When the CIA commissioned a top secret undercover operation in 1953, against the backdrop of the Cold War, they enlisted the help of famous magician John Mulholland to write two manuals on sleight of hand and undercover communication. In 1973 all documents related to the mission were destroyed, Mulholland's magic manuals were thought to be lost, until recently a single copy of each document was found...This is the first publication to reconstruct John Mulholland's manual from the original pages. With chapter headings such ...
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When the CIA commissioned a top secret undercover operation in 1953, against the backdrop of the Cold War, they enlisted the help of famous magician John Mulholland to write two manuals on sleight of hand and undercover communication. In 1973 all documents related to the mission were destroyed, Mulholland's magic manuals were thought to be lost, until recently a single copy of each document was found...This is the first publication to reconstruct John Mulholland's manual from the original pages. With chapter headings such as Handling of Powders, Surreptitious Removal of Objects and Special Aspects of Deception for Women, working examples and detailed, hand-drawn illustrations. The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception is a fascinating read into a world of wizardry and spycraft. For example, do you know how to use cars for transporting bodies, cigarette papers for surreptitious notes, fake coins to hide poisonous powder? Read on and become an accessory to espionage!
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Add this copy of The Official Cia Manual of Trickery and Deception to cart. $9.19, new condition, Sold by Book Outlet rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Jefferson City, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Harper Collins.
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New in new dust jacket. New, Publisher overstock, may have small remainder mark. Excellent condition, never read, purchased from publisher as excess inventory.
Add this copy of The Official Cia Manual of Trickery and Deception to cart. $9.95, very good condition, Sold by Mahler Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Pflugerville, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by William Morrow Paperbacks.
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Very Good. 0061725900. This book is in very good condition; no remainder marks. It does have some cover shelfwear; page edges tanning with age. Inside pages are clean.; 248 pages.
Add this copy of The Official Cia Manual of Trickery and Deception to cart. $9.98, fair condition, Sold by Goodwill Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Hillsboro, OR, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Mariner Books.
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New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 272 p. Contains: Unspecified. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
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Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 272 p. Contains: Unspecified. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Add this copy of The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception to cart. $12.97, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2010 by Mariner Books.
Minus an introduction and conclusion by the authors, this book is mostly a reprint of two manuals written for the CIA by professional magician John Mulholland about misdirection and covert (but visible) communications.
Arthur Clark pointed out that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic, but the corollary to this is that when sleight of hand is sufficiently perfected, it will appear as if nothing occurred.
That is what this manual was about.
Those who have never been trained in tradecraft might find it interesting, but more than likely will find it boring. Those who are trained in sleight of hand may also find it interesting, but the manual contains nothing new. For the few of us who have training in both subjects, this is a wonderful historical document.
The first section on sleight of hand covers all of the basics and even a couple of advanced moves. The manual on covert communication gives instruction on clandestine signals, many of which are still in use today.
My only caveat is that when reading this manual keep in mind it was written in the early 1950s and does not reflect current practices within the United States Intelligence Community.
