Customer Reviews

Ablaze

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Many self appointed experts try to debunk everything unusual without scientific fact at their disposal. I was called in as an expert witness in 1999/2000 for a court case where the head of the LA Fire Department Investigation for Residential fires stated that the only explanation was SHC for a residential fire in Long Beach. As the only engineer on the Defense team, I reviewed over 160 photos of the fire scene along with many depositions from witnesses and fire department reports. I sat through the court case and gave testimony. The victim was an elderly bed ridden woman. The fire lasted less than 4 minutes and was centered around her knees and thighs. In that time, over 5 million BTU's per minute were released cremating her lower body, melting the window glass in the room and collapsing a steel bed frame with evidence it was over 1,500 degrees in a narrow 3 inch area. The 8 foot tall flame self extinguished, but the fire department had the room hosed down 5 minutes after ignition. There wasn't enough oxygen in that room to release that much heat no matter what the "fuel" could be. We found no fuel source. A broken gas main could not do it. The floor was burned through three layers of heavy vinyl flooring spalling the concrete. A 20 lb. aluminum casting at the foot of the bed melted onto the floor. There is no explanation under normal scientific means. I could not replicate the fire using any non-nuclear means. It is still a mystery.

As a scientist working for the United States Government during the 80's I must applaud Larry's effort here. After aquiring my PHD in Chemistry I started working for the government during the Reagan Administration doing basic research into possible explanations for the paranormal. While defunking most of them, SHC was one of the more interesting to me. Larry provides clear insight using mostly interviewing techniques to elaborate. I may be biased due to my previous experience here, but I enjoyed this book as a scientist.

Ed

If there's one key element (besides fire) that this book by Larry Arnold is filled with it's FACTS! This man has dug into old archives and libraries, has interviewed not only people who witnessed these bizarre cases of flaming humans, but he also has interviewed SURVIVORS of SHC! Amazing and well documented throughout, Ablaze is a fascinating read! To an avid researcher of stange phenomena such as this, it is a welcome gift to us all because Larry has already done the work for us, and he covers aspects entirely unthought of by other researchers... the cartography of SHC and more! Mr. Arnold, and his book, is by far the BEST in the world of SHC!

Larry Arnold drove my school bus for years. He was a very interesting person, using breaks in the school term (summer holiday etc.) to explore remote corners of the globe. He is a man with a passion about his subject and it's clear in reading this book. The book is great. The man is great. I recommend it highly.

Larry Arnold asks the right questions and provides readers of his book a real window into the "twilight zone." It doesn't matter if one is a "bus-driver, butcher, baker or candlestick maker" what matters is that intelligent, research is done. Logical questions are asked and those who would dismiss spontaneous Human Combustion as nothing more than a "cigarette fire" are left with a feeling so uncomfortable they either drop the book in alarm or read and learn. Fascinating and thorough and it left me asking what really is going on? We may have answers in Physics, who knows. What I do know is that Larry Arnold has written a very well researched and entertaining book and he has taken "heat" for daring to write about a subject the debunkers would rather have people not look into. Spontaneous Human Combustion does happen and it happens to people who have lived through it! Read this and prepare to have your brain turned around to consider how these cases can happen especially when you find out how extremely hot a crematorium oven has to get inorder to consume a human body even then, some bone fragments are still left and have to be "ground" into powder. Fine paper wasn't burned next to some of these bodies that were reduced to "powder" while sitting in a chair. Why????

I'm so very impressed with all the "cases" Larry has reviewed... He even found a little known one from my own hometown that has never been mentioned before in any publication I've ever read. Nan Mann

With the credentials of a bus driver, the author obviously had no clue what he was REALLY trying to explain. Common sense explains most of the book here.....not some human "phenomenon." I'll give the book some credit that it documents the SHC cases well but on the other hand doesn't look at the common sense aspect that should be applied to Arnold's theories. This book can be shoved away with the rest of those TimeLife Mysteries of the Unknown books.

this guy spouts the SHC myth at it's worst. i read this book years ago and it's way too far out in left field. SHC simply cannot happen. it violates several rules of chemistry, physics, thermodynamics and logic. This topic is covered very well in most arson textbooks. I have degrees in fire protection technology and fire investigation technology and am a master firefighter/fire inspector/fire investigator. I have taught fire science chemistry and fire dynamics at the college level. don't waste your time.

I actually have been doing a continous report on spontaneous human combustion and came across this book while looking for information. Do you seriously think a school bus driver will have any scientific information? His facts were either made up to his liking or none existant. If you want to believe in something you will do everything you can to make it true. In this book, that is what Larry E. Arnold did. If you're looking for simple entertainment this book will work fine but if you want the truth or something vaguely similar this book is not worth your time.

One need only take a look at the manicured glory-mullet atop the head of Larry Arnold to see that not much lies beneath.