- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Citadel Press; illustrated edition edition (1 Nov 2003)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0806522992
- ISBN-13: 978-0806522999
- Product Dimensions: 22.9 x 16.2 x 2.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 585,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'm glad to see this excellent UFO book back in print. I had the pleasure of first reading this book on a flight to Crete which certainly added to my enjoyment! Jerome Clark is a very sober, rational UFO expert who is not one for taking every UFO account at face value. What surprised me somewhat about the first half of the book is that Clark takes a quite skeptical viewpoint of some of the most famous UFO cases, such as the one involving the death of Thomas Mantell.
However, the dubious UFO incidents are overshadowed by some truly remarkable encounters. People with a long standing interest in UFOs may well have read or heard of some of the cases, such as the Japan Airlines incident over Alaska or the one involving fighter jets from the Iranian Air Force. Clark describes each incident in compelling detail without resorting to sensationalism or trying to impose his own conclusions on the reader.
I would recommend this book to all people interested in the UFO phenomena, especially those new to the subject who are looking for a rational, level-headed overview.
However, the dubious UFO incidents are overshadowed by some truly remarkable encounters. People with a long standing interest in UFOs may well have read or heard of some of the cases, such as the Japan Airlines incident over Alaska or the one involving fighter jets from the Iranian Air Force. Clark describes each incident in compelling detail without resorting to sensationalism or trying to impose his own conclusions on the reader.
I would recommend this book to all people interested in the UFO phenomena, especially those new to the subject who are looking for a rational, level-headed overview.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
6 reviews
33 of 35 people found the following review helpful
An important contribution to the field.
12 April 2004
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Well-known ufologist Jerome Clark's 'Strange Skies' provides a fascinating look at an important component of the UFO enigma. This work represents a unique contribution, much as the late Ivan T. Sanderson did with his seminal 1970 book 'Invisible Residents', which detailed UFO sightings associated with the oceans, seas and other bodies of water.
Beginning with such early phenomena as foo fighters and ghost rockets, Clark lays down a historical record of "the more interesting, suggestive reports..." (although they comprise a rather small percentage of the total on file). A large number of these pilot/UFO reports are from the 1940s and 1950s (including, of course, the famed Kenneth Arnold episode), although some are more contemporary, such as the Valentich case and the JAL incident of 1986. Regardless of the sightings' vintage, the author does a superb job in fleshing out the factual details of the events. Clark's writing style infuses his recounting with a hard-to-put-down sense of awe and fascination for the reader.
While Clark generally avoids analysis or speculation, there are some notable exceptions. He persuasively discredits the so-called 'Maury Island incident', and attempts to do the same regarding the 1948 Thomas Mantell case (where pilot Mantell was killed chasing an alleged UFO), although somewhat less convincingly. While he makes a plausible case that Mantell was actually pursuing a a secret, experimental balloon, Mantell's last words to ground control ("a metallic object...of tremendous size") leaves some room for doubt. The comments I had the most trouble with, however, were regarding a sighting in 1965 by Jim Cumber, detailed in the Dec. 2000 issue of The Mutual UFO Network's (MUFON) magazine. This sighting involved an alleged 'snatching' of a jet interceptor by a UFO. After more than 30 years of studying the UFO phenomenon myself, I cannot share Clark's conviction that "the Air Force could not hide a missing interceptor and its crew." He adds the rather puzzling comment that "Whatever Cumber's sighting was about, it cannot have been what he thought it was about." He offers no speculation as to what "it was about," but the inference is that it was a secret military exercise. Perhaps.
These quibbles aside, 'Strange Skies' is a well-written, absorbing book. It is a welcome (and overdue) addition to the annals of ufology.
Beginning with such early phenomena as foo fighters and ghost rockets, Clark lays down a historical record of "the more interesting, suggestive reports..." (although they comprise a rather small percentage of the total on file). A large number of these pilot/UFO reports are from the 1940s and 1950s (including, of course, the famed Kenneth Arnold episode), although some are more contemporary, such as the Valentich case and the JAL incident of 1986. Regardless of the sightings' vintage, the author does a superb job in fleshing out the factual details of the events. Clark's writing style infuses his recounting with a hard-to-put-down sense of awe and fascination for the reader.
While Clark generally avoids analysis or speculation, there are some notable exceptions. He persuasively discredits the so-called 'Maury Island incident', and attempts to do the same regarding the 1948 Thomas Mantell case (where pilot Mantell was killed chasing an alleged UFO), although somewhat less convincingly. While he makes a plausible case that Mantell was actually pursuing a a secret, experimental balloon, Mantell's last words to ground control ("a metallic object...of tremendous size") leaves some room for doubt. The comments I had the most trouble with, however, were regarding a sighting in 1965 by Jim Cumber, detailed in the Dec. 2000 issue of The Mutual UFO Network's (MUFON) magazine. This sighting involved an alleged 'snatching' of a jet interceptor by a UFO. After more than 30 years of studying the UFO phenomenon myself, I cannot share Clark's conviction that "the Air Force could not hide a missing interceptor and its crew." He adds the rather puzzling comment that "Whatever Cumber's sighting was about, it cannot have been what he thought it was about." He offers no speculation as to what "it was about," but the inference is that it was a secret military exercise. Perhaps.
These quibbles aside, 'Strange Skies' is a well-written, absorbing book. It is a welcome (and overdue) addition to the annals of ufology.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Strange Skys
30 Jun 2006
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
It seems logical that if your seeking truth about things flying in our skys that you would ask people who fly there and know what kind and shape our Earth craft are. Also when judging distance from the ground or another moving object or speed of some thing encountered people who fly have the basic knowledge to find the answers much more so than some grounded person like me... The book was more than interesting... maybe spell binding. Like a movie .. you see things the second time you look and I'm now going to read the book again... PLEASE READ IT
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
UFO's are real but what are they and where are they from?
16 Mar 2006
Format:Paperback
I enjoyed the book it is well presented and edited. The book does not answer my question but that may not be possible.
Even if you don't believe that UFO's are from another planet it is interesting to see how others react to unexpected encounters with something that should not be there.
As a pilot, who once saw something I could not explain, I was fascinated by the book. If you think that UFO's are something made on this planet read the book it could change your mind, or even convince you that you are correct.
I have no doubt they are real I saw something that was impossible for me to explain. But that doesn't mean they were from another planet or galaxy. If we are making them then we have technology I've never even dreamed of.
Even if you don't believe that UFO's are from another planet it is interesting to see how others react to unexpected encounters with something that should not be there.
As a pilot, who once saw something I could not explain, I was fascinated by the book. If you think that UFO's are something made on this planet read the book it could change your mind, or even convince you that you are correct.
I have no doubt they are real I saw something that was impossible for me to explain. But that doesn't mean they were from another planet or galaxy. If we are making them then we have technology I've never even dreamed of.
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