UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record

Leslie Kean is an independent investigative journalist known for pioneering human rights work in Burma. As Director of the Coalition for Freedom of Information, between 2005 and 2009 she fought and won a FOIA federal lawsuit against NASA to release "lost" records on the 1965 Kecksburg PA incident. She is patient, persistent, tenacious and skeptical. Her new book, ten years in the making and two years in the writing, has received open endorsement from so many leading politicians and scientists that it just might be a game-changer. The intended audience is not the committed reader steeped in the lore of UFOs or discussions of the ETH and competing origin-hypotheses. Plenty of books explore these subjects and their readership is, against the mainstream, pitifully small and marginalised. Such works, however well-researched, are often self-published or condemned to share shelf-space with political CTs, channelling and new-age mush, undeservedly consigned to the ghetto of the kooky, ridiculed fringe. Readers familiar with the works of Allen Hynek, Jacques Vallee, Tim Good, Jerry Clark, Stan Friedman, Richard Dolan and writers of similar calibre will find little new here, though they will find a few interesting nuggets. They are already persuaded of the evidence, and not the target audience for this book. These writers, collectively, have never effected political attitude-change: the contributors to this book are such serious, credible, high-profile people they just might. Kean's target audience is professional academia, those involved in politics and the media, the skeptically-minded scientist with little familiarity with the subject matter due to its long contamination with fringe elements, and the concerned, civic-minded man or woman in the street who has never read a book on the issue and knows little of the powerful evidence for the existence of persistent strange aerial phenomena. The book is carefully crafted to bring the subject out of the UFO conference fringe and place it firmly centre-stage into the political and academic mainstream where it belongs; to make it a respectable and important subject for discussion. The argument is: These are responsible officials going on the record, and here is serious evidence of something real. You are irresponsible if you ignore this subject, or allow it to continue to be marginalised. To this end, the book's tone is deliberately sceptical. The tag-line "Generals, Pilots and Government Officials go on the Record" describes exactly the content: only incontestable cases with multiple official witnesses plus supporting evidence have been chosen for inclusion. The author worked for years to contact and gain the confidence of these military pilots and high-profile government officials and to bring them together at the National Press Club in DC in November 2007. High priority is given to cases involving air force encounters; documented, confirmed, official. The contributors are truly international, confirming the global reach of the phenomenon. This cautious tone, the international perspective and the author's avoidance of contamination by book jacket-cover endorsement from anyone associated with the "UFO community" sets this book apart from other work on the subject. This will be extremely