Message posted by Peter Merlin on May 17, 2011 at 18:59:01 PST:
I have been reading through the book. A copy was given to me by a well known and respected aerospace historian because he didn't want it on his book shelf. So far, it appears to be even worse than we first thought. Even the sections of straightforward history are rife with factual errors. I expect some errors to creep in when dealing with people (many elderly retirees) who are trying to recall events long past. It is frequently possible, however, to correct errors prior to publication with a modest effort at fact checking. When I helped a retired test pilot write his autobiography, I checked the details of his anecdotes, and corrected factual errors as needed rather than just taking the stories at face value. Most unfortunately, this book contains the most egregious nonsense regarding Roswell, Bob Lazar, human experimentation, and other things that have nothing whatsoever to do with Area 51 history (Even conspiracy nuts on other web forums think this stuff is over the top). As a result, the true stories of Cold War veterans such as the Roadrunners get buried in a twisted maze of crapola. What should have been the first serious Groom lake history has become another sensationalist potboiler. The author wasted a rare opportunity, and a lot of people feel betrayed.
In Reply to: Mrs. Jacobson interview on NPR posted by Robert on May 17, 2011 at 17:31:43 PST:
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