Secrets From the CIA Spy Manual of Trickery and Deception
During the Cold War, the CIA delved into the world of magic to craft a clandestine manual of deception. Penned by renowned magician John Mulholland, the guide, commissioned for $3,000, became a ‘James Bond meets Harry Houdini’ textbook, as described by master magician Lance Burton. Initially thought to be destroyed in 1975, the manual resurfaced decades later when two daring intelligence officers salvaged and published its contents.
Mulholland’s guide sheds light on how CIA officers were trained to utilise magicians’ tricks for covert operations. From sending messages with shoelaces to smuggling agents out of hostile territories, the manual explores the realm of illusion for espionage. Divided into sections on tricks with pills, liquids, and small objects, it even delves into the mysterious arts of making people ‘disappear’ and ‘reappear’.
Part of the top-secret MK-Ultra project investigating mind control, Mulholland’s 1953 guide, classified as MKUltra Subproject Number 4, was meant to be erased from history. However, it resurfaced decades later, thanks to retired CIA officer Robert Wallace and Naval intelligence historian Keith Melton, who republished it as “The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception,” complete with illustrations and a history of MKUltra.
In the world of spy craft, Mulholland’s manual offers invaluable insights. From sleight-of-hand tricks to the use of wax to pick up secret documents, his advice reads like a manual for Houdini-esque escapades. Not just a magician, Mulholland had previously contributed to WWII efforts, distributing 100,000 copies of his book, “The Art of Illusion: Magic for Men to Do,” to U.S. soldiers.
His collaboration with the CIA began in 1953, marking a unique chapter in Mulholland’s illustrious career. While Mulholland passed away in 1970, his magical legacy lives on through David Copperfield, who now owns his books, papers, and magic collection. The convergence of magic and espionage in Mulholland’s manual remains a captivating tale of the Cold War era, where illusion met intelligence in a dance of secrecy and intrigue.
