Friends, I ask all of you to consider the negative reviews posted here:

Not a SINGLE ONE of them offer rebuttals to the facts presented by Friedman. They offer NO evidence Friedman is wrong, NO counter facts, NO data, nothing but off the cuff negative statements, designed to discourage you from buying the book.


The shallow NEGATIVE reviews with NO substance here are suspiciously good reasons to BUY the book, not to dismiss it. Way to go Friedman.. Keep up the good work.

While I enjoyed reading Stanton's other books (they are 4+stars) and I admire his enthusiasm and facilitation of the subject, this one is not much more than a running dietribe/debunking his critics debunking of him and ufos. I give this read a generous two stars, dont pay full price for this one either!

THE GRANDFATHER OF MODERN UFOLOGY HAS COME OUT WITH HIS BEST BOOK TO DATE IN MY OPINION. HE COVERS EVERYTHING FROM INTERSTEALLER TRAVEL TO MJ-12 TO THE COSMIC WATERGATE. YOU MIGHT NOT FIND ANY CRAZY ABDUTION STORIES HERE BUT STAN PROVIDES THE FACTS. THIS BOOK IS ACUALLY LOADED WITH FACTS. HE WILL SHOW YOU THAT THE SKEPTICS ARE FULL OF IT AND THAT THE GOVERMENT IS TRY TO HIDE SOMETHING WHATEVER IT MAY BE. THE BEST CHAPTERS ARE (WE CAN GET HERE FROM THEIR) AND (MJ-12 UPDATE) AT LEAST I THINK. THOUGH I DON'T AGREE WITH SOMETHINGS (A VERY MINORITY) HE HAS TO SAY. I HAVE COME OUT MORE EDUCATED ON THE TOPIC WHICH IS WHAT STAN A THINK STRIVES FOR.

Probably your best bargain in the ufo category written by a physicist once employed (through civilian contractors) by the Air Force. Despite what the nay-sayers have written here, this is your best buy on the subject, from a no-nonsense researcher.

Mr. Friedman summarizes the best cases, though providing many resources for you to look up on your own. He explains in detail the fallacies of arguments against these best cases. In fact, he encourages you to read the original sources and so follow in his footsteps.

I admire this man for his courage to speak out when to do so, brings censure and derision. Good work! And a very good buy for you.

For the best of the subject, I heartily recommend this book and the following: Night Siege: The Hudson Valley UFO Sightings, by Hynek et al, Interdimensional Universe by Imbrogno, Dark Mission by Hoagland, and Alien Agenda by Marrs.

Probably your best bargain in the ufo category written by a physicist once employed by the Air Force. Despite what the nay-sayers have written here, this is your best buy on the subject, from a no-nonsense researcher.

Mr. Friedman summarizes the best cases, though providing many resources for you to look up on your own. He explains in detail the fallacies of arguments against these best cases. In fact, he encourages you to read the original sources and so follow in his footsteps.

I admire this man for his courage to speak out when to do so, brings censure and derision. Good work! And a very good buy for you.

Readers looking for a scientific appraisal of the UFO phenomenon or even a coherent overview of the subject should look elsewhere. Friedman's rambling polemic achieves neither objective.

The author spends the first third of this rather slender volume rehashing a number of reports issued decades ago. He presents no new evidence and basically insists that a careful reading of these old documents will prove that some UFOs are alien spacecraft.

The remainder of the book is largely dedicated to claiming a government cover-up and rebutting his critics, many of whom are dead. Ironically, he denounces the critics for making unwarranted assumptions about the motivations of a reputed alien civilization, then proceeds to do exactly the same thing himself. For instance, he suggests that one reason the aliens don't reveal themselves is that they would want little direct contact with beings who spend vast amounts on armaments while permitting 30,000 children to starve to death each day. Moreover, they might avoid landing on the White House lawn because it is in a "no fly" zone and heavily defended.

Apart from its superficial content, the rambling and repetitive text has the feel of a compilation of dictated notes. For example, Friedman informs us at least five times that the stars Zeta 1 and Zeta 2 Reticuli are only 1/8 of a light year apart from each other, and he repeatedly notes that 300,000 documents in the Eisenhower Library are still classified. Numbered points that promise a concise examination of some issue frequently drift into petulant asides or long lists of irrelevant facts. Someone named Kara Reynolds is identified as the book's editor. She must have been on holiday when this book passed muster.

This is a poor effort, especially for someone who has spent a lifetime investigating the subject.

