Collateral Magic: How the CIA Conjured Democracy from the Cold War to the Forever Wars

AGITPOP! Press, 2025, softcover, 64 pages, 21 x 14 cm

In 1953, at the height of the Red Scare, early television magician John Mulholland pulled off his greatest disappearing act when he announced his retirement. In fact, Mulholland did not retire: he went to work for the Central Intelligence Agency where he wrote The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception, a guide for marrying Cold War spycraft to a magician’s legerdemain.  Mulholland’s manual was declassified in 1977. Our fifth title, Collateral Magic is a speculative analysis of magic in the field, tips and tricks on maintaining the illusion of democracy, and a friendly reminder that one cannot spell magician without the CIA.