Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Area 51  By  cover art

Area 51

By: Bob Mayer, Robert Doherty
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $26.45

Buy for $26.45

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

From New York Times best-selling author Bob Mayer, writing as Robert Doherty....

Deep in the Nevada desert is the most secure compound in the United States: Area 51.

The most chilling experiment of all time is about to begin there. The President doesn’t know about it. Just a few scientists and military personnel working for Majestic-12 do, and they are about to make a very big mistake....

Former Green Beret Mike Turcotte, assigned to Nightscape, security for Area 51, begins to realize things aren’t as they seem. Deep inside the Great Pyramid in Giza, an archeologist makes a startling discovery in the lowest chamber. On Easter Island, what are the giant statues guarding? What was Thule and why were the Nazis so intent on finding it during World War II? What are the strange stones off the coast of Bimini? All these clues and more add up to a frightening countdown that could bring about the end of our planet. Turcotte and Presidential Science Adviser Lisa Duncan must race against time to save the world from the secret hidden at Area 51.

Over 1.5 Million copies of Area 51 sold—also author of the best-selling Atlantis series.

©2011 Bob Mayer (P)2011 Bob Mayer

Critic reviews

Praise for Bob Mayer: "Spell-binding! Will keep you on the edge of your seat. Call it techno-thriller, call it science fiction, call it just terrific story-telling.” (Terry Brooks, best-selling author of the Shannara series and Star Wars: Phantom Menace)

More from the same

What listeners say about Area 51

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    434
  • 4 Stars
    467
  • 3 Stars
    241
  • 2 Stars
    55
  • 1 Stars
    42
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    435
  • 4 Stars
    434
  • 3 Stars
    161
  • 2 Stars
    35
  • 1 Stars
    23
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    399
  • 4 Stars
    380
  • 3 Stars
    225
  • 2 Stars
    47
  • 1 Stars
    38

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

My second time through and still love this book

I read this book way back when it came out back in 1997 and the entire series. I wish they would make this into an actual movie or series to showcase the story. I highly recommend this book if you like science fiction, military and aliens written in a story that is very palatable.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great book.

Very entertaining read. I got this book on sale and it turned out to be great. Just be prepared that this is fiction. They mention facts that are meant to be fictional. When I realized this, I was able to enjoy the book. Also, this book was written in 1997, and they mention an iPhone. Apparently they changed some stuff in the audio version.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Story!

What made the experience of listening to Area 51 the most enjoyable?

Easily written, but not too simple. I like that it has all the criteria that I love in a book: science, fiction, history, aliens, military action.... This is a great story and I look forward to reading the rest of the series!

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Absolutely! I could barely put it down.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Pleasantly Surprising!

I have been interested in Area 51 and the UFO thing ever since I saw one myself…many years ago. When I saw this book, I purchased it with some trepidation, expecting a way out SciFi. But as the story went along, I found myself more and more intrigued until the book completed! Amazingly, I had listened to the entire book and had NOT become bored or disappointed with it. Warning…if you have any interest in this story line, it will lead to the other books in the series. I'm on book 4 now. Still intrigued!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Pretty good if you like UFO stories

As far as the story goes, I really enjoyed the handing of the UFOs and their origins. This particular book though seemed like it lacked an ending. That tends to be this author's style but on the flip-side, he then does a good job of continuing the story in subsequent books to the point that you feel like you've read one long story rather than multiple books in a series. If that type of storytelling annoys you then you might want to avoid this series and pick a different one. While I found this series enjoyable, I prefer the author's Atlantis series over this one as far as the reading experience. I haven't listened to the audible version of that series yet though so I can't speak to how good the audio versions are.

As far as the narrator goes, I wish the rating system offered half stars. I consider 3 stars to be adequate but Kafer's performance was above adequate just not quite into the good or great. In his defense... I felt almost like I was reading mission briefings rather than reading a story but, given the military aspect of the book, maybe that was intentional...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Brain Candy for Sci-Fi Lovers

If you're looking for deep conspiracy/alien cover up books stop here.
This novel is very much what I call Brain Candy and it's action packed, low on accuracy and high on TV movie fun.

It's fun, easy to listen and just as easy to walk away from too.

The reader makes it better for certain.

Hey, I had a busy day and I was looking for something to listen while working and this fit the bill.

As other readers noted: the ending is a little to snappy and neat. I felt like the author rushed to resolve things and lost perspective. If there's a sequel, I'll think about picking it up.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

OLD STORY, BUT STILL ENTERTAINING

This book told a story I've either read before, watched on TV before or seen on a movie screen. Having said that I still loved this book because of the suspence. I couldn't wait to read what happens next and those are the books I really get into. The book's main carractors are very different people investigaing UFOs & Aliens and they end up in the end saving our planet. You have the Goverment investigator (Presidential Science Advisor), A journalist (Looking for her missing friend), An old man from WWII with many secrets to tell and a Military man who just happens to work in Area 51. They all start out in the story not knowing each other but by the end they trust no one but each other. Best of all, when the book ends you can't wait to buy the second book in the series "Area 51 The Reply" to find out what will happen next and that is how you sell a story. If you are into UFO & Alien stories then this is a good story to read, but if you are looking for realizum don't waste your time, remember this is just a story to read and enjoy, it is not based on real events - I hope.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great story

This story is a science fiction mystery. I liked the direct simple story line and the mystery element kept it interesting. The characters were well developed but done in a concise orderly manner. There was enough suspense to have a few twists at the end but not so complicated it was hard to follow.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

so interesting

I really enjoyed this book and I look forward to the next chapter! so bring it on.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Not a fan of the narrator.

Very good book, but it gets hard to tell who is who at times. Maybe if the Narrator were better with accents, but aside from that a superb start to the series, I'm officially hooked!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!