Finally a book on Flying Saucers/UFO's that gets away from the old genre and brings us into the 21st century. Stanton Friedman's handling of the subject is befitting a man of his education as a scientist and stature as a life long researcher and believer in the phenomenon. This should be required reading in every news room across the globe. Let every empty talking/writing head who ever made fun of the idea or derided those that reported the sightings take a sobering look at themselves and the matter. I hope I live long enough to see this government 'give it up' and open up their UFO files to the world. Best work yet on this issue.

Nuclear physicist and lecturer Stanton Friedman packs in over 40 years of research on UFOs and advanced nuclear and space systems to survey data from a variety of large-scale scientific UFO studies in Flying Saucers and Science, bringing these studies to lay readers in plain terms. While this is more a science book than a new age title, public libraries strong in new age holdings will likely purchase it more readily than serious science libraries. It's the general-interest reader who will likely benefit most from the study.

If the irrational, ad hominem attacks that were the basis of of his arguments the other night on Larry King Live are the sort used in this book, I mourn for the trees that were killed for such tripe.

Let me begin by saying that I have the utmost respect and admiration for Stanton Friedman and his pursuit of the truth regarding flying saucers. That is why I have entitled my review "Sadly disappointing"....because it is, indeed, sad that with this book what could and should have been Mr. Friedman's magnum opus, his life-time summation of the most direct and irrefutable evidence out there, we have - instead - a relatively slim volume coming out relatively fast on the heels of "Captured" (his wonderful book about Betty and Barney Hill, albeit co-authored)...almost as if it were done on-the-run and for reasons other than offering the public a supreme summation of the ongoing situation. Why do I say this? For one, if a reader knows little about UFOs, this book would merely confuse and baffle him. It hints at many things and skirts around several issues, but other than the still-dubious Majestic-12 controversy, goes into detail about very few. Instead, we are referred to other books if we want to know more - one of which is Mr. Friedman's own "Crash at Corona" which we are referred to several, several times throughout the text. Hint, hint: buy the other book! There is talk of UFOs shooting down aircraft - yet no instances are elaborated. There is no discussion of note regarding the Phoenix Lights sightings and the more recent flap in Texas. There is nothing about the daytime pilot sighting over the English Channel not so long ago. A variety of truly startling NASA footage that I have seen is not even discussed, nor is Astronaut Gordon Cooper's incredible admission in his autobiography that he personally knew people who had filmed a landed UFO and its occupants and that he - Cooper - had seen UFOs during his World War Two pilotting. Philip Corso - whether whistle-blower or fraud - is not addressed. Mention is made of two saucer crashes near Roswell - but no details are given. (And many of the witnesses to Roswell that Mr. Friedman still puts stock in have, in my estimation, been discredited rather convincingly elsewhere: among them, mortician Glenn Dennis and Barney Barnett.) What is offered are things most people already, sadly, know of: that the Government blacks out (or whites out) many, many documents released regarding UFOs; that interstellar space travel is possible (although faster-than-light travel or worm-holes or other dimensions are not given there due here as matters of comprehensive interest); the reasons why governments keep UFOs secrets; SETI's silliness, etc. These are issues that are of vast interest, yes, but there is no balancing these with powerful descriptions of the powerful evidence of UFOs!of We are told of soil samples where saucers have landed - but not of what they reveal. The most current and intense cases of UFO sightings are brushed over - and we are instead directed back to Project Blue Book and other investigations of the '50s and 60's that are, well, quite honestly old news. The abduction question is hardly addressed; no mention made of the work done on alien implants. There is no review of the best photographic evidence (except briefly for the old Trinidade pictures). And to be totally comprehensive and holisitic in an approach to flying saucers and alien visitation, some mention could and should have been made of the anomalies on the moon and Mars - even if they are just tricks of light. And, though mentioned in one sentence, the crop circle and cattle mutilation enigmas - which very well may have much to do with alien intelligence - are not discussed. No, this book attacks alot and attacks well - but it doesn't counterbalance the attacks with totally convincing arguments that some UFOs are, indeed, extraterrestrial in origin....which I believe! (I, myself, had a daytime sighting of a slow-moving cigar-shaped object several years back at a time when there were many people in my hometown seeing things in the night sky. I live in the Hudson Valley - and the famous flap of the '80s-'90s is also absent from this book.) But this book alone would not have convinced me as to the extraterrestrial reality of some UFOs. And, as I say, that is sad...because Mr. Friedman is a wonderful man with a brilliant mind whom I respect highly. I just wish this book had been equally brilliant. Perhaps, hopefully, this was just a primer for his multi-volume, magnum opus which I hope he will one day write.

If you are reading this kind of books, you will find this one informative and interesting.
So for first time readers, this book is very important.
Mr. Friedman Stanton is a full time ufologist, and needs to update his information. Celebrity status is not enough. We expect more from him because he is a very important writer.

