Despite regular polling of Americans and their international counterparts around the world confirming a majority belief in life elsewhere in the universe, the subject of UFOs, extraterrestrials or alien abductions remains a sensitive one indeed. Sadly, there seems little room for middle ground concerning the topic for many extreme skeptics or fanatical believers.
To compound things, there are few serious scholars or scientists devoting their time and professional reputations to study a subject whom scores of important, powerful intellectuals find unsettling at best or trivial nonsense at worst. Still, each year so many books continue to be published on UFOs, aliens, and related themes, it takes much just to catalog the subject matter.
Following are some of the best written and researched UFO related books out there.
The UFO Files (Jerome Clark)
This is a thin read, but crammed full with events and facts.
Amongst the more surprising facts is that President Ronald Reagan while still serving as California governor not only saw a UFO, but also reported it to Washington Bureau Chief of the Wall Street Journal Norman C. Miller. A talkative Reagan volunteered much about the event, but then suddenly “clammed up” when he realized he was talking to a journalist. Published by Publications International, LTD.
Cosmic Test Tube: Extraterrestrial Contact, Theories & Evidence (Randall Fitzgerald)
Part historical guidebook, with clear analysis and also a UFO bibliography, Cosmic Test Tube impresses as one of the best UFO reference guides.
Describing all major UFO books printed up until the time of publication (1998), Fitzgerald covers everything from the ancient astronauts of Erik Von Daniken’s Chariots of the Gods, to the famous Betty and Barney Hill alien abduction case to the celebrated incident at Roswell, New Mexico. Unlike some dry pure reference guide or quick listing of sources, Fitzgerald prefaces each comprehensive section with anecdotes and thoughtful observations about the material he’s collated. This is one book, which deserves to be updated periodically as new ones come along worthy of inclusion in Cosmic Test Tube.
The Complete Book Of UFOs (Jenny Randles & Peter Hough)
First published in Great Britain in 1994, then by Sterling Publishing Co, Inc. in 1996, this is a great overview of the UFO phenomenon.
Authors Jenny Randles and Peter Hough maintain an intelligent tone throughout and their scholarship on the subject is evident on every page. Great black & white photos sprinkled throughout make this one a nicely affordable scaled down encyclopedia on UFOs.
Top Secret/MAJIC (Stanton T. Friedman)
As one of the few respected hard scientists with an impressive professional background who’s a staunch believer in UFOs, Stanton T. Friedman’s lectures, papers, books and frequent appearances on television are many and convincing.
Here Friedman tackles a “cosmic Watergate” of supposed Top Secret documents describing a government task force of top scientists and military men assembled by Harry Truman to keep UFO secrets. The Majic or Majestic papers were anonymously sent to UFO researcher James Shandera in the 1980’s. Friedman has doggedly combed over the documents and meticulously researched the claims therein, and his well documented findings can certainly be admired. Whatever your final opinion on the legitimacy of Majestic 12, the book is clearly written, well researched and always compelling.
Close Encounters Of The Fourth Kind: Alien Abduction, UFOs, & The Conference At M.I.T. (C.D.B Bryan)
Yale graduate and respected writer for publications like Esquire and Rolling Stone, C.D.B Bryan covers a five day conference on extraterrestrial phenomenon conducted at the Massachusetts Institute Of Technology – one of the most prestigious scientific private universities in the world.
Bryan’s own father, Air Force Colonel Joseph Bryan III was outspoken on UFO beliefs, which caused Bryan to feel a measure of embarrassment. Perhaps this book is a kind of personal campaign for Bryan to deal with those family issues, but the author is never anything but fair and objective in his comprehensive coverage on the people and proceedings of the conference. Along with that coverage, Bryan does his own detailed look at the UFO phenomenon history, and also interviews conference attendees who claim to be alien abductees.
The UFO Phenomenon (Editors OF Time-Life Books)
This coffee table book is part of a line of volumes on the paranormal from Time-Life Books – MYSTERIES OF THE UNKNOWN.
Its large size, hardcover bound and chock full of great photos and illustrations make it a perfect family friendly go to resource when a little UFO knowledge or fact checking is required. Time-Life book series are popular and respected for thorough fact checking and balanced treatment. This great volume is no different.
