Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare

Active Measures traces the history of disinformation campaigns and political warfare from the early 20th century through the digital age. Thomas Rid examines the techniques, players, and evolution of organized deception operations conducted by intelligence agencies and political actors. The book draws on declassified archives and documents to reconstruct major disinformation cases spanning decades and continents. Each chapter analyzes specific operations and methods - from forged documents and planted news stories to front organizations and social media manipulation. The narrative moves chronologically through pivotal moments in disinformation history, including operations during both World Wars, the Cold War, and contemporary cyber warfare. Rid documents the technological shifts that transformed how deception campaigns are conducted, from print media to radio to the internet. This work reveals enduring patterns in how governments and groups attempt to shape public perception through covert means. The examination of past deception operations provides context for understanding modern disinformation challenges and information warfare.

Readers describe this as a comprehensive history of disinformation campaigns from the early 20th century through modern digital warfare. Many note its relevance to current events and election security. Readers appreciated: - Detailed research and extensive source citations - Clear explanations of complex operations - Balanced perspective on both Western and Soviet campaigns - Connection of historical tactics to modern methods Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style - Too much focus on Cold War era vs. modern cases - Some readers wanted more analysis of recent Russian operations - Technical details can be overwhelming for casual readers Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (1,100+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (450+ ratings) "Meticulously researched but accessible enough for non-experts" - Goodreads reviewer "Could have used more coverage of social media disinformation" - Amazon reviewer "The historical examples help understand today's fake news" - LibraryThing review

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🔍 The book traces the roots of modern disinformation to the 1920s, revealing that the Soviet Union's Service A pioneered many techniques still used in today's digital influence campaigns. 📚 Thomas Rid discovered that the KGB created an entire fake publishing house called Progress Publishers that distributed propaganda disguised as legitimate academic works. 🕵️‍♂️ The author spent years researching in recently declassified archives across multiple countries, including the Stasi Records Agency in Berlin and the KGB archives in Ukraine. 💻 The book details Operation INFEKTION, a 1980s Soviet disinformation campaign that falsely claimed AIDS was created by U.S. biological weapons research—a conspiracy theory that still circulates today. 🌐 Rid demonstrates how many contemporary digital disinformation tactics are simply updated versions of Cold War techniques, including the use of fake social media profiles which mirror Cold War-era "front groups."