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Area 51

An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base

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Area 51

By: Annie Jacobsen
Narrated by: Annie Jacobsen
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About this listen

 'An extraordinary book' DAILY EXPRESS

'Revelatory ... Ms Jacobsen has put together a set of strong allegations about Area 51's covert history ... Her research is compellingly hard-hitting' NEW YORK TIMES

It is the most famous military installation in the world. And no credible insider has ever divulged the truth about his time inside of it. Until now. This is the first book based on interviews with scientists, pilots, and engineers - 58 in total - who provide an unprecedented look into the mysterious activities of a top-secret base, from the Cold War to today. With a jaw-dropping ending, it proves that facts are often more fantastic than fiction, especially when the distinction is almost impossible to make.

Read by Annie Jacobsen

(p) 2011 Hachette Audio©2011 Annie Jacobsen Americas Media Studies Military Social Sciences United States Air Force Imperial Japan US Air Force War Aviation Cold War

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Critic reviews

An extraordinary book ... Discovering what really happened at Roswell is the holy grail of conspiracy theorists ... What if there were not one but two conspiracies involving Cold War propaganda rather than visitors from another planet? ... Based on unprecedented interviews with personnel at Area 51 Jacobsen's argument may not be as outrageous as it sounds
Area 51 is not science fiction. It is an assertive account, revelatory ... Ms Jacobsen has put together a set of strong allegations about Area 51's covert history ... Her research is compellingly hard-hitting ... the book is noteworthy for its author's dogged devotion to her research ... it makes an indelible impression
An informative history...about the creativity, political acumen and courage of the high-flying Cold Warriors who sought to protect the free world in the decades after World War II (Andrew Dunn)
A compelling narrative of 50 years of covert operations by the CIA, the U.S. military, and the mysterious "Atomic Energy Commission".... Her meticulous research makes for a fascinating read, as it intersperses the accounts of secret government projects with anecdotes from the people who made those projects happen (Rachel Larimore)
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Jacobsen's history of Area 51 provides something fresh to the mythology of the most well-known secret site in the world - historical research and testimony. Brushing aside talk of alien spacecraft and the conspiracy theories of adolescent fanboys, the book gives the first published accounts of the rather more mundane history of the founding and early days of Area 51. Jacobsen's sources are the people, almost exclusively men, who lived and worked at the Nevada Weapons Testing location and the base often referred to as the "Skunkworks". These stories are of the creation and testing of spy planes such as the U2 and the A12 (more popularly known by its military version the SR71 Blackbird). The development of these unique aircraft and the men who flew them are the main thrust of this history. There are secrets about nuclear powered spacecraft and fatal accidents, but the darkest secret, never revealed fully, seems far fetched due to its seemingly comical pointlessness. After having come so far at the outset, to have the big reveal be shortened to the interviewees shaking their heads and giving the excuse that it's too terrible to talk about, just leaves the reader feeling like this stuff has been made up. Surely after over 60 years Stalin-era technology can't be so advanced that it has never been revealed - even by later Russian engineers. In the end, Jacobsen's history of Area 51 is a great addition to other military histories but her Roswell seems just as absurd as that of the UFO conspiracists, but less interesting.

Area 51 without the aliens.

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Having listened to the audio book (my first by Annie Jacobsen) first felt excited by what the book divulged; however, after a while, somethings began to become "clouded" and facts also stated were not true. I believe that the authors research is probably very extensive, but in order to draw some conclusions, facts are apparently "altered" to fit. The Horten brothers being one of the main issues, along with the "Russian Roswell connection"; available facts simply do not corroborate the assumptions!

In contrast, the book certainly outlines much of the "secret nature" of Area 51, and are correctly portrayed within the book, that make it a genuine and really admirable listen; and debunk some of the mysteries surrounding one f the most TOP SECRET MILTARY BASES in US; however, the errors put question marks over the books status.

The narration by Annie was not compelling, but understandable; and some of the pronunciations of personal names were difficult to ignore (something I found also evident in the next Annie Jacobsen book I listened to - Operation Paperclip).

Great writer nonetheless.

Area 51 debunked?

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Being ex military I find a lot of what's in this book to be of some truth. No I haven't worked at Area 51 but have seen some weird things in my time and many I could not explained

Some great information to inspire

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As it wraps up at the end of the book, there is a lot more to know. As Churchill said- "a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma". Net result is still a mystery.

The truth is out there but not here!

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Love the down-to-earth approach of talking about the people involved in operations ran at Area 51. A very nuanced perspective at the context in which the projects were developed and how it influences today's world.

Brilliant listen

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