Customer Reviews

BIG BIRD! - MODERN SIGHTINGS OF FLYING MONSTERS

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

 

 

I was disappointed when I took this book out of the Amazon.com mailer and saw how thin it was, but when I started reading it I realized it was PACKED with interesting research and personally investigated accounts - NOT just a bunch of speculation as is too often the case with this type of book. Anyone interested in Forteana will enjoy this book and I am adding the author to my list of writers whose books I will look out for in the future.

I just bought this book about two weeks ago and since it's a light read I finished it in about three days.
It was a pretty informative book as these things go. Being mostly focused on the title creature "Big Bird" of Texas fame it didn't leave much room for the other mystery flying creatures of the world.
Though the author made an effort to include some of these other mystery flyers, it almost came as an afterthought.
Being from the area the author would obviously focus on his own backyard and I don't blame him, but more thought could have been put in the section on creatures from the other areas both in this country and in other countries.
Plus the fact that he included the "Mothman" in his living Pterosaurs theory, which is just insulting. Mothman has never been identified as a Pterosaur by any of the witnesses and this "fact" just seems to be pulled out from thin air, so to speak.
The Book also has many spelling and punctuation errors that could have been found had they had a decent editor.
In all, if you're from Texas or plan to travel there to do research, it's a great book on local folklore, but if you're from anywhere else in the world it really has no impact on the Cryptozoological hunt for the mystery flying creatures of the rest of the world.

I was thoroughly intrigued by the author's account of sightings and other evidence of the existence of these fascinating creatures. A highly enjoyable reading experience!

I first met Ken Gerhard a few years ago at Chester Moore's Crypto Conference in Texas; and since then our paths have crossed on various occasions - at gigs and out in the monster-hunting field, too.

I was pleased to find on first speaking with Ken that (like me and the good folk at the Center for Fortean Zoology who have published his book, and whose US Ofiice I coordinate) he is one who likes to get out there and into the thick of the action; rather than simply relying on the Internet for his data.

And I'm pleased to say that Big Bird! does not disappoint. For anyone with an interest in monstrous winged-things, Ken's book is essential and informative reading. And the fact that it's written by someone with a sincere passion for his subject matter makes it all the better.

So, if you are fascinated by the weird wonders that soar the skies of the United States and you want to know more about them, where they are from, and what they may be, I urge you to get hold of a copy of Ken's book - NOW!

Although the sightings seem to be mostly in Texas, some of them are really interesting, even shocking. For me, however, the lack of editing, for at least some of the content, gave me an unpleasant surprise (so I gave it three instead of four stars). Still, some of these accounts may not be available in other cryptozoological resources, for the author has interviewed at least some of the eyewitnesses himself. Although I found a little evidence that the author was sometimes careless about accuracy of data, the problem appeared to be a limited problem. If you are seriously interested in strange flying creatures not classified in biology textbooks, this book is one of the few worth having (few nonfiction books contain sightings of possible pterosaurs).

To compare it with other nonfictions with much content about apparent living pterosaurs: It is not a creationist book (as is "Dinosaurs: Dead or Alive" or "Searching for Ropens"). It is not packed with sightings from U.S. states other than Texas (as is "Live Pterosaurs in America"). It is a useful resource for sightings of possible pterosaurs and possible giant birds mostly within Texas.

I enjoyed the book, I thought it was entertaining and informative on a subject considered taboo in most scientific circles, however it did not take me "to the edge" or the fringe if you will. The author mostly stayed clear of the most controversial aspects of flying humanoids, and mentioned some cases only in passing ie" flying human November 1975 Rio Grande area, and gave no details. He did not take the proverbial leap of faith and considedered the whole spectrum of the phenomena, the paranormal side, UFOs, etc. He kept it safe.

I guess having interviewed some people and quasi-accurately reported their statements qualifies as "research," but I am in no way impressed by Gerhard's opus. I should have known better than to spend money on this after seeing his television performance wherein he accompanied a dyed-in-the-wool detective to try to solve the centuries-old "Beast of Gevaudan" mystery (like, where did they find a detective who would condescend to associate with this hatted clown?). The information content of the text was almost nil; zero paleontological analysis was evidenced; and I felt, overall, that a quick grab for my (admittedly scanty) dollars had been perpetrated. You will truly derive more information from an hour-long special on HIST or NGEOG than you possibly could from hacking through this disappointing, derivative drivel.

Written in an entertaining 'magazine' style, so easy to read. Fascinating stuff but begs an important question that the author seems to miss completely. With so many eye witness accounts of Pterosaur type creatures surely the obvious implication is that they are not extinct. So the dominant idea that they disappeared 60 million years ago must be wrong. Yet Ken allows another writer (in Appendix 1) to re-affirm that very belief! Appendix 1 ends the book with four pages of pure evolutionary fairytale from a very fertile imagination telling us they vanished 65 million years ago! What a way to end a book filled with accounts of modern day sightings! Unbelievable.

Nothing more than sigtings of oversized herons, condors and teratorns. He only has one little chapter on any actual pterosaur sightings from Papua New Guinea and Africa, but most the book is about sightings in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, all of which fit the description of the birds I mentioned above, but claiming them to be pterosaurs. It's a disappointing book for its name! IF you really want to read about real pterosaur sightings, buy Searching for Ropens by Jonathon Whitcomb, its really worth your money!