difficult for a debunker to deal with, and that is the intention. Journalistic standards are high, so there are no "anonymous whistleblowers", no ID kept secret, nothing flaky or un-checkable. These establishment people have gone ON THE RECORD, and write in total around half the content of the 302 pages of the book. Introducing the section written by Nick Pope, Kean writes: "He is yet another example of the many officials and military officers who, as they became acquainted with UFO investigations by accident, flexed their skeptical muscles only to find themselves absorbed by the unexpected power of the evidence they had initially expected to disprove." The accumulated evidence presented is virtually un-debunkable. Kean contrasts the relatively open way the UFO subject has been managed in recent decades by nations such as France, Belgium, the UK, Brazil, Peru and others, with the history of stonewalling and ridicule from all government and military bodies in the USA. Since the closing of Blue Book, the phenomenon no longer officially exists in the USA even though pilots, operators of military facilities and ordinary folk encounter it all the time. It's an Orwellian environment. What is to be done? In the third and final section of the book, the author explores the nature of UFO secrecy in the US. She sticks to the facts as known and documented, and acknowledges the unsupported speculations frequently put out by various people in the UFO field about the cover-up inhibit understanding of the issue and serve to marginalise the subject. Her reasoning is logical, thorough and grounded. In Chapter 26, "Engaging the US Government," Kean lays out the reasoned objective sought by the CFI: "The coalition is asking for responsible action on the part of the United States concerning UFOs. We make this request not as an accusation of wrongdoing in the past, but as an invitation to join an international, cooperative venture under way now...we are seeking the creation of a small government agency to investigate UFO incidents, and to act as a focal point for action at home and for research worldwide." Her objective is to bring about legitimization of the subject, so that scientific interest might be encouraged and government grants enable scientists in the academic, research and aviation fields to pursue serious study free of ridicule. She is not impotently shouting for "Disclosure" whilst remaining forever shut outside. She, and the impressive contributors to this book, ask for official recognition of the UFO issue as real, and for the establishment of a small agency to co-ordinate international study as a first step. No assumptions about the origin of the phenomenon are made: just that it exists, and needs to be acknowledged as real. It's a reasoned, achievable objective, unarguable in the face of the unassailable evidence presented here. That's why this book might be the catalyst for permanent recognition of legitimacy: in other words, a game-changer. The production quality of the book is first class and the writing from all contributors literate, straightforward and completely free of typos. It has a logical structure, is an easy and absorbing read containing nothing extraneous, concerned with the facts and testimonies. It builds a compelling argument. If you haven't read it yet, maybe you should.

