Collateral Magic: How the CIA Conjured Democracy from the Cold War to the Forever Wars

In 1953, at the height of the Red Scare, early television magician John Mulholland pulled off his greatest disappearing act when he announced his retirement. In fact, Mulholland did not retire: he went to work for the Central Intelligence Agency where he wrote The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception, a guide for marrying Cold War spycraft to a magician’s legerdemain. Mulholland’s manual was declassified in 1977. Our fifth title, Collateral Magic is a speculative analysis of magic in the field, tips and tricks on maintaining the illusion of democracy, and a friendly reminder that one cannot spell magician without the CIA.