarely witnessed in discussions of such matters. This enjoyable guide to the more mischievous side of military history will have enduring value for instructional purposes--and also as a tribute to one of the great students of the subject." --Foreign Affairs

"Denis Clift, president emeritus of the National Intelligence University, writes in the book's introduction that "the most important readings" in advanced denial and deception are the writings of Barton Whaley… an interesting and valuable account of deception theory in practice." - Intelligencer: Journal of U.S. Intelligence Studies

"Practise to Deceive is an outstanding resource for strategists, intelligence professionals and general students of war. Whaley's work stands out as a thorough review of the practical considerations necessary to begin planning military deception operations and offers a framework for readers to consider what deception efforts may currently already be underway." - FAOA Journal of International Affairs

"Much has been written about deception and its importance in war, and Dr. Barton Whaley (1928-2013) is almost certainly one of the preeminent authorities on the matter. However, it is one thing to appreciate the importance of deception and entirely another to craft deception operations in support of military plans. Thankfully, Dr. Whaley has left us with a guide. Practise to Deceive is designed with the planners themselves in mind, providing insight into the type of thinking and procedures that make successful and unsuccessful deception planners. History suggests that constantly having to relearn deception whole cloth comes at great cost. Ideally, we will take steps to keep the butcher's bill small. Dr. Barton Whaley's book is an excellent place to start." - CIMSEC.org

"Barton Whaley's Practise to Deceive, a posthumously published work is a valuable resource that will aid the deception planner through discussion and analysis of 88 case studies. If the old Chinese General Sun Tzu was right and 'all warfare is based on deception,' then Whaley has provided a study that will aid future commanders and staff officers to develop plans that win wars." - The Strategy Bridge.com

"Barton Whaley's book is a great legacy to his decades of experience . . . The strategic doctrine of information dominance, which embraces all of the psychological and perceptional aspects, needs all of the help it can get. The authors of studies on hardware and the kinetic aspects of conflict need to yield some of their space at a time when the strategic framework is moving back to the dominance of the capability of leaders as economic and technological aspects become fragile. Thank you, Dr. Whaley. Your place in history has been confirmed." - Defense & Foreign Affairs Special Analysis | Defense & Foreign Affairs Strategic Policy