Customer Reviews

America's Bigfoot : Fact, Not Fiction

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

 

 

This volume was published in Russia in 1997. This book chronicles the story of how the Russians got a copy of this film (from Rene Dahinden) and the subsequent story of their involvement with it. This evidence was analyzed by the Russians and their findings and conclusions are presented in this book to the reader. The method of analysis and the drawings/photos are excellent to go with the text, however it should be pointed out, perhaps due to the quality of the printer of this book, some of the black and white photos are of a lesser quality than would be expected. Most of this book deals with the "politics" and the numerous disagreements among individuals involved in the investigation of this mystery. Readers are given a blow by blow account of the Russians involvement and difficulties, including correspondance with other Scientists and "Sasquatch Hunters" a lot of which includes problems with the Vancouver Conference, etc. Bayanov singles out Dr John Napier among the Scientists, and he recieves quite a bit of ink, for his views. Apparently the Russians have also had quite a few disagreements with Rene Dahinden as well, as this is documented at length also. Readers expecting a full volume on par with Dr John Bindernagels' "North America's Great Ape, The Sasquatch", or Dr Grover Kranz's'works, wherein most of the book is based on objective findings and impartial Scientific analysis, without a running commentary on their woes involving other individuals, will probably be somewhat disapointed that only a portion of this book deals with actual findings and most of it is on the background of the film after it was given to the Russians and is somewhat of a forum for blasting individuals who are in disagreement with the author. It is unfortunate, because the method of analysis and the Scientific portion of this book is excellent, it is too bad that more information of that nature is not expanded on. It certainly could stand alone, and Scientifically would have enhanced the Authors authority, without all the bally-who about who did this or that to the Russians. With that being said, I would recommend this highly for the thorough analysis itself of this film. The Author feels very strongly that this film proves the existence of the Sasquatch. It is further stated that the Scientific establishment should accept this species based on this film. This film has been around for almost 23 years and that has not happened. Science demands physical evidence in the form of bones or a body to recognize a new species, especially an unusual one such as this. Anyway, this book should be in the library of anyone interested in this area of cryptozoology for its exellent analysis of this controversial film. It should also be mentioned that there are many stills of the Patterson film that have generally not been seen by the pubic in this volume.

Russian hominologists Dmitri Bayanov and Igor Bourtsev are among the two most strident believers in the reality of relict hominoids. Their research spans over 30 years, originating in the efforts of scientific pioneer Boris Porshnev to collect and analyze data from within the former Soviet Union concerning man-like creatures. Having obtained a copy of the Patterson-Gimlin film in December 1971 from Rene Dahinden, Bayanov and Bourtsev assumed responsibility for the analysis of the famous film. This book is both a history of their involvement with the film and a very witty commentary upon the nature of the scientific establishment, both Western and Russian. The book contains an abbreviated version of their original report presented in 1978 at the University of British Columbia symposium "Sasquatch and Similar Phenomena." For a rare glimpse inside the politics and personal prejudices that all too frequently influence supposedly "impartial" scientific discourse, this book is highly recommended. Also worth reading is Bayanov's 1996 release "In the Footsteps of the Russian Snowman" which chronicles the continuing efforts of Bayanov, Bourtsev, and Marie-Jeanne Koffmann to make sense of anecdotal and physical evidence pertaining to relict hominoids in the USSR. Both volumes are highly recommended for their serious appraisal of the existing evidence.

This is a very well-written book, and very educational as well. The book's main focus is the Patterson/Gimlin film. There is also a backstory which is covered, as well as the Russian analysts' take on the whole matter. Bayanov writes in a style that is comfortable and full of good information. Bayanov includes personal correspondence with several prominent figures in anthropology, cryptozoology and science, including Dr. John Napier, Dr. Grover Krantz, Richard Greenwell, Bernard Heuvelmans, Rene Dahinden, Dr. Marjorie Halpin, Dr. Donald Grieve and Bob Gimlin. Bayanov highlights the work he and several of his Russian colleagues have done on the film, luminaries such as Igor Bourtsev, Dr. Boris Porschnev and Dr. Dmitri Donskoy, who have all done work on the film and found it to be authentic, although Dr. Donskoy was a little more hesitant to get involved with hominology than his Russian colleagues were. There is also coverage of the 1978 conference on monsters held at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, which Bayanov and Bourtsev submitted a paper to for reading there. The paper was, however, not included in the book based on the conference, "Manlike MOnsters on Trial." Bayanov and Dahinden had an apparent falling-out over Dahinden's ownership of the P/G film as well. The book is illustrated with photos and illustrations, including 8 pages of photos from the film. The book is very worth-reading, and should be read by all people interested in the subject.

