An Illustrated History of UFOs

by Adam Allsuch Boardman

A fully illustrated non-fiction guide about the history of aircraft, alleged abductions and artefacts associated with UFOs.

Mysterious lights in the sky. Alien abductions. Government cover-ups. Cults, Aleister Crowley and alien autopsies. Dedicated ufologists have spent years documenting unexplained phenomena from flying saucers to extraterrestrial life. Uncover the history of UFOs in this illustrated guide, which separates the science fiction from the facts.

The mysterious history of flying saucers is explored in-depth, from potential alien visitors as far back as Stonehenge to UFO cults and the secrets of Area 51, The Illustrated History of UFOs answers all UFO enthusiasts probing questions.

Part of the award-winning Illustrated History series by Adam Allsuch-Boardman.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Graphic Novels, Paranormal, Comics, Folklore, Aliens

128 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Adam Allsuch Boardman is an illustrator based in Leeds, who recently completed his BA Illustration degree at Leeds College of Art. He has worked on a variety of projects including merchandise for the Hyde Park Picture House, and producing imagery for several museum projects. Fuelled by an interest in the trivial, and a fastidious study of detail, Adam enjoys illustrating a variety of subjects.

Reviews

[Diego García · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me ha encantado, es divertido, entretenido y muy interesante. Se hace una breve recopilación y conceptualización de los aspectos más relevantes de la ufología, así como de los encuentros y abducciones más destacadas de su historia.
Lo único malo es que me hubiera gustado aún más si fuera más largo!!! Ojalá profundizara más y se vieran más casos, sería increíble, aunque entiendo que la finalidad de este libro es introductoria. Me voy a volver un aficcionado a la ufología.
Recordad "the truth is out there".
I want to believe.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This informational book covers the history of UFO and alien sightings up to the present. Specific sightings and encounters are described along with the general reactions and fallout. Like with The Art of Drag, the book's illustrations have an overall positive aesthetic but photographs would have greatly enhanced the information presented. I looked up a few of the images and videos mentioned and found them fascinating even though I wouldn't say I'm into science fiction or UFOs or aliens (although I did love The X-Files!). Overall this was a fun overview to read.

[José Nebreda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una historia muy resumida y general sobre los ovnis y marcianitos. Entretenida, divertidisima y magnifícame ilustrada.

[♱ Laia Westenra ♱ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un bon punt de partida sobre el fascinant camp de la ufologia, explicant tot el coneixement bàsic que cal tenir. És amè, fàcil de llegir i no gaire profund: al cap i a la fi, es tracta d’una obra molt introductòria i a qui li interessi pot ampliar la informació amb altra bibliografia. Tracta els fets de manera objectiva i sense entrar a confirmar-los o a desmentir-los. Qui vulgui creure, que cregui. (7/10)

[Carlex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and a half stars

A curious book that gives the reader exactly what the title promises. Very entertaining.

[AlenGarou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Posso dire che un libro sugli UFO mi mancava?
Perché altrimenti non saprei come scusare la me stessa che compra cose random solo per il: “uh, che belle immagini. Oh, guarda! I cryptid”.
Sì, mi stupisco di non avere la casa invasa da bestiari sul genere.
… Per ora.
In ogni caso devo ammettere che questa pubblicazione è di tutto rispetto. Nonostante si mantenga molto sul generico, il design e le illustrazioni elevano i vari argomenti trattati. Non solo, la suddivisione dei capitoli nelle varie decadi con rispettivi riferimenti, grafici e avvistamenti hanno reso l’opera un vero e proprio compendio molto specifico e ordinato.
Le curiosità e gli aneddoti sono intriganti, così come l’evoluzione degli alieni e dei rispettivi dischi volanti nel corso del tempo, alimentati sia dalle uscite fantascientifiche, sia dai passi avanti della scienza. Insomma, moda e cervello che lavorano insieme.
Nonostante sia una persona scettica traumatizzata dal film Contact da piccola, si è rivelata comunque una lettura interessante, a tratti divertente.
Rimango sempre dell’idea che è improbabile che altre civiltà siano ben disposte a mettersi in contatto con noi con tutti i disastri che stiamo combinando, ma bisogna anche dire che sarebbe davvero triste se fossimo l’unica forma di vita nella vastità dell’universo.
E diamo un po' di credito ai batteri!
Se amate il tema o gli albi illustrati, questa uscita non può mancare nelle vostre librerie.

