The UFO Encyclopedia : The Phenomenon from the Beginning (2 Volume Set) [Library Binding]

Jerome Clark (Author)

Product Details

• Library Binding: 1178 pages
• Publisher: Omnigraphics, Inc.; 2 Sub edition (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0780800974
• ISBN-13: 978-0780800977
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.7 x 3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,050,641 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An "instant classic" in the study of UFOs, April 12, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The UFO Encyclopedia : The Phenomenon from the Beginning (2 Volume Set) (Library Binding)

Quite simply, this is THE book to buy if you're interested in learning about the UFO phenomenon. Many UFO books are often written by "true believers" with dubious credentials, and as a result they feature little or no research to support the author's claims. However, Jerome Clark is a respected UFO historian whose books have won awards from the New York Public Library, and even UFO skeptics regard him as a legitimate UFO researcher and historian. An abridged version of this encyclopedia ("The UFO Book") won the prestigious Benjamin Franklin award in the Science/Environment category from the Independent Book Publishers Association, and the two-volume encyclopedia was praised by "Library Journal" magazine, which recommended the encyclopedia to public and academic libraries. Clark has packed this encyclopedia with a massive amount of research and plenty of references to back up his arguments. And this is a true encyclopedia - the 273 articles cover, alphabetically, almost every major UFO sighting since the 1890's, as well as the major theories that are used to explain UFO sightings, and biographies of almost every major ufologist and skeptic in the field. Although Clark is a "believer" in the sense that he tends to side with those who believe that UFOs represent something real and extraordinary, he is fair to the skeptics and debunkers and does include their explanations for each sighting, even though he often disagrees with it. It is this even-handedness that makes the "UFO Encyclopdia" stand out from most other UFO books. If you want a handy reference book that will answer almost any question you have about UFOs, then this is the only book you'll ever need. And, as a rebuttal to those who believe that UFOs are "nonsense" and not to be taken seriously, Clark's "UFO Encyclopedia" presents a mighty challenge. If you could only buy just one UFO book for your personal library, then the "UFO Encyclopedia" is by far the best choice - I have no doubt that it will be the standard reference book for years, if not decades, to come.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A worthwhile book, December 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The UFO Encyclopedia : The Phenomenon from the Beginning (2 Volume Set) (Library Binding)

This is a landmark book and a remarkable achievement. The entries are very detailed, balanced and extremely well-referenced. Many of Clark's entries are worth the equivalent of an entire book boiled down to a few pages. I have suggested to several sociology colleagues that they get their libraries to order it. When a case is in doubt, Clark tends to land on the side of possible ET visitation. While I disagree such interpretations and assessments (because I require absolute proof), Clark is certainly within his rights to do so because he bases his views on evidence, and he backs up his argument with quality references and lucid reasoning. No matter where one stands on the UFO debate (and I am a sympathetic skeptic), this 2 volume set clearly stands as the most thorough ever written for the 273 entries covered. Jerome Clark should be congratulated for an almost superhuman effort.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Definitive and remarkable., October 15, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Ufo Encyclopedia (Hardcover)

I can't imagine a more interesting and non-biased overview of the history of the modern UFO phenomena. Clarks encyclopedia - now in two volumes - is a multi-chambered labyrinth of sighting reports, witness biographies, and ruminations upon events which are fascinating from whichever angle the reader chooses to the view them: as actual events, as hallucinations, as modern folklore, or as hoaxes. Recommended for individuals and libraries that can afford this addition.