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61 of 64 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
What Have They Seen?, January 22, 2002
This review is from: Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend (Paperback)
"Mothman - The Facts Behind The Legend" is simply a must-have book for anyone who is interested in the Mothman enigma. Sergent and Wamsley's compilation of factual information cuts through the plethora of speculation and utter nonsense that unfortunately surrounds the Mothman, and the reader is allowed to draw their own conclusions based on what they have read. Linda Scarberry's in-depth testimony and her published journal allow the reader glimpses of the character and physical attributes of the creature. She had several close encounters with it and is a credible witness who gives fascinating, detailed information here. The Mothman was seen by over one hundred adult witnesses from all walks of life, and perhaps the renewed interest in the events that took place will influence other witnesses to come forth with information. Point Pleasant, West Virginia and surrounding areas were plagued with strange Fortean phenomena during 1966-1967, including UFO flaps and odd Men In Black characters that visited several of the townspeople, the Mothman sightings, and other weird events. The tragic collapse of the Silver Bridge, which claimed 46 lives, seemed to serve as the horrific climax of the events. Sergent and Wamsley's brief chronical of Mason County's rich, oft-times disturbing history is invaluable in providing insight about the region and "sets the stage", so to speak, for the appearance of Mothman. After reading Sergent and Wamsley's no-nonsense, thought-provoking book, the question that will inevitably form in the reader's mind is, "What have they seen?" Strange things indeed, and the stuff that nightmares are made of. My only criticism is of the cover art, which differs vastly from the descriptions Scarberry and others gave of the Mothman's appearance. Aside from that, the book is fine and is certain to be re-read many times over.
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69 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Too much for some to handle, April 5, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend (Paperback)
I have noticed that some of the reviewers of this book are looking for more than what really happened in Point Pleasant. I grew up there and some real crackpots have posted reviews leading the reader to believe there is more than these two authors are telling. It is simply not the truth, there isn't any more than what these men have compiled... For years my hometown has jerked around by so-called "researchers" who insist that "Mothman is this" and "Mothman was that". That is not the spirit of this book, and if you look for more than that, you are missing the point. This book is one thing: facts. Just facts! And, believe me, there aren't any more facts than what appear in this book. As it says on the cover, the authors are careful NOT TO CROSS the line between fact and fiction--yet it isn't enough for some people, especially know-it-alls who think there is more to the story. This is where the legend started, and this is all there is. It is enough to scare the living daylights out of you. I personally think the reviewers who wonder if Mothman had a gender and/or wonder why it didn't wear clothes are either smoking something, need to get a job, or plainly have too much time on their hands. Get a life! This is a super book. Hats off to the authors for presenting my hometown positively and factually, instead of making everyone look like idiots. There is more information in this book than is available in any other book about the mothman, and I will say it again -- THIS BOOK IS 100% FACTUAL.
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35 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
It answers many questions, January 17, 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend (Paperback)
FINALLY!!! I have always wondered about what happened in Point Pleasant, and up until now, all I was able to read about it were the interpretations of cryptozoologists and researchers. I never had a way to see how the real story unfolded, and I never got to see where they got all of their information. Until now! This book is unparalleled because it presents nothing but FACTS! The authors never tell me what I should think about the Mothman -- they only present what happened in Point Pleasant and let the reader decide what to think. Inside is an interview from 2001 with original eyewitness Linda Scarberry, the original newspaper clippings that broke the story (my favorite is from Stars & Stripes that the army soldiers read in Viet Nam), eyewitness reports written just days after the sightings, and the most interesting part to me by far are the personal letters from John Keel to Linda Scarberry that give critical insight into his thought processes. The pictures from the inside of the old power plant are really creepy and set the tone for how the eyewitnesses must have perceived what they saw. Now, after reading this book, I can understand what the researchers and crypto people are talking about -- and I want to know more!
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