Accurate book on Area 51 coming out in December (no aliens, no conspiracies)

Finally, for the first time, an accurate book on Area 51 will be coming out.
This no-nonsense book is written by Peter Merlin, perhaps the most knowledgeable specialist on military aviation and the history of Area 51.
This book will be based on reality, not on fringe science beliefs such as aliens and conspiracy theories.
It is simply titled: AREA 51:

www.amazon.com...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314215318&sr=8-1

The downside to this, if there is a downside, is the probablity that this book will never become a bestseller, simply because it is based on reality. The gullible segment of the public, for the most part, seems to be interested only in sensational books, fiction or non-fiction.
Moreoever, I am certain that the author is not interested in the book becoming a bestseller. That is not his intention. His intention is to provide a realistic version of what Area 51 is all about.

noriohayakawa2012.blogspot.com...

Exactly

Whether or not he is telling the truth, the truth is very boring So it likely will not take off. I find it hard to believe with all the people who claim what is going on there. I'm sure there are certain sectors that have no knowledge what is going on in the underground.

If the book doesn't contain aliens or UFO's the book isn't very accurate now is it???

reply to post by Fastriver


I will take this book with the same grain of salt I take every other Area 51 book with. I think we can all agree that the bases classified material was not "unclassified" for the publishing of this book...with that said, the book can only contain so many truths...Truths which the gov't has authorized.

You really don't think they would let this book reach the public, if it held all of their little secrets do you???

There is plenty of old declassified information. Hey, Anne Jacobson has a pile of it. Unfortunately, she decided to add a bunch of BS to her book to make it sell.

Peter is an historian. Whatever he puts in the book will be accurate.

Maybe as accurate as possible is a better term. Often official documents aren't 100% accurate. Testimony often has mistakes, or the person testifies to something that turns out to be inaccurate. Often little things. Like the A-12 pilot saying he was given truth serum when actually he was given a different drug. (Sodium amytal versus sodium pentathol.) Or times get messed up (Eastern versus Pacific). Don't forget that NASA had a fubar when English and metric units got confused.

There are some inconsistent dates in the "Skunkworks" book. I can dig up the inconsistencies if anyone is interested. But my point is Skunkworks is a book that presumably was checked by an editor, yet mistakes got printed.

Why do so many people put so much belief in what books say? Look at the greatest selling and most read book of all time, do you think that book contains all facts?

reply to post by Fastriver

What a lame attempt at promoting your lame book.
Nice try dude, nice try but very transparent, Go peddle your crappy book somewhere else.

CSM once said:

If you give people satisfactions, they’ll give you authority in return. If the books profile fits the agenda, then why not?

reply to post by Fastriver


Thank you for the heads up.

I'll be placing a pre-order over the weekend.

There is undoubtedly a tremendous amount of long hidden facts and untold anecdotes from the early Groom Lake days waiting to be told publically for the first time. As many of us know, there were minimal paper records kept regarding many of the more sensitive programs and now that enough time has passed to allow some of the good stuff into the public there are few surviving participants and fewer who are willing to talk about their experiences.

After the recent blindside Anne Jacobson pulled I had some concern that a golden and unique opportunity had been squandered.

Many of those who had contributed to what they thought was a serious project to chronicle an important and untold part of aerospace history were not happy and I feared they would be reluctant to trust another author, preferring to take their stories to the grave rather than risking being duped into unwittingly participating in another fiction.

Fortunately it would seem that may not be the case after all.

The various programs Groom lake has hosted over the years have played a significant role in the modern incarnation of the UFO mythos. I look will eagerly look forward to what further revelations this next publication has to offer in chronicling that amazing era of aerospace achievement.

reply to post by Fastriver


How do you know it's accurate if it hasn't even been released yet? Have you read it already? If so, please share some of this "accuracy" with us.

Furthermore, the absence of a UFO/ET explanation doesn't prove the theory wrong. It's simply not addressed. Every single Earthly explanation (secret aircraft, black projects, etc.) could be 100% fact, and it still wouldn't prove the UFO/ET theory wrong.

It's quite possible that both explanations (Earthly, UFO/ET) are true.

reply to post by Fastriver


How can YOU state that something is accurate if you haven't experienced it yourself , or are you just cherry picking to suit your own personal point of view? I can name books by prominant people that state the exact opposite to what you are claiming in your OP.

How long are people like you going to go through life being told how to think ?

You have a perfectly adequate brain . Try some free thinking

reply to post by tpg65


The author Peter Merlin has an impeccable reputation amongst aerospace historians and is regarded by many as a preeminent authority on Dreamland Resort.

I could go on about open mouth insert foot or how can grown adults be so gullible and poorly educated as to believe the ridiculous claims spoon fed to them by hack authors but in the interest of good community relations I'll just post a link so you don't continue to embarrass yourself.

I have no problem respecting your choice to believe bad pseudoscience and made up stories of extraterrestrials if that's what floats your boat but respect is a two way street

I would also like to see what you have to offer in your claim to name

books by prominent people that state the exact opposite to what you are claiming in your OP

Small world, I have lots of books on the subject as well however I'm going to go out on a limb and guess our collections are very different because mine are written by test pilots and engineers who actually worked there.

While you are entitled to your own opinion you are not entitled to your own facts and unless you are one of those "opened minded people" who plug their ears and start screaming when shown you are misinformed and utterly mistaken you might just learn something.

I would point out you may want to think long and hard about your comment of who is going through life being told what to think.

The great show master P.T. Barnum once said "there's a sucker born every minute"

Peter W. Merlin is an aerospace historian who has been researching the history of Area 51 since 1984 and has written numerous articles on the subject.