[mäél · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divertidísimo y muy entretenido. Un viaje a través de los casos más significativos de historia de la ufología, comentando el fenómeno Ovni de manera muy ilustrativa tanto desde el punto de vista de sus partidarios y defensores más ilustres como de sus más reconocidos detractores y escépticos.

Creo que mi parte favorita ha sido el estudio que realiza de la ufología y lo "extraterreste" dentro del concepto imaginario y colectivo que ha sido afianzado gracias a la cultura pop, la ciencia ficción, las teorías conspirativas, la política y las sectas. Evidentemente se centra sobre todo en Estados Unidos que es el mayor exponente en cuanto al concepto Ovni. Y es que qué les gusta a los yankees una buena teoría conspirativa.

Lo que más me ha gustado es que es objetivo, no es un libro que trate de convencerte de la existencia de vida extraterrestre ni tampoco desmentirla. Simplemente es una recopilación de datos, eventos, personajes y organizaciones que han ido surgiendo a lo largo de la historia en cuanto al tema de los Ovnis y la vida extraterrestre, reconociendo el gran rango de bulos, oportunistas y política que ha habido siempre de por medio.

La edición y las ilustraciones son hermosísimas y me parece que sería un regalo ideal para cualquier friki del tema. Libros del Zorro Rojo, te tengo en la mira!!

[Mike Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Illustrated History of UFOs is a generalized summary of the major events and lore throughout UFO history, even touching on the ancient aliens aspect briefly. The illustrations are gorgeous and offer an interesting alternative to the grainy pictures that are readily available online (for those who are interested in digging deeper). Anyone who is looking to catch up on the last 80 years of documented cases would likely find this book fun and informative (especially given the latest developments since the front-page NYT story in Dec '17). Those who have already familiarized themselves with UFO history would still likely appreciate the illustrations and organizational structure of this book. The hardcover is cheap and a nice addition to anyone's paranormal book collection. 👍

[Germán · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muy chulo. Está bien documentado y las ilustraciones son bonitas. Te da una perspectiva de lo mal que está la gente de la cabeza: que si los abducidos, los encuentros, las sectas, los militares por medio y un largo etcétera de misticismo y especulación. Por otra parte es verdad que las primeras potencias del mundo han tenido todas en algún momento programas para investigar el fenómeno OVNI, así que igual los locos somos los escépticos y es cierto que la verdad está ahí fuera, quien sabe. A mí mi vida me parece de lo mas alien últimamente así que me vais a permitir que busque inteligencia dentro antes de ir a buscarla en otro planeta XD.

[Jo Cameron-Symes]

A fun, wonderfully illustrated read that looks at the history of UFOs in chronological order. Learnt quite a few facts such as membership of UFO societies increased after The X Files was first broadcast! The intersection and influence of popular culture and science fiction on the changing appearance of both UFOs and aliens themselves is also highlighted. P.S. I'm sure that no harm came to the deer on the cover either! 😂

[El Tío · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente infografía sobre el fenómeno OVNI. Se trata de una línea de tiempo muy bien documentada y bastamente ilustrada así que resulta magnífico para repasar los eventos más llamativos al respecto en la historia, si alguien quisiera empezar a leer sobre el tema este sería el libro perfecto. Debido a su carácter didáctico incluye también bastantes sugerencias bibliográficas para continuar leyendo del tema.

[Bill Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boardman’s book offers a brief history of the lore of UFOs, complete with charming illustrations. Although the subject is covered at a fairly high level, the book does a nice job of summarizing the major events in UFO culture over the past 75 years or so. It’s lightweight, entertaining and neither overly credulous nor overly skeptical. Whether you think of UFOs as real or folklore, this is an entertaining introduction to the topic.

[RdWd · Rating 3 out of 5]

Does quite a lot with its stylised imagery. Covers decades throughout the 20th century and the 21st with some attention also given to folklore.

About half of this I seemed to already know about despite having little interest in UFOs nor longing to "see them aliens". I did learn a bit but often my intrigue had me scrolling though Wikipedia for more info. I guess this is a good primer, summary book, or simply a coffee table book.

