Customer Reviews

Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

"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.

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.

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!

This book provides some of the most amazing factual documentation of the entire MOTHMAN Legend. To be able to read thru and see, step by step, what actually occurred that night, here in Point Pleasant, West Virginia, is so exciting. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys Urban Legends, or just a really interesting story. I actually felt like I was there !! The author's provide a wonderfully descriptive account of actual sightings and I literally got chills from it. The history of this small West Virginia town is presented in such a way that anyone reading it will immediately gain a fondness for it. Being a resident of Point Pleasant, it is great to see my town shown in it's real light. The local author's have both done their hometown a great justice with this tribute. The facts and actual accounts of this legend are clear and simple, never leaving the reader lost or confused. The never before seen newspaper articles, letters, pictures and the interview are the shining crown on this gem of a book. I couldn't put it down until every page had been read, only to find myself going back to read it again, in case I missed some facts. I am anxiously awaiting the author's next endeavors.

It was my pleasure to meet with both Donnie Sergeant and Jeff Wamsley in Point Pleasant. I am SO thrilled to have received my signed copy from them, for this was my best start in finding out about the incidents of the Mothman and ufo's in the 60's and 70's in my neighborhood of the Ohio Valley.

Sergeant and Wamsley's book was filled with enough information to aid in my visit to Point Pleasant and to see the locations described by the eyewitnesses. It also led me to read John Keel's book as well.

I highly recommend this book for anyone wanting to get the story first hand from eyewitnesses and from newspaper articles. It's a great starting point for anyone wanting to research the strange happenings in the Point Pleasant area.

Why is it that some people cannot accept the truth? That some cannot see the forest for the trees?

This is the coolest book available on Mothman, bar none. I like the fact that the authors include the information about the Point Pleasant and Mason County area, what another reviewer refers to as "tangents".

My cousin is from Point Pleasant. We spent time rummaging through the TNT area that is described in the book. It is really creepy up there, and the thought of toxic chemicals in the ground makes your mind scream about the possibilities of just what is out there -- and what it does to the genetics of living things in the area. So that information, and the information about the terrible battle that took place in town, opens up the possibility of all sorts of explanations, including hauntings, government interference, chemical genetic alterations, and mass hysteria.

The town itself is friendly and so are the people. They are not idiots, not running scared, and certainly not living in fear as some books by so-called "experts" portray them. My guess is that the friends of these experts are posting negative reviews about this book because it is so good.

I praise this book for the following reasons:
1) It is large and easy to read. There are only so many ways you can present the clippings, and they are shown in small format (so that you can see the layout as it appeared in the newspaper) and then enlarged to read the details. Otherwise, the authors would have to package a magnifying glass with each book.... duh.
2) The authors refuse to let their own opinions get in the way. Obviously the reviewers that think the authors are hiding something or didn't tell everything are just looking to pick a fight, and they miss the point of this book by a mile.
3) That the authors are local men, not outsiders.
4) That the authors took the time to put this book together. I certainly might stop back in town next time I drive through, but I don't have time to spend a week's vacation tracking down all these clippings and compiling this information. So the fact that this has been done for me makes this book a tremendous value. Thank you, Jeff and Donnie!
5) That this book tells the story from the night the legend started, and I can see firsthand how all the legend grew and grew from a few scared kids into a movie that has little to do with the true story.

Lastly, I notice some of the so-called expert reviewers either rate something with 5 stars or 1 star. How does that make you an expert?

A must-have book for every collection. You may come to a conclusion different from everyone else... and you can thank the authors for that.

Book reviews usually don't impress me. As an investigative researcher and author, I find most popular books dealing with the unexplained quite frustrating. Recently, a Christmas gift has inspired me to attempt my first book review.

Imagine, if you will, two authors preparing a manuscript defining the many nightmares that visited Point Pleasant, West Virginia between November 1966 and December 1967 that were previously chronicled in John Keel's "The Mothman Prophecies" and are the subject of a motion picture of the same name "co-starring" Richard Gere. Imagine again that these authors were both diligent and lucky enough to amass a mountain of raw data, including more than seventy-five unique news clippings from many local newspapers, correspondence between John Keel and percipients, and handwritten reports penned by the original witnesses just days after their encounter that have never been part of any public record.

What these authors accessed was a Mothman "time capsule."

Genesis accounts gleaned as the events happened.

"MOTHMAN: The Facts Behind The Legend" is a researcher's delight. Sergent and Wamsley bestow this treasure trove of factual information for all to examine. Pore at your leisure over nearly 100 scans of extremely rare, original press clippings about the Mothman and UFOs, private letters and reports that clarify the actual events that later created and encompassed the Mothman legend.

"MOTHMAN: The Facts Behind The Legend" is a "must-have" addition to every library.

Whether one does or does not believe in alien forces, readers will likely enjoy this book for the interesting facts it contains on the Mothman. The authors present the book in this light, relying on the reader to come to their own conclusions about what or how much is fact versus fiction. The legend of the Mothman has been intriguing people since the first appearance in the 1960's. Depending on one's source of information, the physical discription of the Mothman varies from one report to another and may not actually match the one shown on the cover of this book. The book is quite short; however, it is worth reading. I understand this legend is soon to be released as a motion picture; however, in many cases, the actual story told throughout the pages of a book often surpasses the movie. In a book, one can conjure up their own speculative images of the characters which, personally, I prefer to do. This is an enlightening, fascinating read, particularly the newspaper articles found in the book; they are remarkably chilling.

Here we have two local authors that not only tell the entire story but present it in a totally unbiased manner. Who better to tell the story of Mothman than investigating locals? John Keels book was and is great in my opinion but so too is Mr. Wamsley's and Mr. Sergent's.
The authors didn't slap the "Mothman" title on this book and take off writing about other things as some have. They didn't throw this book together to ride the Mothman-movie-bandwagon, no, they give you exactly what you expect and more! The tale of Mothman in Point Pleasant, West Virginia starting in 1966. The straight forward, complete story with testimony, media and personally researched accounts! You get what you pay for and sometimes more, this is one of those "more" times. ENJOY!

The authors state clearly in the book that 'Mothman: The Facts Behind the Legend' does not try to draw conclusions about what might or might not have happened at Point Pleasant, West Virginia on November 15 1966. That's a good thing because, based on the miniscule amount of "evidence" in the book, it would be difficult to conclude anything except that some kids were scared by something they saw.

Please don't misunderstand. I'm NOT trying to say these kids were mistaken. Let's accept that they saw what they saw. What I'm saying is that the book, 'Mothman', is shallow and repetitive. In large print with page after page after page of photocopied newspaper clippings that all say the same thing, 'Mothman' has 95% filler and 5% content. There are too many questions the authors SHOULD have asked...

What relationship was there between MIB and the collapse of the bridge? What did other eyewitnesses see of the many UFO reported sightings? Who were the MIB? How could 'Mothman' be linked to MIB?

Even simple curiosity questions were missed... Did Mothman wear clothes? Why do the witnesses say HE was a man - wht not SHE was a woman?

Sorry but I read the content of this book in a couple of hours and it left me empty and disinterested in thinking further about the subject.