I've known about Bigfoot for years, but it's only very recently that I've digged deeper into in the subject. Well, in a way I've become almost obsessed with it, I guess. -I understand that's how it goes with many people who're interested in Sasquatch; you get hooked. I've gotten my hands on all the books I could find, seen as many documentaries as I could, and surfed the net for info. I'm now utterly convinced these creatures are real. I'm also certain the famous Patterson/Gimlin film is authentic. This book deals with that very film, and the authors; who also examined the film, have done an incredible job. They don't leave any stone unturned, and yet they, naturally, conclude the only thing you can conclude about the film: it's a real living unknown bipedal primate. It's a marvellous book, I highly recommend it. -Listen sceptics, it's really no big mystery why these beings have eluded capture; think about it: we're talking enormous stretches of remote, rough, and rural areas of the U.S., against, what, just some 100 years, more or less, of modern man and his so-called "progress". -Hiding must have been pretty easy. Now, you tell me who's the clever one - Bill Gates or Bigfoot ?.

The analysis of the Patterson film was very good with all the supporting observations that were mentioned. Its a shame that only a part of the book dealt with this matter, a lot of the book dealt with the problems the author encountered with people who were against the whole bigfoot topic. I understand that it must have been very important to the author to let the public know how much obstacles he had to go through...and rightfully so...but it gets drawn out with the many letters he refers to and the rebuttals that he gives. But overall, the evidence in the Patterson film as seen by experts (in Russia) from different occupations shed some interesting details in support of the validity of the existence of bigfoot, details that are not readily apparent to the novice observer.

Among the expanding texts on the subject of sasquatch, it's always good to find a treasure amongst the chafe that has been spilt in the past. On my yearly camping trip to Willow Creek, I picked this up at the China Flats/Bigfoot Museum. I read it in one day sitting in my camp. Rene Dahinden, having at the time acquired 'the Canadian rights' to the P-G Film of a purported bigfoot, opted to take the film to England and the Soviet Union as he was getting little support for it in the US or Canada. Once in Russia, Dahinden met up with Boris Porshev, Dmitri Bayanov, and Igor Bourtsev (of the Darwin Museum) who analyzed the film and gave their opinions to the positive of the creature. This book is about this trip and Bayanov's views on the film.

However, there's also lengthy pieces of this 215 page book regarding others topics such as:
A) Bayanov's dispute with John Napier's book on bigfoot.
B) His research paper sent to Marjorie Halpin for the first sasquatch conference held in British Columbia. Halpin herself put out a book (Manlike Monsters on Trial: Early Records and Modern Evidence) which included many of the submitted papers but this one, among others, was excluded. The later part of Bayanov's book seeks answers as to why it wasn't included, turns out Halpin's book focused more on the folklore-ish aspects of humanoid monsters.
C) Bayanov's turbulent relationship with the hard-headedness of Rene Dahinden who seems to have sabotaged all his relationships with former bigfoot colleagues on just how the whole matter should be resolved. Rene was in it for the money and basically didn't want to share any information with anyone else. This becomes more clear when he gets hostile towards Bayanov, thusly hurting their friendship. Dahinden got what he wanted in scientific approval of the the film and then took his ball and went home.

All-in-all, this is a pretty enjoyable book even with its diversity of topics (the film itself, John Napier's "Bigfoot", Halpin's conference, turbulent relations with Dahinden). Certainly worthy of your bigfoot library.