Disinformation (book)

Not to be confused with Dezinformatsia (book).
Disinformation
Disinformation
Disinformation
AuthorIon Mihai Pacepa and Ronald J. Rychlak
Original titleDisinformation: Former Spy Chief Reveals Secret Strategies for Undermining Freedom, Attacking Religion, and Promoting Terrorism
LanguageEnglish
SubjectDisinformation
GenreInformation warfare
PublisherWND Books
Publication date
2013
Publication placeUnited States
Media typeHardcover
Pages429
ISBN978-1-936488-60-5
OCLC926861117
Preceded byRed Horizons: The True Story of Nicolae and Elena Ceausescus' Crimes, Lifestyle, and Corruption (1990) 

Disinformation: Former Spy Chief Reveals Secret Strategies for Undermining Freedom, Attacking Religion, and Promoting Terrorism is a 2015 non-fiction book about disinformation tactics and history rooted in information warfare. It was written by former general in the Securitate, the secret police of Socialist Republic of Romania, Ion Mihai Pacepa, and law professor Ronald J. Rychlak. It was published in 2013 along with a companion film, Disinformation: The Secret Strategy to Destroy the West.

Pacepa and Rychlak document how the Russian word dezinformatsiya was coined by Joseph Stalin, who chose a French-sounding title to make others believe it had originated in the Western world. Disinformation was then subsequently employed as a warfare tactic by the Stalinist government during World War II and afterwards by the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Pacepa recounts reading Soviet intelligence training manuals describing the inspiration of such deception rooted in the history of Potemkin villages. The authors describe disinformation campaigns used in the 20th century, including case studies of how historical revisionism spread through the media.

After its initial publication, the book was re-published in multiple languages including Romanian, Polish, Russian, and Czech. It was included as recommended reading for officers of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA),[1][2] and incorporated into a college study guide format and one of the required readings in a graduate-level course for Liberty University.[3][4]

Disinformation received a favorable reception from: the CIA-published academic journal Studies in Intelligence,[1] former Director of Central Intelligence R. James Woolsey,[5] The Counter Terrorist,[6] The book garnered positive reviews from Tablet [7] and Distracted Masses,[8] and was used as a resource by The Washington Post.[9] Movieguide gave the film companion to the book a strong recommendation, calling it a "brilliant exposé".[10]

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