Читать книгу The Secrets of Spies - Weldon Owen - Страница 14

“SECRET AGENTS STRIKE FEAR IN THE

ENEMY’S GENERAL STAFF, SLAY THE ENEMY’S

BELOVED GENERALS, AND CAUSE CHAOS IN

THE ENEMY’S ESTIMATES AND STRATEGIES.”

Chinese military strategist Jie Xuan

SPYING OUT THE ART OF WAR

15

THE ART OF WAR

IN

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Revolutionary leader Mao Zedong was influenced by

The Art

of War

in his protracted guerrilla campaign to seize China

for communism. Similarly, General Giáp and his fellow

Vietnamese communists gave credit to the book for their

victories in Vietnam. After translation into English in 1910,

its influence extended to the United States. CIA chief Allen

Dulles described it as the “first remarkable analysis of the

ways of espionage,” while in the US Army it has been

endorsed by generals Douglas McArthur, Colin Powell,

and Norman Schwarzkopf. Its fame has spread beyond

the military, however, providing a template for management

self-help books, legal and educational studies, and even

works designed to improve readers’ sporting abilities.

EAVESDROPPING AND SIGNALING

The Chinese were pioneers of early spy technology.

This included a forerunner of the electric bugging

device—an earthenware jar used by spies to eavesdrop on

conversations of interest. The jar was wide at its middle but

had a narrow mouth over which was stretched a leather

membrane. The jar was partially buried in the ground and

the spy placed his ear against the leather covering, which

picked up nearby sounds. These eavesdropping spies were

often blind, taking advantage of a heightened audial acuity.

Other techniques included the use of invisible inks, made

from mixtures of water and alum or, at a stretch, from water

left over from boiling rice. Pigeons were employed to carry

messages, while kites were flown as part of a simple

signaling system. Kites—known as Zhiyuan (paper birds)—

were often used during sieges. The defenders would send

up colored kites to inform spies stationed behind the

besieging force, transmitting information such as the

state of their provisions or requests for help.

Above left: Vietnamese General Võ Nguyên Giáp, a former history

teacher, was heavily influenced in his tactics by historical texts.

Above right: Pictured here in the 1940s, Mao Zedong consulted

The Art of War

to develop his tactics in the Chinese Civil War

(1927–1949).