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"Americans are in a bad enough state trying to struggle through the ordinary smoke of their official culture. How can they be expected to assess the implications of the UFO problem? They can begin only by recognizing that secrecy over UFOs exists, and that this secrecy is part of a broader policy of control and deception. It is a bad omen that our civilization, beleaguered as it is by its own doing, has not faced this problem squarely." From the Introduction of UFOs and the National Security State. Chronology of a Cover-up, 1941-1973 |
UFOs and the National Security StateVolume One, 1941-1973
A thorough historical analysis of the national security dimensions of the UFO phenomenon. Getting past the official pronouncements on the one side, and unprovable assertions on the other, this study gathers together the facts that are known, providing a concise yet comprehensive narrative. Among its contents:
Based on research of hundreds of official and fully documented sources, Richard Dolan presents an astonishing level of detail, sophistication, and clarity to a topic all-too-frequently dismissed as an adjunct of pop culture. Vintage Richard Dolan presentation on
From the book's Introduction: The UFO problem has involved military personnel around the world for more than fifty years, and is wrapped in secrecy. Over the years, enough pieces of the puzzle have emerged to give us a sense of what the picture looks like. I have tried to use these pieces to construct a clear historical narrative, focusing on the national security dimensions. Because this subject is so widely ridiculed, it is important to stress why it is worthy of serious attention. Stories of strange objects in the sky go far back in time, but the problem received little attention until the Second World War. At that time, military personnel from Allied and Axis countries reported unconventional objects in the sky, eventually known as foo fighters. In retrospect, this development is not so surprising. First, human aviation had become widespread for the first time. Above the clouds, thousands of pilots suddenly had the kind of visibility never before possessed. A second reason was the invention of radar, which extended the range of human vision by electronic means. Most investigators during the war assumed the odd sightings were related to the war itself, the product of anomalies related to their new technologies of detection, or perhaps enemy experimental aircraft. With that in mind, one might have expected such sightings to vanish after the war’s end in 1945. Instead, they increased . . . . Click here to read the entire Introduction >> |
More praise for this groundbreaking classic: "Destined to become a true classic ... packed with information ... [Dolan] is a skilled writer whose style never bores ... [he] has done Ufology a major service." "The best history of the UFO phenomenon in one volume that I have ever read." "Rich Dolan's meticulous research takes us behind the headlines into the archives to document the interplay between the UFO subject and the National Security apparatus ... a must-read for serious students of the field." "There are very few authors that capture your imagination, and then make you question it over and over... This is one of those books." "A landmark contribution to the field which has earned classic status." "Thorough and Indispensable." "The next time someone asks 'what is the one book on UFOs you would recommend for a beginner' the answer is: this book."
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