Friedman has a way with words.
Why not?
He has been writing on UFOs for 30 years now.
Still no ET to say hello!
Friedman where are you? Can't you show us one?
I trust your arguments, keep digging, but we need something to chew on!!
I liked your book, the scientific angle made a point.

Why don't you tell us what you did find at Hangar 18?

Mr. Friedman is a practical man, which makes him a practical physicist.
The fact that Friedman is a scientist helps much with his work. Many others
Who I am sure have the best of intent when researching UFOs can become easy targets for government sponsored debunkers and Religion Fanatics who just will never accept
The fact that not only are we being visited (monitored) by creatures from to other worlds (or realities )but that we have been so most probably since the very early days of mankind. Friedman does a very good job in showing these debunkers who they can and cannot mess with, certainly he is not one of those they should pick a fight with, for not only are they going too loose money if they dare bet anything but they could loose their reputation no matter how many PhDs or Masters Degrees they have.

Also the book is about UFO (Unidentified Flying Objects) . It does not cover another area which I sure many readers are familiar with that being the visitations by creatures from
Other realities (dimensions). I also think they might wind up being one and the same
Once we figured what is going on (if ever). My excuse for thinking so is not knew
Since the 60's there have being two camps, one camp thinks the aliens are from other
Planets in this universe, the other camps members think the aliens are coming here
Through portals from either this universe or another universe.

I recommend this book to anyone who is seriously interest in UFOs as a REALITY not just SF.

The speed of light is not constant and is not the limit either.

Thank you Mr. Friedman for writing this book and sharing your tremendous knowledge with us.

Stanton Friedman has once again delivered a knock out blow to skeptics and naysayers. After reading Flying Saucers and Science you will be thoroughly convinced as to the existence of extraterrestrials and the ongoing government cover up.

I can tell you this book is a major publication.
The author explained the subject with scientific authority.
One of the best books in this area.

S. Mahdi, Cairo, Egypt

In a few words - a MUST book!!!

Just get this book and study it. This is one of Friedmans most important books.

Hannan Sabat
Israeli Extraterrestrials & UFOs Research Association
WWW.EURA.ORG.IL

This book assumes the reader is already quite knowledgeable about Roswell/MJ-12 etc. It refers broadly to primary source material such as "project blue book special report #14" that purportedly describes many documented "physical trace" UFO sightings but does not provide specific examples therefrom, which would have been helpful.

Deliciously enjoyed was Friedman's ruthless lampooning of the over-hyped "Cult of SETI" and his analysis of why major news outlets, such as the Washington Post, are content not to treat the UFO topic seriously.

Crop circles and animal mutilation cases are specifically excluded from coverage in this book. While not for the novice, Flying Saucers and Science is a stimulating and informative read. The bibliography is a bit terse, however.

Stanton Friedman does it again. From an in-depth look at how the world's governments and military can keep secrets from themselves and the rest of the world to the multitude of factual evidence supporting UFO sightings, landings and abductions; his latest book does not disappoint. Anyone who is famliar with him or his work should know that he has worked as a nuclear physicist for years, many of which were for classified government and private projects.

In his latest book, he presents some of the most compelling evidence for the "Cosmic Watergate" surrounding UFOs, extraterrestrial life and their cover-up, which has been in effect for at least 60 years. From examining exotic propulstion systems, including nuclear fission and fusion powered rockets, to the reasons why such disclosure of ET life is the most important topic for us as a species, this book is simply a must read.

I have read other books and articles by Stan and they're all very enlightening. Although some of the concepts in this book are geared more towards the real science behind how the UFOs might operate, etc... Stan does a good job keeping the layman engaged throughout.
I have exchanged e-mails with Stan on several occassions and he's always consistent in his answers and very well informed.
To me, Stan is the ultimate authority in Ufology.
Buy this book!

Friedman is as engaging a writer as he is a "Talking Head". Always interesting and humorous.
His comments on Roswell and its' constantly upgraded (?) explanations are tantalizing to our Science Fiction intellect *and* our rational mind. He goes into much detail and provides some nice, clean photo reproductions of some of the "fallout".
Particularly fascinating are his thoughts on interstellar travel and how noted Scientists can sometimes not see the big picture, by thinking only in terms of conventional propulsion systems.
At times, however, his writing is very difficult to absorb, as his Scientific descriptions will b more understandeable to those who have formally studied these subjects.
He gets into some material covered in MJ-12 book and provides some very convincing arguments that the relevant "Eyes Only" report/study was indeed not a hoax.
It's refreshing when a real Physicist can say that he's really only interested in that tiny percentage of unexplainable other-worldly phenomena.
Maybe "explainable"?

