
Strategy of Deception
Paul Virilio(Author)
Verso Books (Publisher)
Published on 17. January 2007
Book
Paperback/Softback
96 pages
978-1-84467-578-4 (ISBN)
Description
Written with his characteristic flair, Virillo's latest book is a trenchant denunciation of the Kosovo war in which he successfully unites theory with a riveting study of the conflict. Tearing aside the veil of hypocrisy in which the USA and its allies wrapped the war, Virillo demonstrates that the nature of the bombing was set by strategic rather than ethical considerations.
Beneath the humanitarian rhetoric, Virillo sees a sinister innovation in the methods of waging war: territorial space is being replaced by orbital space in which a system of global telesurveillance is linked to the destructive power of bombers and missiles. Governments, the military and the media are becoming part of a seamless and self-justifying process linked by new information and arms technologies.
Passionate and political, Strategy of Deception is a vital examination not only of the war in Yugoslavia but also what Virillo calls our "fin-de-siecle infantilization" in which the reality of battle is reduced to flickering images on a screen.
Beneath the humanitarian rhetoric, Virillo sees a sinister innovation in the methods of waging war: territorial space is being replaced by orbital space in which a system of global telesurveillance is linked to the destructive power of bombers and missiles. Governments, the military and the media are becoming part of a seamless and self-justifying process linked by new information and arms technologies.
Passionate and political, Strategy of Deception is a vital examination not only of the war in Yugoslavia but also what Virillo calls our "fin-de-siecle infantilization" in which the reality of battle is reduced to flickering images on a screen.
Reviews / Votes
One of the most original thinkers of our time. * Liberation * A refreshing antidote to the 'global village' mantra of Net gurus, Virilio writes in the subversive tradition of Michel Foucault and Jean Baudrillard. * Publishers Weekly * Virilio is an impressive commentator on the conditioning power of the mass media ... he has become essential reading for anyone trying to make sense of America's out-of-control war of prevention. * Guardian *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 199 mm
Width: 131 mm
Thickness: 9 mm
Weight
117 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84467-578-4 (9781844675784)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Previous edition

Paul Virilio
Strategy of Deception
Book
01/2001
Verso Books
€32.38
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Persons
Paul Virilio trained as an artist in stained glass, working with Braque and Matisse, as well as studying philosophy at the Sorbonne. In 1975 he was made director of the Ecole speciale d'architecture in Paris. He retired from teaching in 1998 and now works with private organizations on projects to house the homeless in Paris. He has written many books, including War and Cinema, Open Sky, and Ground Zero.