10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Beyond Roswell ... Or Just Out Of Grasp?, January 31, 2003
This review is from: Case MJ-12: The True Story Behind the Government's UFO Conspiracies (Mass Market Paperback)
Kevin Randle has made a cottage industry out of being the world's foremost expert on the alleged UFO crash at Roswell, New Mexico. While his two books focusing entirely on the events surrounding one of the cornerstones of America's growing UFO culture (mythology?) are quite good and stand-up very well as fine examples of investigative work lacking from much of the field, his ancillary works tend to be far less focused ... and that's largely because he tries to draw virtually all topics associated to the history of UFOs back to those seminal events from 1947. It's almost as if the author dismisses the fact that those events -- to date -- have yet to be substantiated.
That said, CASE MJ-12 is an admirable attempt to explore the possible origins to literally thousands of pages of supposedly "declassified" evidence linking Roswell and other UFO events to an elite oversight committee long referred to as "Majestic 12" (or "Majik 12" or "Magic 12" or just "Magic," depending upon whose opinion you accept). Despite having only seen a "representative sampling" (Randle's term, not mine), he feels compelled and competent to pass judgment over an entire body of paperwork he hasn't examined, and this investigative leap undermines much of his prose.
The book reads as if written very quickly. In fact, there are several long passages that almost appear as 'cut and paste' work, interspersed throughout the tome; interestingly enough, this 'cut-and-paste' is Randle's prime argument against accepting any of the MJ-12 papers as "credible." After finishing the work, you'll really understand the man's appreciation of the word "provenance."
Sadly, Randle stumbles in the book's second half, venturing easily into territory all-too-familiar these days in the endeavors of Ufology; he spends a fair portion of text 'bashing' others in the field for their failure to reach the same conclusions he has. As he's concluded a handful of the MJ papers are fradulent, he believes everyone should. In this respect, his arguments are weak ... especially given the fact that the foundation of his assertion is predicated on the outcome of a 'word game' played with a retired military officer (Kaufman) who, admittedly, can neither confirm nor deny the said committee's existence.
Still, CASE MJ-12 is entertaining in its first half, when Randle is dealing with those MJ 12 papers he has reviewed, and this is definitely worth reading. In the latter half, he delves (or tries to) into the psychology associated to MJ-12, if such a secret committee existed, and what the political and/or social ramifications would've been. For those familiar with the events of Roswell, CASE MJ-12 makes for adequate reading. Randle's insistence on spending time recounting (and recounting and recounting!) the Roswell events sadly grounds the prose; instead, he could've engaged readers with his own speculative theories associated to UFO crash retrievals.
For reasons beyond logic, Randle also feels compelled to tack on an extra chapter -- an appendix dealing solely with a con man's hoax associated to a UFO crash in Africa. Perhaps Randle believed that, by presenting events so obviously fabricated, the thinner of his arguments would be strengthened, but that isn't the way truly inquiring minds really think.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
ugh, April 15, 2005
This review is from: Case MJ-12: The True Story Behind the Government's UFO Conspiracies (Mass Market Paperback)
There isn't much new information in this book. Certainly not one of Mr. Randle's best books.
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4.0 out of 5 stars
Case MJ-12 is a practical and logical analysis of the issue. A good read., June 27, 2009
This review is from: Case MJ-12: The True Story Behind the Government's UFO Conspiracies (Mass Market Paperback)
This is a very practical analysis of the MJ-12 issue without unwanted speculation and rumor that clouds many books. The authors attention to detail and his ability to disect actual protocol with regard to military and political practices is very well presented. I agree with his asessment of the MJ-12 case because of his dedication to logic and truth.
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