Includes bibliographical references (pages 200-202) and index.

"Mark Lloyd treats this much neglected aspect of warfare thematically rather than chronologically, examining in turn the various methods by which deception has been practised through the ages. He draws on a wide range of examples, some familiar, but some little known, to show the elaborate techniques which have been employed in the struggle to outwit the enemy. Particularly fascinating is his analysis of the fatal error of self-deception. Why, for instance, were the allies so contemptuous of the fighting qualities of the Japanese at the outbreak of war in the Far East? He also examines in detail the arcane world of Psychological Operations, known as PsyOps, and explains how deception is, or was, practised in the Soviet Union." "Having himself been trained in various aspects of military deception, Mark Lloyd is well qualified to draw the veil from this shadowy world which, with every advance in technology, becomes more complex, but none the less fascinating."--BOOK JACKET.