There are 100 plus reviews of this book, so this reader will be not attempt to repeat what has already been well stated by other reviewers. Let's look at a few of the pluses and minuses of Ms. Kean's book "UFOs", so you know exactly what you are getting into. * This is an extraordinarily well documented narrative of the 5% of all UFO cases that remain unexplainable. It doesn't matter what government experts say. In these particular cases, the evidence cannot be explained away. * If you are a student of this subject, than you MUST READ this book. There is simply nothing else like it on the market which has the creditability of Leslie Kean's work. Even government officials are saying it is creditable. * Because the evidence is laid out in a very well done manner, this book is NOT A THRILLER. It is not "I must stay up all night to read it," book. As a matter of fact, this reader could argue that it is even boring, and that is because the author purposefully did not want to sensationalize the topic. You are reading this narrative for information, not entertainment. * If you have an intense interest in the subject matter, you must start with this book, and then broaden out your studies. Ms. Kean is giving you incredible information in very brief chapters. There is no extraneous material in the readings. How to read this book: "UFO's" should probably be read in a different manner than just about any other book if your interest in this topic is a serious one. First, you need pens and you need to underline and write in the margins. You then need to explore these assorted topics further through your personal computer by searching the topics and research reports that are precisely named and start getting into them in much more detail. Create a folder in your computer for the topics and research material you pull off the Internet. It will not take long for you to become an expert on UFO literature, and this book is a great resource. Is the government ACTIVELY Lying to the American People? It really comes down to the question of whether or not you believe that the government is covering up the subject of UFO's or not? Chapter 11 will provide a very credible answer to this question which is that the government believed in the 1950's after discussion with outstanding scientists and researchers that it is in the interest of the nation to withhold, discredit, and debunk the public of its fascination with UFO phenomena. When you read the book you will see that although we as citizens may vehemently disagree with this conclusion, the government's reasons for taking this action are logical for them. Nevertheless, it is probably true that most Americans believe themselves capable of dealing with the realities of this topic regardless of where they take us. The truth shall set us free, and even liberate us. It also becomes apparent after reading Ms. Kean's work that the 5% of UFO's that cannot be explained are events where all-out investigations should be undertaken to understand exactly what we are looking at, regardless of whose turf gets stepped on. We are now in the 21st century. It is different than during the 1950's when the government's behavior on this subject could be more easily understood in terms of national security needs. These needs are different today than 2 or 3 generations ago. The former Soviet Union is no longer a threat. Thirty minute missile launchings with mutually assured destruction is no longer the policy of the day. Consequently, the basis for the government disavowing any truth to UFO sightings is no longer relevant in a 21st century world. In the last decade the Catholic Church in Rome convened a meeting of some of the smartest people in the world, outside of religion to deal with the issue of if life exists on other planets, what is the meaning for current civilization and what are the religious implications. If the church can have discussions like this, it behooves us to require the federal government to open up this topic for our citizens to be thoroughly informed as to what the real stories are. For those of you who wish to remain skeptical of Ms. Kean's writings, this reader would suggest that you re-evaluate government actions over the decades in light of what we know now on so many different actions. 1) During the Cuban missile crisis, we were led to believe that Russian missiles were removed from Cuba with no quid pro quo, only to be informed 20 years later that there was a deal, American missiles in Turkey for Russian missiles in Cuba. We all lived under an illusion. 2) We were thoroughly lied to by two Presidents over the conditions in Viet Nam which led to civil unrest in the social fabric which included riots in our streets. 3) The vast majority of Americans do not believe Oswald killed JFK (the so-called magic bullet theory). Vast amounts of evidence are still locked up in the archives for years to come. If Oswald did it, why the continued embargo on the evidence. 4) President George W. Bush sincerely took our nation to war in Iraq under false pretenses furnished to him by the nation's highest intelligence officer with the backing of tens of billions of dollars of information to support the invasion. CONCLUSION: This reader feels if you have an interest in UFO's, than Ms. Kean's writings are on your short list to read. There was a time in the 1960's and 70's prior to new Congressional legislation outlawing such practices, where the CIA was able to financially support thousands of members of the news media of the United States. There is no question that during this period of time, these journalists were NOT objective, and less than honest in their writings. They did the bidding of the intelligence agencies. This is also true of scientists and researchers. There is tremendous money available to individuals that toe the line, that preach opinions that are given to them if they want to continue to receive stipends and other grants. To think otherwise is to be very foolish in your thinking. Consequently, the best approach when studying this topic and reading Leslie Kean's book is to have a skeptical mind towards both sides. The best advice this reader can give you is to follow your own inner compass on the subject or UFO's, or as a Las Vegas gambling pro I knew once said when I was very young - trust your mother, but always cut the cards. Thank you for reading this review. Richard Stoyeck

