• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
The Loadout Room

The Loadout Room

Professional Gear Reviews

Hardcore Gear and Adventure

Menu
  • Shooting
        • Pistol
        • Pistol Accessories
        • Rifle
        • Rifle Accessories
        • Shotgun
        • Machine Guns
        • Air Guns
        • Ammunition
        • Optics and Sights
        • Weapon Lights
        • Tips & How-To
        • Concealed Carry
        • Holsters
        • Suppressors
        • Precision Rifle Shooting
        • Firearms Training
        • TISAS_10100520_1__98179Tisas 1911A1 U.S. Army Review: Best Budget .45 ACP WW2 1911 Clone?
        • Photoroom_20250531_143432Pyramyd AIR’s Springfield Hellcat Pro CO2 BB Pistol Is the Ultimate Dry-Fire Trainer
        • image-112d3d00Helwan Brigadier 9mm Range Report
        • Photoroom_20250525_074933Juggernaut Tactical Frame Review: The Best Upgrade for Your 365
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
      • Mission Gear
      • Camping Gear
      • Survival Gear
      • Medical Gear
      • Adventure & Travel
      • Knives & Tools
      • Overland
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Footwear
      • Womens Gear & Clothing
        • ac65a540-2ef3-4598-8d11-afdf53f46e94.__CR0,0,970,600_PT0_SX970_V1___Streamlight ProTac Rail Mount HL-X: A Thoroughly Bright Review
        • Bluetti 2 handsfree power backpackBluetti Handsfree 2 Review: The Ultimate Power Backpack for Off-Grid Adventurers
        • The Gallagator 10 day pack on the shoreline next to a hiking trail.Day Pack – Mystery Ranch Gallagator 10 – The Best Yet?
        • PXL_20240209_171721326Pic of the Day, It’s Graduation Time
    • Close
  • Men’s Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • EDC
      • Eyewear
      • Watches
      • Electronics & Technology
      • Downtime
      • Mens Clothing & Accessories
      • Manly Skills
      • Style & Grooming
      • Gentleman Drinks
      • Crate Club
        • Photoroom_20250525_074933Juggernaut Tactical Frame Review: The Best Upgrade for Your 365
        • craft holstersCraft Holsters Makarov Tuckable IWB Holster Report
        • rs3CIVIVI RS71 Review : Big Blade Energy
        • civivi2Civivi Brazen Review: The Best Budget EDC Knife under $75?
    • Close
  • News
  • Video Demo
  • Buying Guides
  • Shop
  • Advertise
Books

Book Review: Perception Wars by Alex Hollings

July 14, 2019 by Loadout Room Guest Authors Leave a Comment

“Actions are dictated by decisions, decisions are based on perceptions, and perceptions are subject to manipulation. That is the basis of the Perception Wars.”

Alex Hollings’ Perception Wars describes how foreign governments are trying to shape American public opinion by manipulating their perceptions. Hollings singles out Russia and China and their ongoing information operations (IO) on American society. Whereas Moscow is focused on shaping opinion through pseudo-accounts and unobjective journalism, China is purchasing its way toward the “stable, reasonable 21st century power.”

The book begins by introducing the concepts and historical background of IO. Articles on World War II and Cold War propaganda efforts provide a link to history and its continuity. Thereafter, Hollings enters the modern arena. He provides four sections (Russian, Chinese, North Korean, and American) that are brimming with colorful, informative, and entertaining articles on the ongoing battle for perceptions.

Hollings is essentially equating national propaganda and information operations to business marketing campaigns. He argues that the predominance of social media offers foreign governments the ideal platform to individually target Americans and shape their beliefs, perceptions, and subsequently their opinions. And it is a reasonable claim. It might seem simplistic, but, more often than not, people are motivated by the same incentives when it comes to buying a new iPhone or performing their citizen’s right (e.g., voting).

Whereas an insurgency is all about winning the hearts-and-minds of the local population, a modern Information Operation is all about winning the tweets and likes of people.

Alarmingly, Hollings asserts that the U.S. is losing the perception wars. Stuck in reactive mode, U.S. policymakers are too focused in ‘bad-actor’ narratives to be proactive in the perceptions and propaganda battlefield. For example, by focusing too much on Vladimir Putin’s or Xi Jinping’s autocratic and corrupt regimes, the U.S. is not seeking to create original narratives that would resonate with the ever-interconnected world population. As in all battlefields, once you have lost the initiative, it’s tough to gain it back.

A short (155 pages) and thought-provoking read, Perception Wars will offer you both an introduction to modern information warfare and a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the ongoing battle between American and its adversaries. Based on primary source research, the articles offer an original analysis of the unseen battle for your perceptions.

The book’s only shortfall is that it lacks a recommended bibliography section. Granted, however, not all readers will wish to go more in-depth.

After reading it, you will be in an optimal position to detect when you or your community is targeted by a foreign actor with a malign agenda. By understanding and recognizing the threat, you will be inoculated from it.

You can buy the book on Amazon.

This article was written by Stavros Atlamazoglou at NEWSREP

Share This

More From The Loadout Room

Comments

Primary Sidebar

Most Read

  • Mossberg 930: the affordable 12 gauge auto-loader
    Mossberg 930: the affordable 12 gauge auto-loader
  • The Biggest Little Roundgun: The 3-Inch Kimber K6s
    The Biggest Little Roundgun: The 3-Inch Kimber K6s
  • West Coast Armor IIIA Plates Review: Lightweight, American-Made Protection
    West Coast Armor IIIA Plates Review: Lightweight, American-Made Protection
  • The Citizen Promaster Dive: Built Like a Bunker, Priced Like a Bivouac
    The Citizen Promaster Dive: Built Like a Bunker, Priced Like a Bivouac
  • Removing Rust From Firearms? No Problem
    Removing Rust From Firearms? No Problem

Find Us on Facebook

The Loadout Room

Recent Comments

  • Ajita Sherer on Vakarian Plate Carrier Review: Elite Comfort and Modularity for Under $300
  • Josiah on Vakarian Plate Carrier Review: Elite Comfort and Modularity for Under $300
  • Woox Store on Tommy Gun Madness: The Thompson Submachine Gun

Latest From SOFREP

News

Evening Brief: Hegseth Pushes NATO for More Spending, Poland Postpones Black Hawk Acquisition, Transgender Troops Face Choice

SOF

Trump Picks Vice Admiral Frank Bradley to Head US Special Operations Command

SOF

A Navy SEAL Gives You 10 Tips to Survive Hell Week

Physical Fitness

Advice From a Green Beret: Rucking and Special Forces Selection

Military Content Group

© Copyright 2025 Military Content Group · All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers
 

Loading Comments...