Area 51

An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base

De: Annie Jacobsen

Narrado por: Annie Jacobsen

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

Interesting, but flawed.

I will premise this by saying I am still listening to the book...

First, I have a problem with Ms Jacobson's reading style. She speaks very slowly and pauses frequently to make sure that the reader or listener understands that what she is saying "has never before appeared in print." A statement she uses so frequently it has become a joke between my boyfriend and I. Furthermore, she writes like a reporter (which she is) penning a piece for installments, not just reminding the reader of earlier facts but restating them verbatim.

Second, many will feel miss-led by the title of the book. Yes, it is about Area 51 but not as much about aliens (there is a sensational aspect to that effect that she has mentioned but yet to adequately explain). It is mostly about the alliance of science and the military, the development of cutting-edge aircraft, and the questionable ethics on the part of all parties involved. It is also about espionage and the misdirection and miss-communication practiced on the American people and the government to maintain secrets. Some have noted that her facts are wrong, but according to her argument, the official record is incorrect as part of a concerted campaign of dis-information engaged to keep the happenings on the site secret. She maintains she has the true story because she spoke with the people that were actually there, but following her logic, her information can not be otherwise verified. She is a reporter specializing in military (I believe) affairs so I would think she would know how to work from primary sources. However, if there are such major problems with minor facts as other reviewers have noted, it does make one wonder.

I am enjoying this book for the way it ties together many threads of history. Am I taking it as gospel? No. But it has introduced me to aspects of history I would like to further investigate. And I have recommended it to my father who enjoys military and aviation history.

Great content, easy to listen to

I guess this book is old news to many but it was all new to me. I’ve grown up with just about everything talked about but nothing made sense cohesively. Now it all makes sense. When listening to the book it helps to look up a map of the whole area to understand what she’s talking about. Ironically satellite photos are now readily available and it’s very interesting to see all the nuclear bomb craters.

Truly an amazing book

This was a GREAT book! Wonderfully narrated. I may read it again because it was such a good book.

must read!!

wow! just wow! i wish the EG&G engineer would just say more. he has all the answers

gripping

amazing book
many revelations in reading and i couldn't put it down. would biy again

Mindblowing read

Author has a great voice and way to depict facts that seems to only want readers to open their minds to the possibility that the US government may not share our morals or have our best interests at heart.

Well documented, informative, and revealing

I struggled a bit during certain chapters because of the volume of code names, acronyms, and verbiage. Also the time line seemed to jump around from time to time. But the last 2 chapters ties much of it together and it made scary sense.

Informs, entertains, without seasationalizing

I got this book expecting to be amused in the same way I was amused by fantastical books I've read about the Roswell UFO crash. Instead of that kind of "mind candy," this book gives you your "vegetables" with great historical storytelling, concentrating much more on nuclear testing and development of secret aircraft like the U2 and SR-71 than on little green men. When I say vegetables, I mean the nicely sautéed, tender, crunchy kind.

There's quite a bit for UFO and conspiracy buffs to chew on here, but don't expect a deep dive into tinfoil hat territory.

A must read for Area 51 fans!

Any additional comments?

One of the most enjoyable and interesting non-fiction books I have ever listened too. If you have ANY interest in Area 51 and the rumours about it, this is an absolute must read. It details everything-atomic testing, spy planes, drones, Roswell, and how each was developed and used-and all the politics and deliberate mis-information attached to each. What, Why, and How they do so many things there, that will amaze, and disturb you.

Compelling all the way through.

I'd heard about the stories if the U2 and SR71 individually, but this weaves then together nicely