First of all, I must greatly comend miss keen on her excellent writing skills and great attention to the facts. This book was researched very throughly and brought many important issues regarding UAP's to the worlds attention. The best aspect of this work is that off the quality of testimony; made almost exclusively by high ranking miltary or well respected scientists and pilots. Leslie Keen's "activist journalism" keeps to a narrow, concise goal throughout the whole work. By the end of this book one will have no doubt about what goal she is promoting regarding the ufo phenomenon! Which is good, and bad in my opinion.... The fact that she has done such a good job of stating her overall mission and then backing it up with the appropriate evidence and testimony is the good, even the great. The only real complaint I had with the entire book, which is why I did not give it the full 5 stars, is that she drove her point through the ground. In my opinion alot of this book was un-called for, akin to beating a dead horse. After the first chapter and the second and third one half-way intelligent person completely gets what the message is! No need to keep reminding readers and providing basically the same thoughts over and over again. Although it can be redundent miss keen is a very good writer and it doesn't become too un-bearable.....she keeps the flow going nicely. And for what its worth her mission or goal is very deserving and needs to be completed by the powers that be. So, overall a great factual, credible ufo book with un-peckable reporting and great writing! PS...its not way out in left field either if you get my drift....

In her book UFOs – Generals, Pilots & Government Officials Go On Record, Leslie Kean lays an ironclad foundation to the subject of unidentified flying objects [UFOs]. The author and contributors do a rather compelling job of outlining the main components of each of the respective incidents discussed, and doing so in a way that’s reasonable, yet thought provoking. Kean also discusses various other pertinent issues regarding the UFO phenomena. Many of the best known UFO sightings are showcased by Kean. Some of the most notable sightings discussed in the book range from the more recent Phoenix Lights incident, which of course officials say were “flares” [who buys that?], to the older and yet just as compelling Belgian UFO wave. Another rather salient encounter that has been covered at length by other researcher but is one with extensive credibility is the Rendelsham Forest incident. Of course, there are many more significant sightings that are distilled by the author/contributors which people should know about. Coupled with the above information Kean also dabbles into part of UFOlogys history, such as the nascent stages of COMETA et al. That said, given some of the more well known sightings, veteran researchers and readers will undoubtedly know most if not all of the information provided. That really depends on how much research a given person has put into this field. That is not the say the book does not have plenty to offer, because it does. It’s just that the author focuses on many of the most well known incidents, which many folks will be familiar with. Still, Kean does an exemplary job of bringing lucidity to a field that has long sought for it, and doing so in a scholarly manner. Kean precision is seen by how she buttresses her book, which is with the most concrete evidence that’s available. Curiously, for a book that tackles the ‘fringe’, it does seem to play it safe however. That’s the ‘feel’ that one gets from the author. For how well executed certain parts of the book were, others felt as if though she had bulls-eyes right in front of her, but she didn’t lay out possibilities in their greatest extent. In that way, the book feels like a ‘controlled’ release of information of already-sifted-through phenomena, and in that sense, it wouldn’t ‘make any waves’. Its ironic because many people mentioned that this was “the book” that would change everything. And don’t give me wrong, this is a great book. And it will certainly open its fair share of eyes just by its existence. Still, the information covered has been discussed by countless more authors out there, and in that sense, it could have more significant anchors. All things considered, the credibility the author brings to the subject should be taken very seriously. The collection of testimonies does give a preponderance of evidence – given the veracity of the witnesses et al. – that something within our world is amiss. Without a doubt, the book is an excellent starting point for those who wish to delve into this abstruse subject, and would serve as a great reference for veteran researchers in the field, or anyone else interested in this fascinating subject. In fact, the book would serve as an excellent springboard when read before Richard Dolan’s UFOs And The National Security State, which for all intents and purposes is the unofficial Encyclopedia to a modern UFO phenomena. All in all, given the importance of the information, everyone should read this book. Everyone. As humanity continues to slowly seep into space, more and more UFO sightings will continue taking place. Questions such as: Who is behind these sightings? Why are these sightings taking place? Is it us, them, or…? And if its them, where do they come from, and how long have they been here, and elsewhere? Those are just an iota of of the handful of the many questions humanity will have to contend with as we move towards a more technologically advanced culture. This book begins shedding light for the common populace to see that there really is something taking place in our skies, and probably beyond. That alone is worth the price of the book. And if just a fraction of what’s being stated here is true – and keep in mind the credibility of these individuals is top-notch – then the world already is a vastly different place than what we have been taught. And if that’s the case, what else don’t we know? Kindest Regards, -Zy Marquiez TheBreakaway.wordpress.com

