Roswell 2002
Published November 18, 2002
Maybe alien starfaring civilizations who have mastered the secrets of intergalactic travel are observing our planet. Such beings would, in Arthur C. Clarke's words, be capable of feats "indistinguishable from magic" and could thus conceal themselves from us. Having done so, they may even now be searching for the identity of the UFO pilots, since they know it isn't they! Ooh, cold water smack down. Okay, I'm back to normal again.
Here's a roundup of Roswell-related books from the 50th anniversary in 1997 by near-neighbor, the Albuquerque Journal:
- The 50th anniversary of the alleged crash at Roswell is nigh upon us and there's a spate of books on the Roswell Incident and UFOs in general. Coincidence? We think not.
Here are capsule reviews of some books done by the top-secret three-member "Grand Unified Conspiracy and UFO Retrieval Committee of the Order of Men in Tweed."
"Beyond Roswell" (Marlowe and Co., $24.95) by Michael Hesemann and Philip Mantle.
In one of the few books that sheds any new light on the subject, the authors make a game attempt to fit all the "facts" of the Roswell crash into a new scenario. Backed by government documents and eyewitness interviews, they claim the military actually responded to three different saucer crashes in 1947, from May 31 to Aug. 13 — one near Socorro, one near Roswell, and one near Flagstaff, Ariz. Much material will be new except to fanatics. Its weakness, like most of this genre, is that it sometimes relies on discredited accounts or materials.
"The UFO Invasion" (Prometheus Books, $25.95) edited by Kendrick Frazier, Barry Karr and Joe Nickell.
This could have been the book that made a convincing case for UFO debunkers, but it falls short. Based mostly on reprints of articles from the Skeptical Inquirer, it jumps all over the place, and the lack of coherence hurts as does the choice of some obscure cases. It also contains a large dose of the smugness and close-mindedness not associated with "scientific" inquiry.
"Alien Agenda" (HarperCollins $24) by Jim Marrs.
The Kennedy assassination expert takes on UFOs and government secrecy in a massive review of the recent history of UFOs. Marrs correctly perceives that the belief in UFOs is mainly a matter of mindsets. Marrs' journalistic credentials give him a leg up on many authors in supporting what he says. He delves into some areas the general public may not be aware of. A plus is his look at the cultural and metaphysical aspects of the phenomenon. He stumbles, however, in spending time defending lost causes like Billy Meiers.
"UFO" (NTC Contemporary Publishing, $22.95) by Charles E. Seller with Joe Meier.
The chapter "Roswell Revisited" is really "Roswell Re-hashed," taking bits and pieces of the various stories and wedging them into a single narrative. It sheds no new light. If you're a fan of works that explore the connection between the cosmos and ancient constructions like pyramids, Stonehenge and the plains of Nazca in Peru, however, you'll find this an enjoyable read.
"Making Contact" (William Morrow $22) edited by Bill Fawcett.
We must admit we have not read this one, but with the avalanche of books out on dating etiquette, we suppose this book was inevitable. The press blurb should allow you to decide whether you want to get it: ""'Making Contact'... covers the nitty-gritty of establishing a relationship with aliens, including how simple items like coins and string can be used to communicate with aliens, how to perform alien first aid and official U.S. Air Force guidelines for notifying the public."
"The Official Alien Abductee's Handbook" (Andrews and McMeel $7.95) by Joe Tripician.
Finally a book about UFOs with a sense of humor. It's the perfect antidote to "Making Contact." Any book with a parody song called "Abductee in the U.S.A.," to the tune of the Sex Pistols' classic "Anarchy in the U.K." scores big points.
"Top Secret/MAJIC" (Marlowe and Co. $13.95) by Stanton Friedman.
If you want to read a book about Stanton Friedman, nuclear physicist (as the UFO researcher likes to call himself), this book is for you. If you want to read a book that sheds light on the UFO phenomenon, pass. While the UFO community has largely abandoned a bundle of allegedly top-secret documents about the government's MJ-12 UFO coverup as a feeble hoax, Friedman remains unrepentant. His tales about himself and his heroism to get at the truth clog up his narrative, especially when the "truth" is the pathetic MJ-12.
"Roswell in Perspective," by Karl Pflock. (Fund for UFO Research, PO Box 277, Mount Rainier, Md. 20712)
"RiP," as it's known to aficionados, is not exactly a book, but it's one of the best efforts to untangle the Gordian knot of Roswell. Written in 1994 as a report by Placitas' Pflock, it's a reasonable, dispassionate sifting of evidence without the agendas that mark work of other Roswell researchers. Its conclusion: The famed debris was a military balloon experiment. And while Pflock left open the possibility that an alien ship crashed in New Mexico back in 1947, he has slammed that door shut since "RiP" was published, concluding that The Roswell Incident was a case of mistaken identity.