Ufology has all sorts of writers; those who create stuff and nonsense, and those who have substance, facts and intellect like Dr. Boylan, Maximillien de Lafayette, Dr. Michael Salla, Dr. Lynne Kitei, Dr. Greer, and Stanton Friedman.
This book shows that Stanton Friedman researches his material and presents FACTS, no BS! The man is serious and meticulous. Are you looking for a reliable source of information? Then, go no further...get Friedman's book.

The enthusiasm Stanton Friedman has for flying saucers comes through clearly in this book. His writing is lively and engaging. He takes no prisoners and skewers without mercy many as he develops his case for the existence and importance of flying saucers.

Stitching together many disparate topics he has investigated over a quite long career, he crafts a story that although not necessarily comprehensive and at times a bit repetitive, proceeds with reasonable continuity and coherence. He marshals the data and makes quite a number of solid points. Saving the best literally for last, his description of the "Majestic 12" documents in chapter 11 makes for some fascinating reading.

The greatest disappointment with Mr. Friedman's book is its complete lack of customary citations and attributions and a weak supporting index to the text. Despite being a tireless fact digger and a professional researcher who knows how a thesis is documented, this important aspect of his work was simply not up to his otherwise high standards. Although I am confident he is not attempting to mislead the reader, this omission is a great disservice to those wishing to assess the accuracy of assertions/interpretations or simply delve a bit deeper into the subject. For one who makes the case (repeatedly) that many of his critics and "debunkers" are uninformed about the facts and often neglect their homework, this is both a baffling oversight and the loss of golden opportunities to educate the public and let us do some homework of our own.

Also puzzling was the lack of a detailed outlining of the evidence in support of his remarkable identification of the zeta 1/2 Reticuli system as the origin for extraterrestrial entities visiting our planet. The star map recalled by Betty Hill is controversial, but virtually no information is provided that would let the reader gauge the relative merits of this hypothesis. Several stars in this constellation other than zeta 1 and 2 and much further away from earth have been noted to have large planets, but this situation was not addressed by Mr. Friedman. About the only tidbit we get is that SETI scanned these stars for a signal and found nothing.

Mr. Friedman works diligently to be factual, but many times it is impossible accept everything on offer. For example, his assertion (page 48) that Operation Morning Light to find and recover the Cosmos 954 satellite remnants after uncontrolled re-entry proved that the US government had access to teams that could immediately go into action and grab all items of interest. Yes, but in this case the government had months of advance notice, knew beforehand when the final hours had arrived and could track that satellite all the way until the end. If there is another Roswell crash that occurs without advance warning, I bet the MUFON team will get there first.

Another assertion that is just too far out appears on page 135, in which Mr. Friedman suggests Earth was a penal colony in which the "bad boys and girls" were left behind to fend for themselves and that explains why humans are so nasty to each other. This conveniently ignores the fact that humans are genetically and biochemically related to the multitudes of other life forms indigenous to Earth. Although maybe along with the bad boys came an entire cadre of convict criminal chimpanzees, gorillas, all other extant primates, lemurs ...etc. By such logic Australia would be one of the most dangerous places in our world by far.

Friedman pounds the SETI program and its major scientists without mercy and unfairly at times. Dismissive of its potential (page 140) and critical of their methods, he questions whether the SETI effort represents real science (page 143). But, although it is certainly valid to question assumptions, the SETI program has established falsifiable hypotheses that ultimately the data they gather may or may not support - the scientific method. For me, the recognition of a true signal by SETI, whether it is 1 or 1,000 light years distant would be an enormous discovery.

And just how concerned should any local civilizations be about this violent planet earth? (page 166). It looks like it will take a while for us to even recognize where our interstellar neighbors reside let alone make trips of many light years duration to menace them with our inferior technology. Hard to believe the word about us has been put out.

This entire field is racked with acrimony and Mr. Friedman is (in my opinion) sometimes too quick to disparage with whom he disagrees or elect to interpret data differently than he as liars. Perhaps relentless criticism has driven him to this, but it detracts from his effort.

An underlying credibility problem with the flying saucer phenomenon is that much of the information comes as personal testimony. Mr. Friedman addresses this issue head-on (page 32) noting that the "entire legal system is based on testimony" that many times cannot be corroborated with objective techniques such as DNA matching. True enough, but in light of the many instances of unreliable witness testimony that have now been uncovered through DNA testing performed under the auspices of the Innocence Project, this issue will continue to plague UFO investigators.

