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31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A superb biography, BUT..., September 28, 2003
By A Customer
Ann Druffel's "Firestorm" is a serious-minded, scholarly, and well-written biography of one of the most important figures in UFO history: Dr. James McDonald. McDonald (1920-1971), was an atmospheric physicist at the University of Arizona, and was thus perfectly qualified to lead a scientific study of the UFO phenomenon. In the 1950's McDonald had his own UFO sighting, and this experience led him to begin a private, quiet investigation of UFOs which would last for many years. In the early-to-mid 1960's McDonald - who had a "top-secret" government clearance - gained access to the files of Project Blue Book, the US Air Force's official research group assigned to investigate UFO reports. And what he found appalled him: not only was Blue Book's staff scientifically unqualified to investigate UFO's, but the Air Force's hard-line "anti-UFO" policies had caused Blue Book's staff to simply make up many of their "explanations" for UFO incidents out of thin air, without even a brief investigation or interviews with the eyewitnesses. By the late 1960's McDonald had investigated hundreds of UFO cases - including many from the 1940's and 1950's which the Air Force had claimed to have "solved" - and offered convincing evidence that the cases were still "unsolved". He also used his scientific expertise to critique the beliefs of UFO debunkers, such as Dr. Donald Menzel, a Harvard University astronomer and fierce UFO critic. Unlike McDonald, Menzel refused to interview UFO witnesses (since in his view UFOs couldn't possibly exist, any UFO witness was obviously mistaken in their observation and therefore interviewing them was a waste of time). Menzel's "armchair investigations" of UFO cases were often revealed by McDonald to be unscientific and illogical. Menzel, who was never able to specifically rebut McDonald's scientific and forceful criticisms of his UFO "explanations", resorted to personal attacks on McDonald, calling him a "pseudoscientist" and a crank. As Druffel notes, this would become a pattern with McDonald's critics - they would often ignore McDonald's thoroughly-investigated, detailed studies of UFO cases - and would instead concentrate upon attacking him personally.
By 1966 McDonald was convinced that the UFO mystery was real and that it posed a major challenge to science, and so he devoted himself full-time to investigating the phenomenon and to convincing the mainstream scientific community of his beliefs. He quickly emerged as a leading spokesman for "Ufology" - the scientific study of the UFO phenomenon. In effect, McDonald mounted a one-man crusade to convince his fellow scientists, and the general public, that UFOs were serious business and a subject worthy of scientific study. When the US government created the "Condon Committee" in the late 1960's to study the UFO phenomenon and see if a final explanation could be found, McDonald eagerly offered his services to the committee. Given his extensive research into the subject and his impeccable scientific credentials, McDonald was a logical choice to serve on the Condon Committee, but he was not chosen as a committee member. The reason for this snub soon became clear, as the Committee's two leaders, Dr. Edward Condon and Dr. Robert Low, were revealed to be hard-line UFO debunkers, and both Condon and Low were determined to have the Committee come to an anti-UFO conclusion, no matter what the Committee's research revealed. McDonald (along with other prominent Ufologists) made fierce criticisms of the Committee's leadership and bias, but to no avail. The "Condon Report", published in 1969, couldn't find explanations for nearly one-third of the cases it examined, but Dr. Condon in his introduction to the Report flatly stated that UFOs didn't exist and that "serious science" had nothing to gain from studying the subject. Undaunted, McDonald wrote a number of detailed and thoughtful criticisms of the Condon Report, including his classic essay "Science in Default", which remains a powerful argument for objectively and thoroughly investigating UFO incidents.
However, the "Condon Report" marked the beginning of the end for McDonald. His strong and forceful advocacy of UFOs as a serious subject worthy of scientific attention had earned him many critics in the scientific community, most of whom wanted only to ignore UFO cases and disliked having their "intellectual laziness" on the subject revealed by McDonald. Many of McDonald's scientific colleagues began to avoid him, and he was soon isolated from the mainstream scientific community. Even worse, McDonald ran afoul of Philip Klass, the editor of "Aviation Week" magazine and an even more vociferous UFO critic than Menzel. When McDonald shredded one of Klass's pet theories for UFO sightings in print - Klass argued that many UFOs were "plasma balls" caused by power lines, a theory which McDonald showed to have no basis in science - Klass went after McDonald personally in a brazen attempt to destroy his reputation. It was an unfair battle, for while McDonald limited himself to critiquing Klass's theories and "explanations" for UFO cases, Klass ignored McDonald's scientific arguments and concentrated on personal smears and innuendo - Klass even tried unsuccessfully to have McDonald's top-secret government clearance revoked so he could no longer examine UFO reports. By 1970 McDonald's life was falling apart, partly from his blackballing by other scientists, partly from the vicious personal attacks by Klass, and partly from the fact that his crusade had left little time for his family, and his wife wanted a divorce.
