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Area 51  By  cover art

Area 51

By: Bob Mayer, Robert Doherty
Narrated by: Jeffrey Kafer
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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)

What listeners say about Area 51

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    432
  • 4 Stars
    467
  • 3 Stars
    241
  • 2 Stars
    55
  • 1 Stars
    42
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
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    433
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  • 3 Stars
    161
  • 2 Stars
    35
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    23
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    398
  • 4 Stars
    379
  • 3 Stars
    225
  • 2 Stars
    47
  • 1 Stars
    38

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

10 hours of setup for a sequel

Would you try another book from Bob Mayer and Robert Doherty and/or Jeffrey Kafer?

No

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

Didn't even come close to the setup.

Did Area 51 inspire you to do anything?

Not buy another book from him.

Any additional comments?

There are many threads being pulled together to weave this story. Although they all worked from a plot perspective, the story was unsatisfying. There were hours and hours of setup, the sort of thing that usually happens in the first third of a book, only here it was the entire novel. There were no surprises, just a hash of all the expected "woo" elements: Nazis, pyramids, UFOs, Atlantis, ancient runes, government coverups, etc. Maybe the author wanted to connect every fringe theory on the internet in one story, thereby getting all the niche markets at once.

In the end, it was mostly there as a setup for the sequel.

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24 people found this helpful

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

"Ten Star" all the way!

A real page turner but NOT "brain candy." - Many characters, each with a well defined role within the subplots. Some audiobooks can be listened to on "autopilot" - (not this one) - get the most out of this novel by careful listening and actually follow the subplots. There is believable science fiction, believable intrigue, believable action and suspense. The author has expertly interwoven the facets into a spectacular "page turner." Not one "page" of this book was superfluous. Not one paragraph was boring. You will be spellbound from the beginning to the end. Wish I could have rated this book a "ten star" but unfortunately, we're limited to a five-star only. You definitely will not be disappointed.

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17 people found this helpful

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

Nice story, nice ideas :(

I don't know why but it didn't connect.
some facts about historical monuments and security at government facilities are totally Bogus.
But the main problem for me was the unfinishness of the book, and concentration of plot.
You can read last 30 pages and don't miss anything interesting or factual.........

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Um...not so much..

OK take ALL the conspiracy stories/threads/rumours that you may have heard of, wrap them ALL up in a messy story populated with cartoonish characters and beyond suspension of disbelief concepts.

This story, and ( likely, as I won't download any further ones ) the rest of the series is juvenile, and bordering on plain silly. Avoid it unless that is your preferred type of audio book.

PS. The performance isn't as bad as the story.

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12 people found this helpful

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

Wow! Everything a UFO buff could dream of

Any additional comments?

I loved this book! It was the first one in a long time that I wanted to listen to all the way through. The author blends all the story lines of Ancient Aliens, UFOs, conspiracies, Ancient pyramids, and similar theories into a cohesive and well though out story. The characters are likeable. No silly romance side stories. It moves quickly but is easy to follow and actually makes a lot of sense. The main characters are diverse with an archeologist, journalist, special ops soldier, old Nazi scientist, presidential aide all coming together to form a team to solve the mystery. Excellent narration. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes this type of book. I will listen to it again and again. Very enjoyable with a fast pace that never lags.

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6 people found this helpful

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

Interesting Explanations For Conspiracies

Any additional comments?

I actually enjoyed the book quite a bit. It has some very bizarre ideas but I think that they are connected fairly well. There are a few loopholes but I think that the book was well worth the money and time. It will be interesting to see hoe the rest of the series plays out.

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6 people found this helpful

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

Kinda like Empire strikes back IT JUST STOPS?

What would have made Area 51 better?

a finished book

What do you think your next listen will be?

Something from an author I know.

What three words best describe Jeffrey Kafer???s voice?

ok I guess

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

sadness

Any additional comments?

It just stopped at the point when things should have really gotten going. Dragged at first, then when it picked up

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6 people found this helpful

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

A really good story! Thoroughly enjoyed!

What did you love best about Area 51?

The subject matter was interesting - bordering between fact and fiction, stimulating the imagination!

What other book might you compare Area 51 to and why?

Daniel Suarez's books. Thriller tech story theme

Have you listened to any of Jeffrey Kafer’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have not.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

The ending was kind of abrubt, or at least it appeared that way. The story was going at a particular pace throughout, then near the end, it seemed like things just moved so much faster, but perhaps that was just the adrenaline of the moment!

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4 people found this helpful

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

Decent story, not great narration.

I enjoyed the story and its Independence Day kind of feel. It was fun!

But the reader was more hinderance than help. Really, if you have an important character that is German and involves a lot of time in the story, please get someone that can voice a German accent! This reader sometimes reads that character as a Frenchman and at other times who knows what accent. But it seldom if ever sounds German. It kept breaking the fourth wall for me.

So even though I enjoyed the story, I couldn't get past the reader.

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3 people found this helpful

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

Interesting book

I confused this book with one of the same title Area 51 by Annie Jacobsen, however; the book was very interesting and action packed, with some real historical facts. I enjoyed listening to this book, no regrets.

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3 people found this helpful