In fairness to Mr. Friedman, this subject area is vast and he is courageous to take it on. Although sometimes straying off course, he is attempting to focus on hard facts, insisting on thorough research to uncover facts and is willing to critique misguided believers and hoaxers. Whatever ultimate truths underlie the UFO phenomenon will be uncovered by such efforts.

Mr. Stanton was the first scientist to defy and challenge SETI. Mr. Stanton is an established scientist who worked for major corporations in America in various capacities. His academic and on the job knowledge of science, and his direct rapport with the ufology community gave him an extra edge of deeper insight and privileged information. His current book is the product of such vast expertise. The book is the results of years of research and investigation. It is useful for the scientit, the apprentice and the serious inquirer. Mr. Stanton elaborated on various scientific theories that a priori explain the possibility of interstellar travel to the end of the universe. His arguments are convincing because he based his opinions on scientific facts and data.

Simply put: Flying Saucers and Science answers all the big questions pertaining to the subject of Unidentified Flying Objects. If you are skeptical of the subject of UFOs and the hypothesis of extraterrestrial origin, or find the very idea of such visitation to be irrational, this is a book for you.

UFO researcher/lecturer and former Nuclear physicist Stanton Friedman effectively establishes the reality of UFOs by referencing several large scale scientific studies and declassified government documents that point invariably to the likely hypothesis that some UFOs may indeed be extraterrestrial spacecraft. (As hard as that is to believe)

In addition, Mr. Friedman effectively demolishes dismissive arguments put forth by the skeptical community against UFO reality; from well respected scientists, such as the SETI specialists, to famous science fiction writers, such as Isaac Asimov, Ben Bova, and Arthur C. Clarke.

A common argument in Ufology is that you can't get here from there. That travel between stars is simply science fiction. Skeptics often argue:

"The distances between stars are simply too vast for interstellar travel to be a reality."

"The Voyager probe would take 70,000 years to reach the nearest star."

"Energy requirements for such a voyage would be astronomical."

"Even traveling to the nearest star at the speed of light would take more than 4 years." (A common misconception that is addressed)

Friedman thinks otherwise. An entire chapter is devoted to the feasibility of interstellar travel with a strict adherence to the laws of physics. Friedman effectively demonstrates, in layman's terms, that star travel is by no means science fiction, but a very real possibility -- without faster than light travel.

Another common misconception Friedman corrected is that of public opinion. It is often assumed that most people don't believe in UFOs, and most scientists certainly don't believe in them. Friedman shows that statistics garnered through public polls indicate a correlation to belief in UFOs and higher education and uses charts to help illustrate these results. Additionally, Friedman cites a poll taken by Industrial Research and Development Magazine, which was a controlled circulation monthly publication going to about 100,000 people involved in research and development activities, in 1971 and 1979 that shows equally startling results.

As alluded to earlier, a large volume of commonly asked questions are addressed throughout the book. From common technical questions such as, "Why do the flight characteristics of UFOs appear to violate the laws of physics?" (They don't), or "Why don't some UFOs produce a sonic boom while clearly traveling at supersonic speed?", or "How would aliens even find us?" to philosophical questions such as, "Why would alien visitors choose not to make contact?", "Why would aliens come to Earth?", and of course "Why the cover-up?"

If you have a question you need answered, there's a pretty good chance you will find it in this book.

Rounding out Flying Saucers and Science was a wonderful final chapter describing to the apathetic why the study of UFOs matters.


Negatives:


-- Although the bibliography is rather helpful, it would have been even more helpful if each chapter was footnoted. This would make it easier to verify particular statements as you go. However, Friedman does do a good job of providing website links and other references in parentheses as he goes along to help the curious verify claims or investigate further.

-- Very few individual cases are discussed, unlike most UFO books on the market. This may be a huge turn-off to many, so I am making it known right now. Friedman does, however, list several sources upon which you can find a collection of quality cases.

-- Those who have attended Friedman's lectures, read many of his articles, and/or frequented his website may find much of the material to be very familiar. However, Friedman does go into more detail in the book than he would be able to in a lecture (especially in the chapter on interstellar travel), not to mention the various rebuttals. There is little new evidential material here for people who have read much of the UFO literature, but it is still well worth the purchase for reference purposes, in my opinion.

(Despite these minor drawbacks, I did not feel that any were severe enough to warrant the deduction of a star from the overall rating of the book.)



**Highly recommended for the curious layperson (or scientist) as well as the open-minded skeptic. A book that belongs in every library!**

An outstanding work. Clearly his magnum opus. Having followed Mr. Friedman's work for several years, he is the only author and investigator whose investigative voracity is matched only by his reporting techniques. Skeptic's would be well advised to learn how a legitimate investigator and author operates.