Scan barcode
A review by efthymis
Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base by Annie Jacobsen
challenging
dark
informative
slow-paced
5.0
What can I say... Let me start with the book itself and the writing.
I enjoyed the style, it was easy to read and follow, except for the so many names in it. It's expected, though, since there were/are so many people involved in what occurred in Area 51.
Since I am not American, or familiar enough with its politics and military, I have to accept that the author did her best in her research. Some things I accepted as fact; others I cannot stomach, or I'm having serious difficulty accepting.
I got enraged in quite a few places in the book, especially about the tests on human beings --willing tests subjects or not. I also have a hard time understanding why the US seem to be obsessed with seeing everyone else as a threat. The book paints a picture where army officials seem too eager to jump the gun. And I believe she sugar-coated it a lot; i fear it's worse than that in reality.
Now, as for what is said about Area 51 in this book. Sure, I believe everything about the nuclear tests, the experimental planes, the weapons tech that was being researched, the secrecy. I cannot believe, though, the reports about the Roswell UFO. I just can't buy it, even though I would like to finally find out what really happened then. But I guess we will never find out, not only about that incident, but many others too, and I'm not only referring to UFO stuff.
So, to sum up: nice book, nice writing, lots of sources, lots of exposed data, but not nearly enough to scrap the surface of Area 51. I recommend it to those who would like a timeline of events about this subject matter.
I enjoyed the style, it was easy to read and follow, except for the so many names in it. It's expected, though, since there were/are so many people involved in what occurred in Area 51.
Since I am not American, or familiar enough with its politics and military, I have to accept that the author did her best in her research. Some things I accepted as fact; others I cannot stomach, or I'm having serious difficulty accepting.
I got enraged in quite a few places in the book, especially about the tests on human beings --willing tests subjects or not. I also have a hard time understanding why the US seem to be obsessed with seeing everyone else as a threat. The book paints a picture where army officials seem too eager to jump the gun. And I believe she sugar-coated it a lot; i fear it's worse than that in reality.
Now, as for what is said about Area 51 in this book. Sure, I believe everything about the nuclear tests, the experimental planes, the weapons tech that was being researched, the secrecy. I cannot believe, though, the reports about the Roswell UFO. I just can't buy it, even though I would like to finally find out what really happened then. But I guess we will never find out, not only about that incident, but many others too, and I'm not only referring to UFO stuff.
So, to sum up: nice book, nice writing, lots of sources, lots of exposed data, but not nearly enough to scrap the surface of Area 51. I recommend it to those who would like a timeline of events about this subject matter.