How To Stage A Coup: And Ten Other Lessons from the World of Secret Statecraft

Today's world is in flux. Competition between the great powers is back on the agenda and governments around the world are turning to secret statecraft and the hidden hand to navigate these uncertain waters. From poisonings to electoral interference, disinformation to cyber sabotage, states increasingly operate in the shadows, while social media has created new avenues for disinformation on a mass scale. This is covert action: perhaps the most sensitive - and controversial - of all state activity. However, for all its supposed secrecy, it has become surprisingly prominent - and spawned much debate about how to respond. In an enthralling narrative packed with real-world examples, Rory Cormac reveals how such activity is shaping the world and argues that understanding why and how states wield these dark arts has never been more important.

Table of Contents:
1: How to assassinate your enemies 2: How to get away with murder 3: How to influence others 4: How to subvert governments and undermine democracy 5: How to rig an election 6: How to stage a coup 7: How to wage a secret war 8: How to pick your rebels 9: How to sabotage 10: How to cyberattack 11: How to wield the hidden hand

About the Author :
Rory Cormac is a Professor of International Relations specializing in Secret Intelligence and Covert Action at the University of Nottingham. He is the author of Disrupt and Deny and co-author, with Richard J. Aldrich, of The Black Door and The Secret Royals.

Review :
Rich in anecdote and detail... Cormac, you can see, is an engaged teacher, the kind of lecturer who holds his students' attention with illustrative stories of derring-do and dirty tricks. They will like this book, as I do, with its relish of good yarns... A zippy read. A compelling history of the dark arts of statecraft - from assassination and sabotage through to disinformation, election interference and cyberattack. Rory Cormac combines the best true-life spy stories with thoughtful analysis of the perils of covert government operations. So full is it of fascinating and astutely examined examples of these murky practices that you wouldn't want his book to fall into the wrong hands. Even as major powers flaunt their military hardware and brazenly trample over borders, their struggles also continue in the shadows. Rory Cormac's raid into this confusing terrain is daring, incisive and exact, an intellectual special operation in itself. In particular, it reveals the hard choices and delicate trade-offs practitioners must consider, between secrecy, control and impact. Much that is written on this subject is overblown and vapid. Cormac's work, by contrast, is a much-needed correction. Britain needs Cormac. A dazzling journey through the subterranean world of covert action: from assassination, secret wars, cyberattacks and sabotage, to rigging elections, spreading influence, and subverting democracy. This major new book is stacked full of fascinating examples from around the world, perceptive analysis and careful warnings. A must read for anyone interested in international politics and secret statecraft. An absolute must read for understanding the wide range of tools states pursue in the realm of covert statecraft. It has immense lessons for cyber operations, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and more. Rory Cormac offers a delightfully incisive and much needed corrective to the opacity surrounding covert action. He shows that reality is, in fact, far more interesting than fiction... It may sound odd to say, but despite it being about some of the most underhanded behaviors a state can undertake, it is a fun book to read. It is a must read for both practitioners of the dark arts and the curious general public alike. A must read for those interested in intelligence, secret warfare and the hidden hand. A valuable and thought-provoking work, the most thorough treatment of the topic to date. An important public service... Cormac's book has an ambitious scope, and its arguments and information are truly timeless.