In 1971 came the final blow. McDonald was called to testify before a congressional committee on the new supersonic transport (SST), a plane which McDonald had studied and was convinced would harm the atmosphere. Although the subject had nothing to do with UFOs, and McDonald was not speaking on that topic, a sleazy New England Congressman who wanted the SST to be built (because it would bring jobs to the voters in his district) tried to discredit McDonald's criticisms of the SST by turning the hearing to a "discussion" of McDonald's belief in "little green men". This tactic caught McDonald completely by surprise, and although he tried to defend his UFO studies and pointed out that UFOs and the SST had nothing to do with each other, the Congressman repeatedly ridiculed McDonald and implied that anyone who "believed" in UFOs couldn't be trusted about their SST testimony. By the end of the hearing open laughter and ridicule of McDonald could be heard in the congressional chamber. In fact, McDonald's criticisms of the SST were supported by many other scientists and the project was eventually dropped. However, McDonald was personally devastated and humiliated by this totally unfair attack, and later in 1971 he walked into the Arizona desert and shot himself. His death was devastating to Ufology, as it lost one of its greatest leaders and spokesmen. As Druffel notes, many of his investigations and writings (especially his brilliant paper "Science in Default") remain the best of their kind in the study of UFOs, and have never been adequately rebutted by his critics.
This is a superb, "traditional" biography, and should be read by anyone with even a passing interest in the UFO phenomenon. Unfortunately, it will probably never receive the attention it deserves, and in many ways "Firestorm" illustrates the reasons why Ufology has remained a fringe movement since McDonald's death. The book was written by Ann Druffel, and while she has done an excellent job with this biography, she has also published a number of "New Age" books of dubious merit. One of her books is entitled "How to Defend Yourself Against Alien Abductions", a title which (fairly or not) has received plenty of ridicule. Also, this book is published not by a traditional printing house, but by a very small "New Age" firm - which will unfortunately greatly limit its sales and ability to publicize McDonald's brilliant but tragic career. In short, "Firestorm" is a superb biography of a very brave, talented, and tragic figure - not only in Ufology but also in American science. It's definitely worth reading, but it's also a shame that so few people will be able to read it, and that the present-day disciples of Menzel and Klass will be able to use Ms. Druffel's previous books to try and discredit this one. Even so, "Firestorm" is highly recommended. Buy it!
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29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deeply Disturbing, November 22, 2003
After thirty some years as an occasional UFO investigator I had essentially set the subject aside and even stopped buying books on the subject. When Druffel's exhaustive analysis of Dr. McDonalds private papers came to light I knew I had to buy this one last book on UFO's. It is a fascinating read for anyone who followed alongside at a great distance the events chronicled here. At last an inside look at what happened during an all too brief episode in UFO investigation history. What troubles me is the sense that McDonalds great scientific knowledge, insight, and judgement makes no difference in the world at large. His ongoing disagreements with Dr. Hynek spotlight the political reality that you just are better off keeping unpopular opinions to yourself. McDonald believed in the power of science as a rational technique for prying the truth out of nature; that even the force of "political correctness" would fall under the persistent weight of a scientific approach. As druffel's book documents, Hynek disagreed and maintained his scientific standing by not rocking the boat. There is a dark, ominous cloud hanging over 'Firestorm', the knowledge that McDonald eventually killed himself. I deliberately read slowly, savoring each sentence, almost trying to avoid getting to the end. This is not just another UFO book, it's about a lot more than that and I wish there were a way to gain it a wider audience. Don't read it looking for some cheap new UFO thrill, instead read it to stand witness to a remarkable mind and his incredible fight with the intellectual community at large.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
To Live Is To War With Trolls, September 7, 2005
Ibsen's observation fits the too short Ufological career of this exemplary and brilliant American scientist perfectly.
Beset on all sides by the petty trolls of indifference, ineptitude, distortion, mendacity, intellectual sloth, opportunism - and even his own stubbornness - Dr. McDonald still managed to make an impressive contribution to science.
Absolutely essential reading is his 60-odd page presentation to the House of Representatives during the July 1968 Symposium on UFOs, fascinatingly concise, vigorous and thorough summaries of
numerous sightings. If only he had written the book that he had been planning to during the last years of his life.
Before the deceitful, conspiring trolls brought him down.
Which leads me to Ann Druffel's effort. As long overdue and greatly anticipated as this book was, I regret that I cannot be more appreciative of the end result.
Major observations:
Granted this is not strictly a biography of a singular person but rather a study of the life and times, focusing on "the McDonald years" of 1965 to 1971, and its related events. Nonetheless, even the most devoted reader's attention is soon dulled by what is decidely too much of a good thing. The density of peripheral persons, committees, case studies, bureaucratic furbelows, trips here, memos there, on and on...
Well, you get the picture. Unfortunately, you begin to lose sight of the man amongst so many less than relevant explanations and elaborations. I think Ann Druffel suffered from the same obsessive overload that helped contribute to Dr. McDonald's downfall. If her book was half as long I am certain it would read twice as well. An editorial job definitely lacking here.
Some minor observations:
I find the metaphor of Firestorm less than appropriate as a title for this book. Likewise, the background photo of a forest fire in the cover design will likely lend itself only to confusion for the casually interested potential reader. Again, not the wisest editorial choice.
Likewise, I must object to the selection of Dr. Vallee in providing a foreword. Considering the overuse of his opinions -
particularly in constantly defensive last word of Dr. Hynek's trollishness - his presence at the outset seems inapt, to say the least.
In any case, I do recommend your reading this book. But I would strongly suggest that you skim through much of its heavily larded chapters in order to discover the exceptional man and brilliant scientist that has for far too long been overlooked.
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