He has also appeared on such television programs as Modern Marvels, Mystery Hunters, Man-Moment-Machine, Inside Area 51, UFO: Down To Earth, Return to Area 51, Atomic Journeys, UFO Hunters, MysteryQuest, and others.

As a freelance writer Merlin has published articles in a variety of periodicals, covering subjects from aerospace history to nuclear weapon accidents.

He is the author of Mach 3+: NASA/USAF YF-12 Flight Research, 1969-1979 (NASA, 2001), From Archangel to Senior Crown - Design and Development of the Blackbird (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2008), Ikhana Unmanned Aircraft System Western States Fire Missions (NASA, 2009), "The Evolution of Remotely Piloted Research Vehicles," NASA's Contributions to Aeronautics, Vol. 2, edited by Dr. Richard P. Hallion (NASA, 2010), and X-Plane Crashes - Exploring Experimental, Rocket Plane and Spycraft Incidents, Accidents and Crash Sites, with Tony Moore (Specialty Press, 2008). He also co-authored Donald L. Mallick's autobiography, The Smell of Kerosene: A Test Pilot's Odyssey (NASA, 2003).

As a founding member of the X-Hunters Aerospace Archeology Team, he also specializes in recovering historic aircraft artifacts from crash sites in the southwestern United States, especially from the areas surrounding Edwards Air Force Base, California, and Groom Lake, Nevada. He has visited over 100 aircraft wrecks including the X-1A, X-2, X-15, XP-80A, XB-51, XB-70, N-9M, YB-49, U-2, A-12, YF-12A, and SR-71.

Peter W. Merlin-Historian and Aerospace Archeologist

Just so you know there's no hard feelings and I'm just taking a dig back at you as both aerospace and military history are interests of mine so I have the unfair advantage of knowing Fastriver's post was right as rain without having to break a sweat researching.

Peter Merlin posts on here, btw. See if you can figure out his user name And it ain't "Fastriver", Thunderheart.
Also - I get the impression this is going to mainly be a "picture" book.

Yeah because all the astronauts, pilots, military personnel, police officers, and civilians who have seen things that would flip your world upside down are just crazy mofos, and the government that denies it is obviously a saintly institution who would never lie to people. That's the "reality" you speak of, isn't it?

Originally posted by Fastriver
Finally, for the first time, an accurate book on Area 51 will be coming out.

Hi Fastriver, Peter Merlin could be perhaps the most knowledgeable specialist on military aviation and the history of Area 51, but to write a really accurate book on Area 51 I would expect that he at least must have worked there or still is working there in my opinion right?
So my question to you is do you know if he worked there or is he still working there?

Arcadia's rigid format precludes the inclusion of a great deal of text. They specialize in showcasing archival photographs to illustrate regional history.The company's largest and most popular series is called Images of America, but they have also introduced Images of Aviation and others.

Each book is limited to a maximum of 128 pages, some of which are allocated to title page, table of contents, etc. As a result, the author can usually include several pages of introductory text at the beginning and one per chapter. Most of the remaining pages are devoted to photos with captions. There are limitations to the maximum number of photos (240) as well as total word count for the manuscript, including titles, chapter headings, acknowledgements, and even photo credits.

Arcadia's titles include many fine capsule histories of towns, counties, airfields, and historic sites around the country. While not comprehensive in scope, they nevertheless provide the reader with material that is easy to digest and offer a unique glimpse into the past. Each author, probably writing for sheer love of the subject matter - because these are not designed to be "best sellers" in the traditional sense, has probably spent years researching his or her topic and collecting photos and documentation.

"Images of Aviation: Area 51" includes some 224 photos, selected from more than twice that number. One can imagine the painful choices that had to be made, sacrificing some images in order to include others. But, who has ever seen so many Area 51 related pictures aggregated in one place? More important, the subject matter is presented as straightforward history, without all the conspiracy mumbo jumbo that has become such a distraction.

reply to post by Drunkenparrot


I take exception to somebody answering a post that was not aimed at them .

I will take a look at this book in around 6 months time .......when I find it in a Bargain Bin at some second rate bookstore.

Have a nice weekend

reply to post by Drunkenparrot


That stupid some of you Americans are. You buy something before you even think what you buy.The book will tell nothing like 1guy above said, do you think just cause no aliens the book will give all the truth? Do you think top secret technology will be revealed like that?

Your motto should be:
SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY

So my question to you is do you know if he worked there or is he still working there?

reply to post by spacevisitor




Gee, if only Peter posts on this forum. Then you could ask him yourself. ;-)



You do realize that if you worked at Groom, you would probably only know a piece of the puzzle. Everything is compartmentalized. I've worked on some military electronics. I know 5% of some systems really well. That and two bucks gets me a medium coffee at Peet's. You have to realize these high tech goodies have a lot of secret sauce in them, and few people know everything.

If you attended the Road Runners meeting that was open to the public, some of these guys were hearing bits and pieces of projects they worked on from their co-workers for the first time. Then they learned stuff from the P&W engineers in the audience that worked on their aircraft.

Originally posted by gariac

So my question to you is do you know if he worked there or is he still working there?

reply to post by spacevisitor

 

You do realize that if you worked at Groom, you would probably only know a piece of the puzzle. Everything is compartmentalized.

You have to realize these high tech goodies have a lot of secret sauce in them, and few people know everything.

Yes I realize those things very well, and it is especially because of those things why I am convinced that Peter Merlin could therefore not have written an accurate book on Area 51.
So even if he worked at Groom, he would as you also say probably only know a very small piece of the big puzzle.