Victory and deceit

Victory and Deceit: Deception and Trickery at War was published in 1995 by William Morrow and Company. Written by James F. Dunnigan, a noted authority on wargaming and military history, the book serves as a comprehensive exploration of the role of deception in military conflict throughout human history. Dunnigan sought to categorize various ruses and strategic maneuvers, moving beyond the romanticized view of combat to examine how misinformation and psychological operations have fundamentally influenced the outcomes of major historical battles.

The text is grounded in Dunnigan’s extensive background as a designer of professional military simulation games and his academic interest in strategic theory. His design approach was to provide a systematic, quasi-encyclopedic reference that could be accessed by both civilian history enthusiasts and military professionals. Upon its release, the book was well-received within defense study circles and wargaming communities for its clear distillation of complex tactical concepts and its focus on the psychological dimensions of warfare.