Not only do the aliens walk among us but, until recently, they were working tentacle-in-hand with the US military—or so British ufologist Good (Above Top Secret, 1988) implies in this erratically organized, incredible report. While Good's earlier book made a well-documented case for clandestine federal involvement in UFO research, this more anectodal study will convert few to the cause. Despite the tantalizing subtitle, much of what Good presents is familiar fare, beginning with his selection of reported run-ins between aircraft and UFOs. He focuses next on the provocative (and well-covered elsewhere) controversy about alleged UFO culpability in cattle mutilations. A close-up look at strange doings at a Colorado ranch plagued by mutilations sheds more mystery than light (``At about two a.m...a mechanical-sounding voice was heard coming from all the radio and TV speakers....`Attention. We have allowed you to remain. We have interfered with your lives very little. Do not cause us to take action which you will regret' ''), while Good's rapid-fire rundown of assorted purported human-alien contacts rehashes old cases like the Roswell incident (alien bodies recovered in 1947 in New Mexico). A gnarly discussion of intelligence community disinformation about UFOs follows, leading to Good's core case: the testimony of physicist Bob Lazar, who claims to have worked at an Air Force test site in Nevada where he tinkered with extraterrestrial craft and learned that aliens had been in ``liaison'' with the military until a 1979 ``incident'' resulted in the death of 66 humans and the flight of the ETs, who left their craft behind. Good does admit that Lazar's credibility has been shaken by a recent conviction for pimping. True believers will be interested to learn that Jesus may have been a ``genetically engineered'' alien; others will want to pass in favor of the more grounded work of Jacques Vallee (Revelations, 1991, etc.). (Photographs—not seen.)
Pub Date: April 22, 1993
ISBN: 0-688-12223-X
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 1993
BOOK REVIEW
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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