Book Review: Psychological Warfare by Paul M.A. Linebarger

 

 

Psychological Warfare by Paul M.A, Linebarger 

332 pages, Paperback
Published  October, 2010 by Coachwhip Publications

As I opened the file to write this review Bolt Thrower was playing in my shuffle. I think that has some meaning. The reason I read this book is the not-so-secret reason this book has been lost to time. Paul M.A. Linebarger is more famous for the pen name that he wrote Science Fiction under Cordwainer Smith. As a nerd for mid-century (20th) science fiction his work was a gap I needed to fix. His science fiction is respected by many of the modern greats including Lavie Tidhar and Brian Evenson who listed him as an influence. His SF is high-concept intelligent stuff that fixes in the fits in that no man’s land between the Golden Age and New Wave. It has a depth of international culture exposure and political knowledge that makes it a little different.

What does this have to with this book? Linebarger’s life was short his SF writing career was confined mostly to the 50s. Like many of the Science Fiction writers of the era, his life was interrupted by WW II. While Heinlein and Asimov were in Philly running a factory, Richard Matheson in a bomber, Vonnegut was at Dresden and Linebarger was earning a spot in Arlington Cemetery. After the war, he would become a professor at Johns Hopkins, but it was activity in the war that fed this book.

While it is greatly out of date now, this was THE book on the topic for decades. When you look at the roots of this book, and the man’s history you can see why his science fiction was special.  Paul’s Godfather was Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat Sen. So he spent his childhood traveling around the world with his father.  He was only 23 years old when he got his Ph.D.  in Far East studies. A thing he knew about. He was teaching at Duke during the war but was drafted into service. He rose to the rank of Major and worked in the field designing Psychological warfare tactics. He briefed the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Senators like JFK long before he became president. It was a thing that many powerful people in government in the '60s had him as a teacher.

Certainly, as a progressive, I think Linebarger probably used these methods to help defeat the Nazis but he was also enforcing the US imperialism. This book was meant to dry academic text, the history and tactics are interesting. I think unless you are super fascinated by Cordwainer Smith’s background it is not exactly essential reading On my blog I will include some pictures of the seven-decade-old first edition I got from the San Diego library. I think they had to get from the storage room next to the Ark of Covenant.

I think it is fair that it is lost to history. It is curiosity, I am sure there are more modern books on the subject. The science-fiction connection is one of the few reasons to read it, and frankly, there is not much to learn here about Cordwainer Smith.  Completionists only.