Area 51

An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base

By: Annie Jacobsen

Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen

Length: 16 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's summary

This "compellingly hard-hitting" best seller from a Pulitzer Prize finalist gives listeners the complete untold story of the top-secret military base for the first time. (New York Times).

It is the most famous military installation in the world. And it doesn't exist. Located a mere s75 miles outside of Las Vegas in Nevada's desert, the base has never been acknowledged by the US government - but Area 51 has captivated imaginations for decades.

Myths and hypotheses about Area 51 have long abounded, thanks to the intense secrecy enveloping it. Some claim it is home to aliens, underground tunnel systems, and nuclear facilities. Others believe that the lunar landing itself was filmed there. The prevalence of these rumors stems from the fact that no credible insider has ever divulged the truth about his time inside the base. Until now.

Annie Jacobsen had exclusive access to 19 men who served the base proudly and secretly for decades and are now aged 75-92, and unprecedented access to 55 additional military and intelligence personnel, scientists, pilots, and engineers linked to the secret base, 32 of whom lived and worked there for extended periods. In Area 51, Jacobsen shows us what has really gone on in the Nevada desert, from testing nuclear weapons to building super-secret, supersonic jets to pursuing the War on Terror.

This is the first book based on interviews with eye witnesses to Area 51 history, which makes it the seminal work on the subject. Filled with formerly classified information that has never been accurately decoded for the public, Area 51 weaves the mysterious activities of the top-secret base into a gripping narrative, showing that facts are often more fantastic than fiction, especially when the distinction is almost impossible to make.

©2011 Annie Jacobson (P)2011 Hachette

It’s great

Really good listen but still leaves a lot of questions unanswered. But I still enjoyed it

Difficult material, red by a sultry author

Really remarkable stuff. All the years, time and lives wasted on secret government programs, that so many have been Les to believe had to do with aliens. I am astounded at the supposedly free nation of the United States government and its willingness to deceive its own citizens, so that the bullies can maintain their chokehold on America and it financial and scientific resources. I’ve always been skeptical of the alien origin. Claims of what is kept at area 51 although I wanted to believe as many people do just because it’s intriguing. Thank you for pulling back the veil of secrecy.

Meh…

I felt like we went down some rabbit holes without much notice. I’m a fan of the author, but this one took a lot longer time to get through than some of her other work.

Great book

Very well written and keeps you interested. This is not just a book about Area 51 but a factual story of US history on black ops programs and research.

Narrative that is as compelling as it is enlightening.

"Area 51" by Annie Jacobsen is a must-read for anyone fascinated by history, government secrets, and extraterrestrial speculation. Jacobsen demonstrates an impressive depth of research, intertwining declassified documents with firsthand accounts, culminating in a narrative that is as compelling as it is enlightening. The book reads like a thrilling novel yet remains deeply grounded in real-life intrigue. Jacobsen's storytelling prowess keeps the reader engrossed from start to finish, turning complex theories into digestible nuggets of information. An engaging exploration of the famous yet shadowy military installation, "Area 51" is not only thought-provoking, but also a testament to Jacobsen's commitment to uncovering truth in the midst of mystery. Highly recommend…

Meh, but not bad.

As others have described, this is less of an exposé on Area 51, UFO/UAPs, and black government projects, and more of a look into the aviation innovation that occurred out at Groom Lake with the SR-71 & U2 spy aircraft. Only a few chapters, namely the opening and ending chapters focus on supernatural & heinous elements of back engineered craft, human experimentation, and whistleblowers like Bob Lazar.

While detailed, Annie’s writing feels more like that of a high school research project with some sentences and phrasing feeling like it was lifted straight from a wikipedia article. There are a lot of strung together sentences about the chapter topics with stories and first hand accounts strewn together. What really did bug me about this as an audiobook was Annies reading. The narration sounds so wonky at times that it made me as the listener feel as though this was her first time reading her own work. The annunciation just feels off.

Overall, if you’re into aviation history and into hearing accounts of those that worked around the lake, you’ll like this book. If you’re wanting something focused on the supernatural such as aliens, coverups, etc, this will not be the book for you.

Annie’s voice

Excellent. Thank you for writing this informative book.
As a former USAF MD I knew of the test base for the Skunkworks between Tonopah and Las Vegas. I was not connected to Area 51, 52, 25, 17, 12, the NNSS, Groom Lake or S4. The book filled in very extensively information that helps me understand the function and functions of the facility through the years..most Americans have no idea how important the bases in that area are to our national defense.
Likewise, the revelations of the Roswell crash of the flying discs is quite illuminating.

Not what I exected...but an interesting listen.

I think I was looking for more of the myth factor here. What Jacobsen has done is conducted incredibly thorough research to reveal the truth to a lot of mysteries; truth perhaps not as exciting as proposed by popular media. However, I learned a lot, historically speaking. I also liked that Jacobsen narrated her own work, knowing the hours she must have put into the research.

Hello darkness my old friend!

The most chilling explanation to "Roswell" I have ever heard. What people are prepared to do to each other in order to hold power is horrific. From Nazi medical experiments to Nuclear bombs. Thank-you Annie Jacobsen "We need to Know".

Most thoroughly Footnoted Book I've ever read

Would you listen to Area 51 again? Why?

WARNING: If you are a deeply entrenched Neo-Conservative,you will not like this book. Ms Jacobsen is a liberal academic who does not hide her distain for the Atomic Energy Commission, General Curtis LeMay, or the disinformation spun by the CIA and USAF to hide their "blackest" projects. As a college educated, liberal thinker myself, I found Ms. Jacobsen's passion (both in writing and reading this book) to be delightful! I actually bought the hardcover book because I wanted to see if she verified her information with her sources in footnotes. There are 384 footnotes in the book. I personally only randomly checked out 8 of them, but they were accurate. This book covers many topics from the early Cold War era, some of which are only remotely connected with Area 51.

What does Annie Jacobsen bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Her passionate distain for those leaders who mislead and likely endangered many US citizens in the early days of the Cold War comes shining through in her reading. (-:

Any additional comments?

I thought the theory that she presents on what really happened at Roswell was a bit far-fetched. But she is clear that this is the story of one man who was a source for her. Sometimes you have to be willing to read things like that account and give it some thought. That is the price of having an open mind. Very enjoyable audio book!