- Roswell 2002
- Published: November 18, 2002
- Type:
- Section: Video
- Filed Under: Video: News, Video: Television
- Writer: Eric Olsen
- Eric Olsen's BC Writer page
- Eric Olsen's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
My Review:
"THE ROSWELL CRASH: STARTLING NEW EVIDENCE." 8PM Eastern time, Sci-Fi Channel, 11/22/02.
"It is a shame that such a serious national interest has been reduced to this."
"The Feds are laughing all the way to Mars. This mockery suits their purpose tenfold."
Poor Bryant Gumbel. He has reduced himself to the fraud and journalistic flimflammery of Geraldo and "Al Capone's Vaults." Geraldo was going to get it out of the vaults and Gumble seen it go into the vault. Not a word was revealed about what was dug up at dig. That was the hook, "startling new evidence," to get the viewers and the ratings for the first show and what was dug up will be the fodder for the sequel, crap on top of crap. This is the third time I've seen this format. The last time was about what they possibly would find in the pyramid. The second can be no more of a sham than the first so I'm wondering who will throw away their hard earned journalistic integrity to do part two as Gumble did the first or will Gumble further dig his hole deeper by doing part two, surely discrediting his career forever. Geraldo has few fans after his vaults escapade so Gumble from now on will be "second rate." Who could take him seriously doing the news anymore after this screen version of a tabloid reporter? To take such work he must be hurting for money. There was no "smoking gun" evidence on the show. All they offered was typical hollywood hype and more people/?witnesses? offering nothing but more words. Words is all they ever had in the first place. No bodies, no wreckage, no nothing but words. Obviously there is no longer any serious investigation of the Roswell Incident.
Anonymous_Chicken
My Review:
"THE ROSWELL CRASH: STARTLING NEW EVIDENCE." 8PM Eastern time, Sci-Fi Channel, 11/22/02.
"It is a shame that such a serious national interest has been reduced to this."
"The Feds are laughing all the way to Mars. This mockery suits their purpose tenfold."
Poor Bryant Gumbel. He has reduced himself to the fraud and journalistic flimflammery of Geraldo and "Al Capone's Vaults." Geraldo was going to get it out of the vaults and Gumble seen it go into the vault. Not a word was revealed about what was dug up at dig. That was the hook, "startling new evidence," to get the viewers and the ratings for the first show and what was dug up will be the fodder for the sequel, crap on top of crap. This is the third time I've seen this format. The last time was about what they possibly would find in the pyramid. The second can be no more of a sham than the first so I'm wondering who will throw away their hard earned journalistic integrity to do part two as Gumble did the first or will Gumble further dig his hole deeper by doing part two, surely discrediting his career forever. Geraldo has few fans after his vaults escapade so Gumble from now on will be "second rate." Who could take him seriously doing the news anymore after this screen version of a tabloid reporter? To take such work he must be hurting for money. There was no "smoking gun" evidence on the show. All they offered was typical hollywood hype and more people/?witnesses? offering nothing but more words. Words is all they ever had in the first place. No bodies, no wreckage, no nothing but words. Obviously there is no longer any serious investigation of the Roswell Incident.
Anonymous_Chicken
"Point of impact" was very wrong on "THE ROSWELL CRASH: STARTLING NEW EVIDENCE". This is because they kept looking at the point where the craft came to rest as the point of impact..... WHY???
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My Review:
"THE ROSWELL CRASH: STARTLING NEW EVIDENCE." 8PM Eastern time, Sci-Fi Channel, 11/22/02.
"It is a shame that such a serious national interest has been reduced to this."
"The Feds are laughing all the way to Mars. This mockery suits their purpose tenfold."
Poor Bryant Gumbel. He has reduced himself to the fraud and journalistic flimflammery of Geraldo and "Al Capone's Vaults." Geraldo was going to get it out of the vaults and Gumble seen it go into the vault. Not a word was revealed about what was dug up at dig. That was the hook, "startling new evidence," to get the viewers and the ratings for the first show and what was dug up will be the fodder for the sequel, crap on top of crap. This is the third time I've seen this format. The last time was about what they possibly would find in the pyramid. The second can be no more of a sham than the first so I'm wondering who will throw away their hard earned journalistic integrity to do part two as Gumble did the first or will Gumble further dig his hole deeper by doing part two, surely discrediting his career forever. Geraldo has few fans after his vaults escapade so Gumble from now on will be "second rate." Who could take him seriously doing the news anymore after this screen version of a tabloid reporter? To take such work he must be hurting for money. There was no "smoking gun" evidence on the show. All they offered was typical hollywood hype and more people/?witnesses? offering nothing but more words. Words is all they ever had in the first place. No bodies, no wreckage, no nothing but words. Obviously there is no longer any serious investigation of the Roswell Incident.
Anonymous_Chicken