There are thousands and thousands of UFO books out there. They range from such folderol as 'A Dweller on Two Planets', 'Secret Nazi UFO Bases Revealed', or the timeless classic 'GREETINGS EARTHLINGS My name is Appleton and I come from the Planet Reginta' to serious studies of the phenomenon (or phenomena) written by credentialed military officers, main stream scientists, professional historians and investigative journalists. Ms. Kean's book needs to be added to that latter list, and in my view it should be placed a long way up the pile, amongst the select few books on the subject that must be read by anyone, be they believer, skeptic or debunker who expects to be taken seriously in a real discussion on the subject. Ms. Kean, an investigative journalist by trade, was first introduced to the subject of UFOs, or UAPs (Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon - not such a pejorative term) when in about 1999, a reporter colleague in Paris sent her a copy of the COMETA Report. This remarkable 90 page white paper, authored by a group of distinguished retired French generals, scientists and space experts, including the former head of the French equivalent of NASA, was a result of three years study analyzing records of military and pilot encounters with UFOs. No jokes about 'distinguished... French' being a tautology please. Amongst the conclusions which startled Ms. Kean when she read the COMETA Report, was that when all factors on 'good' reports were considered, although about 95 percent were explainable there was a residue of about 5 percent of 'good' sightings which could not be explained by known natural phenomena or earthly sources, such as secret military tests. They concluded that this 5 percent seemed to be '...completely unknown flying machines with exceptional performance that are guided by a natural or artificial intelligence'. This was the start of Ms Kean's personal journey and I heartily approve of the route she has taken and the travelogue she has written for those of us without her perseverance nor investigative skills. Along the road, Ms. Kean has been joined, as the title implies, by serving and retired high ranking military officers, military and commercial pilots, space scientists and government officials from many countries whom she has persuaded and assisted to end decades of silence and go 'on the record' about their own UFO experiences. Her witnesses include, amongst others: - the Airforce General responsible for scrambling F 16 fighters to (unsuccessfully) chase the silent black triangles seen by thousands of witnesses, photographed and tracked on radar over Belgium in 1989 and 1990; - the former United States Federal Aviation Administration Division Chief for Accident Investigations who followed up the 1986 Japan Air incident when a UFO 'larger than an aircraft carrier' circled a 747 over Alaska and was tracked on aircraft and ground radar; - the Iranian Airforce Major (who retired as a General) who attempted to fire missiles on a giant brightly lit UFO over Tehran in 1976. His F-4 Phantom jet's airborne radar picked it up but when he tried to lock his missiles on to it his controls froze and he lost all of his instruments; - the American missile launch officer who while on duty in 1967 in an underground command bunker at Malmstrom Airforce Base in Montana, watched ten Minuteman nuclear missiles shut down and go off-line within minutes of his top-side ground security calling to report a UFO hovering over the launch complex; and - the American Deputy Commander of a nuclear armed Airbase in Suffolk who in 1980 investigated a UFO landing at his base involving physical and radiation traces along with multiple military and law enforcement witnesses. Ms. Kean's whistle-blowers include serving and former military and government officials from France, Belgium, the UK, Chile, Peru, Iran, Portugal, former US military, aviation officials and NASA scientists and the former two-term Republican Governor of Arizona. The forward of the book was written by President Bill Clinton's Chief of White House Staff who also served on the National Security Council. These are not people with tinfoil pyramids on their heads. I recall being thrilled by the COMETA Report when it came out and I had high hopes it would blow the lid off what I believe to be the greatest news story of our known human history. I was disappointed, not for the first time, when this didn't happen. Ms. Kean's contributors include two prominent social/political scientists who explain the American and Western media 'taboo' against acknowledging UFOS quite clearly and that is one of the most interesting parts of the book, together with her discussion and analysis of the postulated American cover-up. Ms. Kean goes to great lengths to stick to the facts and the book is comprehensively referenced and indexed. She repeatedly makes the point that even though COMETA and other serious investigators have concluded that the extraterrestrial hypothesis is the most likely explanation, it is by no means proven. All we really know for sure is that something unknown is flying around in our skies, all over the world, buzzing our aircraft, airports, cities (and nuclear weapons depots) and we not only can't stop them, we really have no idea what they are or whether they might be dangerous to us. Her basic question is: isn't it time we stopped pretending there's nothing there and try to figure it out? Seems like a reasonable proposition to me. To all of you earnest, well-meaning (and ignorant) self-styled 'skeptics' who like to maintain the position that 'there is no reliable physical, photographic or other evidence to demonstrate the reality of the UFO phenomenon', you are flat out wrong and clearly have looked no further than the pages of James Randi's debunk-rag 'The Skeptical Enquirer' and the ends of your own nose. Ms. Kean's book, easily read in a day, would be a good start to get you to uncross your eyes and look up. As one of the reviewers (the science correspondent for PBS's NewsHour) who is quoted on the cover puts it "She may not have the final smoking gun, but I smell the gunpowder".

