Title: Masters of Deceit
Author: J. Edgar Hoover
Hoover, J. Edgar (1958). Masters of Deceit: The Story Of Communism In America And How to Fight It. New York: Henry Holt & Co.
LCCN: 58007643
Subjects
Date Posted: August 14, 2015
Reviewed by Paul W. Blackstock and Frank L. Schaf[1]
The foreword states: “Every citizen has a duty to learn more about the menace that threatens his future, his home, his children, the peace of the world—and that is why I have written this book.” Experts on Hoover and the FBI have an opinion that Hoover did not write this book, and may have never read it. However, the theme of a vast Communist conspiracy was one that was basic to almost everything he did and certainly was basic to the way he directed the FBI. Part 4 of the book contains the description of the espionage, sabotage, and subversion activities of the Communist party underground—the illegal apparatus. Techniques are described along with some collection priorities imposed by Moscow on the illegal apparatus. The material in the book came from files on FBI counterintelligence cases and activities, Good index with appendices providing lists of international Communist organizations and publications along with a chronology of dates and events relating to the history of communism in the United States.
[1] Blackstock, Paul W. (1978) and Frank L. Schaf, Jr. Intelligence, Espionage, Counterespionage, And Covert Operations: A Guide to Information Sources. Detroit: Gale Research Co., pp. 76-77
