Area 51: The Dreamland Chronicles [Hardcover]

David Darlington (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1997

Area 51, Dreamland, Groom Lake, the Ranch, the Box--all these names refer to the top-secret research installation, located 100 miles north of Las Vegas, that has prompted speculations about captured alien spacecraft and hidden bodies of extraterrestrial beings. In this book, David Darlington details the history. legends, and characters involved with Area 51, spinning a tale of intrigue and outrage that speaks volumes about American democracy at the end of the 20th century. of photos.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Although dozens of books have been written about the infamous Roswell, New Mexico, and "Area 51," north of Las Vegas, Nevada, both supposed sites of extraterrestrial biological entities (EBEs), most of these books rely on indirect evidence and questionable witnesses, and the present work is no exception. Darlington (The Mojave, LJ 4/1/96) conducted a series of interviews and direct observations of the now tourist-infested Area 51 site. Unfortunately, he uncovered no new evidence or credible testimony to finally prove the existence of EBEs. Darlington follows the trials and tribulations of Bob Lazar and Glenn Campbell (not the singer)?characters with dubious backgrounds who attempt to spread their beliefs in UFOs. Unless readers are interested in the life of an amateur UFO investigator or trailer life, they will likely find nothing new or even entertaining here.?Mark E. Ellis, Albany State Univ., Ga.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"This witty yet disturbing book reminds us that citizens in a free society still have the power to challenge the secret activities of government."--Steven Aftergood, The Federation of American Scientists

Catch this page-turner before those damn CIA goons seize all the copies."--Maxim magazine

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 281 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Co; 1st edition (November 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805047778
• ISBN-13: 978-0805047776
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,479,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A humorous and informative look at Area 51, October 1, 2001

By 

Mark "arch-nerd" (Daytona Beach, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Area 51: The Dreamland Chronicles (Paperback)

David Darlington has written what is my favorite book on the most secretive place on earth. He mixes fact with fiction, in the form of what the self-proclaimed Area 51 "experts" believe to be fact.

His research into this book is meticulous. He recounts a pretty good history of the base up through the first flights of the F-117. Many people whose names have become synonymous with Area 51 appear in this tale. Glenn Campbell, Tom Mahood, and Mark Farmer are portrayed as being more rational, while others,such as Bob Lazar, are shown as the charlatans that they are.

Fact is often stranger than fiction, or so they say. If that is true, it also means that fact is funnier than fiction. Darlington captures the colorful personalities of the people who call Dreamland their home. I was particularly amused by Glenn Campbell's affinity for Las Vegas buffets (and Bob Lazar's affinity for Las Vegas brothels...)

If the book can be faulted, it can be said that Darlington writes it from a somewhat skeptical point of view. But he really lets the characters write the story for him. Everyone has their own theory abut the mysterious base. The entertainment comes from these stories.

Don't let the title fool you. This book's really about the Area 51 fanatics, not the base. But, based on our limited knowledge of what really happens at Area 51, the Area 51 sub-culture has taken the base's place in our hearts and minds.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but not revealing, June 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Area 51: The Dreamland Chronicles (Paperback)

The book was useful and interesting in it's explanations of the Groom Lake test site in the 50's, and in discussing the development of the U-2 and SR-71. Aside from that, the book offers very little in the way of useful information regarding the current activities and status of "Area 51" as it is called.

The books doesn't seem to reach a solid conclusion as to whether Area 51 is still basically a flight test center for secret (and admittedly, exotic) aircraft, or a haven for UFO's and every type of unsavory government conspiracy. Instead the book seems to leave this up to the reader, and so doesn't really accomplish very much.

Furthermore, the book later focuses on the activities of Area 51 watchers, rather than on the Groom Lake test site itself.

I am frequently disappointed by the gullibility of the American people, and the tendency to want to believe that an all-powerful government is "covering up" crashed alien spaceships, and back-engineering alien technology. Few people ever stop to consider that if the government wanted to cover something up, the most logical thing to cover it up with would be something even more interesting, hence the UFO craze. This begs the question; what is the U.S. Government REALLY hiding? For example, consider this point: Why would anyone need a 3 mile long runway to land alien saucers?

As alternate reading material I suggest the following: For anyone interested in secret and "black" aircraft projects, read "Dark Eagles". For those interested in the UFO phenomenon, read "The Real Roswell Crashed-Saucer Coverup". True, it approaches the topic from a skeptics point of view, but anyone who considers themselves to be objective should be willing to listen to a critic. For those who want to understand exotic engineering development, instead of parroting silly things like "aliens gave us velcro", try to obtain a copy of the book Electrogravitics Systems : Reports on a New Propulsion Methodology by Thomas Valone.

All of these can be obtained through amazon.com.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An exploration, not of Area 51, but the mystique of Area 51, April 17, 2001

By 

B. Jackson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Area 51: The Dreamland Chronicles (Paperback)

This book I would warmly recommend to anyone interested in the patchwork quilt of subcultures which make up the United States. A well-written and humorous book, I was very glad that Darlington did not spend much time speculating about Area 51, but rather wrote this book as a recounting of the folklore and a cross-section of the many kinds of people which inhabit the area and in their own ways contibute to "Ufology."