This is a well written book and is good for those interested in the subject. Many first hand eyewitness accounts, drawings and notes made by the eyewitnesses, etc. Great stuff. But it's important to also understand that a major purpose of this book is to advocate and lobby for the creation of an official US government agency to deal with UFO's. I have 2 problems with this: 1) I don't really care about all that; just show me some UFOs!! 2) I believe the MJ-12 documents are genuine, and if that's true, then the US government ALREADY KNOWS a ton about UFO's and has been studying them for decades secretly. Why this huge push for the creation of some "agency" now? It's a waste of time, when the government is already deeply engaged in research, and knows WAY more than will probably ever be revealed to the public. Anyway, I found it irritating that the author used the book as a soapbox. I would have liked it better if she just packed it full of UFO info and left the advocacy for another book. Either way, still worth reading...

After the military and/or government conducts full investigations, there are thousands of flying encounters that cannot be explained. This is not a book with abductions or implants. Kean does not denigrate such stories, she just doesn't go there. What Kean presents is chapter after chapter of first hand accounts, written specially for this book, of factually verified encounters (that is, more than eye witness verification) with Flying Objects that remain Unidentified even after investigation. There is so much baggage attached to the term UFO, Kean encourages you to use UAP if that will help you keep your objectivity. But whether it's called an Unidentified Aerial Phenomenon or a UFO, it is patently false to say there is no evidence of UFO's. Here are some of the 19 contributors to this book: Major General Wilfried De Brouwer (Ret.) describes "The UAP Wave Over Belgium" (1989); Captain Julio Miguel Guerra, Portuguese AF, tells "Circled by a UFO" (1982); Richard F. Haines, PhD, Senior Research Scientist NASA (Ret.) writes a chapter chock full of his investigations, titled, "Unidentified Aerial Phenomena and Aviation Safety"; Captain Ray Bowyer writes "Gigantic UFOs Over the English Channel, 2007". Bowyer's chapter brings up an interesting point. There are some countries, not that many, to be sure, who require pilots to report all, and that means ALL, flying encounters that could affect air safety. Dedicated teams investigate each encounter. The final report states explanations that have been excluded (there really are weather balloons, after all), saves all corroborating evidence (such as radar readings), and, most of all, does not ridicule the pilot's observations. This is a sensible way to approach unidentified objects. Yet the country with the best-equipped and largest military and commercial air fleets refuses to make these reports. More than that, the government states that there are no flying encounters that cannot be explained. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If a pilot is told to not make a report of an encounter, then there are officially no encounters. One of the incidents which first got me interested in learning more about verified UAP's is the March 13, 1997 "Phoenix Lights". Kean has a chapter on this sighting, in which hundreds of people saw a giant (2 football field-long) silent object glide over them. A little league game stopped short while everyone watched it pass. Drivers pulled over to gaze in disbelief. This documentary is well-worth watching. It was originally issued in 2005, with an updated version in 2008: The Phoenix Lights ... We Are Not Alone Documentary One of the main additions to the updated documentary is that Fife Symington III, Republican Governor of Arizona in 1997, admits that he personally saw the UFO, and can verify that it was not U.S. military. Symington also has a chapter in Kean's book, titled "Setting the Record Straight". Fife apologizes for adding to the general ridicule that faced people who reported the sighting, while keeping silent on the fact that he'd seen it himself. The problem was, he tried, as governor, to get answers and support from the Federal Government and the military and was stonewalled. It was easier for him to deny the sightings than to admit that no one had an explanation. In an interview with Kean, Symington says: "If the sighting affecting so many people in Arizona could have been officially, quickly, and openly investigated, with no stigma attached, all the resulting public confusion and hysteria that I faced as governor could have been avoided. This is the same approach as is recognized in other countries, and should become the new American policy. I would not want to see another governor go through what I did in 1997, and it's only a matter of time before this will happen again." I have this observation to add. Whatever or whoever were flying that craft was trying to be seen. Apparently, the only ones who think we are not ready to admit that there are flying objects, manned or unmanned, with technology greater than ours, is the U.S. government (perhaps especially the CIA, which turns up in the book and seems to have major power issues). This is a tightly focused book. The point made is that we are doing ourselves and our country a disservice by refusing to investigate odd occurrences that have and could affect airline safety and national security. A sober book, recommended reading. Happy Reader

This is a well written, well researched book. It's not about little green men or ancient aliens, or anything that you're going to find on the History Channel. It's a serious book about real phenomena. Ms. Kean has interviewed generals, civil and military pilots, scientists, government officials, physicists, police and others with impressive credentials, sophisticated skills and training, and reputations as serious people. They take UFOs seriously, and in most cases, their governments (non-US) have research units devoted to this mystery. Ironically, "UFO" has taken on the popular meaning of "alien spacecraft," rather than its direct meaning: flying objects which can not be identified. These are the estimated 5% of all unidentified flying objects which can not be written off as hoaxes, weather, natural phenomena, mass hallucinations or man made craft. Ms. Kean rightly adheres to what she calls "aggressive agnosticism" on the question of alien visitors. But the evidence shows that this hypothesis needs to be taken seriously. What makes it a bit tedious? She works so hard to ensure that the reader knows that her interviewees are not cranks, that she spends too much time going over their bona fides. She devotes an enormous amount of pages to her relentless - however well deserved - indictment of the US government's recalcitrance in simply admitting that there are things out there we can't explain, and its long history of cover-ups and deceptions on this subject. Further, many of the sightings she goes over are pretty well-known by now, and we don't learn a lot more about them per se. Nonetheless, this is the kind of book that forces even the most skeptical among us to ask, "What is really going on up there?"

Även om det är mycket information som finns om Militären och UFO så är denna information värdefull för dom som tycker om att läsa om UFO.

A very interesting and thought provoking book. The author...Leslie Kean...makes the case that UFOs are objectively real and supports that claim by presenting a very impressive collection of actual UFO cases where the witnesses are of the very highest calibre not only in terms of their observational skills but also in terms of their honesty, integrity and their seniority in government, the military and in civil aviation. The witnesses are all well educated, well trained, very professional people occupying very senior positions and they are all saying the same thing. UFOs are a reality. They have seen them with their own two eyes and have had the courage to stand up and say so. The author takes a truly sceptical position on the subject i.e. that this is a serious subject; that it's worthy of serious scientific (and properly funded) research; that there is currently no "hard evidence" that these UFOs are extra terrestrial; that the letter "U" in the acronym "UFO" means UNIDENTIFIED but that that the whole subject needs to be approached with an open mind that at least concedes the POSSIBILITY that extra terrestrial intelligence MIGHT be involved in the phenomenon. The author firmly plants her standard on the middle ground between the "believers" and the "de-bunkers" and challenges the reader to make up his/her own mind on the issue. That's why this book is so refreshing. For anyone with an interest in the UFO phenomenon this is a "must read" book and I would definitely recommend it

Give it a skip.

Essential for anyone who wants to understand the UFO phenomenon without fanaticism and conspiracy theories. The book's approach is scientific and investigative, taking the issue of UFOs seriously, as a phenomenon that needs serious investigation.

I would have to say that I am a skeptic when it comes to the subject matter of UFO and "aliens". I had little faith that this book would present the topic in a logical and well researched manner. However, Leslie Kean delivers in an impressive fashion. The evidence and testimony she cites is compelling. It is clear she did not want to muddy the waters by including material that could be easily refuted or explained away, and the book is impressive in its presentation and conclusions. It is easy to argue philosophy or opinions but when it comes to credible testimony and empirical facts (all smothered in logic), i have to say she has given me many reasons to rethink my position. I will not say to the "skeptic" that this read will suddenly result in a paradigm shift for you but it will certainly make you think a bit before discussing the topic. it has certainly made me less dismissive of the subject. To the rabid UFO/alien hunters, I believe the book will give them some feeling of redemption and I fear will be quoted to further the causes of those who see UFO everywhere. But the book itself is neutral in presentation and logical in conclusion. If you are looking for a book that is filled with accounts of grey aliens, abductions, and tales from sci-if mags you will probably find the read a tad boring. For anyone curious and skeptical about this topic i would highly recommend it.