(Opinion on yoofos: it's elves)

[Chad Dembski · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gorgeous graphic novel briefly going through the history of UFOs and the places (and people) associated with them. The illustrations alone are enough to highly recommend this book but the tone is also perfect, curious with a healthy dose of reality as well. I read it two sittings but will be using it as reference for further research for a long time to come; super fun!!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is absolutely amazing and I’m so sad I’ve finished it! Very sweet, factual, unbiased, funny and wonderfully illustrated. Would highly recommend to any age, any person, and any level of interest in UFOs.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun, quick read that has humor but not snark. A nice primer if you’re interested in the topic.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

With them finally telling us Aliens do exist, I figured I should learn some history.

An easy guide to the history of alien abductions, UFO sightings and more with gorgeous illustrations.

[Pablo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Está bastante curioso la verdad, y los dibujos son chulos

[coffee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really wonderful (and surprisingly broad in reach) illustrated intro to UFO lore - the topics are well researched and presented cleanly and clearly (a feat for how dense and weird the ufo phenomenon can be.)

It is exceptionally cute to see drawings of all the authors and figures in ufology presented towards the end of the book - it was actually that spread of drawings showcasing “the team” that convinced me to buy the book - Jacques Vallée, Jenny Randles, Whitley Strieber, Coral and Jim Lorenzen, Nick Pope, Leslie Kean, Budd Hopkins, George Adamski, J Allen Hynek - SO many more all with their portraits drawn in the authors “flight emergency manual” style - lovely - I’d buy a poster of that alone

[Lina Cesar · Rating 4 out of 5]

En mycket trevlig och snygg bok om UFO:n genom tiderna. Den är genomtänkt och känns som om den täcker in det mesta på ett enkelt sätt. Jag lärde mig flera nya saker, som att oidentifierade saker under vattnet kallas för USO, "Unidentified Submerged Objects" och att man numera använder beteckningen UAP som en modernare variant av UFO. Gillar verkligen illustrationerna i den och hur den tar sig an ämnet på ett ganska neutralt sätt. Passar den som är nyfiken på UFO och är kanske lagom att läsa själv från ca 10 år och uppåt.

[Helene Hauge Westerlund · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fed grafik og god generel gennemgang af UFO lore. 3.5 stjerner!

[Jaime Almansa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Magnífico… me ha encantado de principio a fin (hasta las guardas). Una edición preciosa y un contenido sencillo y bien ilustrado que repasa toda la historia del fenómeno ovni con los pies en la tierra.

[Elina Purmonen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Intressant faktabok så, skriven sakligt, men av naturliga skäl väldigt USA-centrerad.

[Emilio Iglesias · Rating 1 out of 5]

Un libro que estuvo de paso en el chato unos días y aproveché para leerlo. Está bien como elemento decorativo, como contenido para salas de espera o si eres un apasionado de la materia.

[Chris Greensmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Watch the skies, and for god's sake bring a decent camera."

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise, nicely illustrated history of UFOs. Simple, amusing at times and covers all the major cases in history. Good introduction, although a little dismissive of evidence and conspiracy theories at times. The idea is to be open minded for everything because everything is possible.

[Samsalaqueen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got little to no clue about this subject and now I got the feeling, I received the perfect overview and was provided with enough info to dig deeper, if I want to.
Illustration and humour are spot on.
Whoever edited this book missed a UFO-load of spelling mistakes though :D

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally checked this out, through the magic of ILL, for the cameo of the Last Podcast on the Left boys, but I stayed for a really fun read, pop culture references, and fantastic artwork. If you are like me and listen to a ridiculous amount of cryptid podcasts, you will know these stories so this is a fun coffee table book to have on display or to look at the drawings. However, if this is the first time you are entering the world of UFOs - this is such a great starting point and very accessible to all ages. I know for a fact 8 year old Emma would have adored going to the adult section of the library stacks and curling up with this book in the summer (then staying up all night mildly paranoid).

[Gabriel Benitez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesante libro ilustrado, cuyos dibujos simples, claros, coloridos y esquemáticos nos ofrecen un excelente resumen de la historia del fenómeno ovni y hace reconocible como cada década se ha enfocado en aspectos identificativos del fenómeno: el fenómeno en la antigüedad, los 40's y 50's como detonador de mito y época de avistamientos, los 60's como una década enfocada en las "naves" y los 70's como época de contactados y cultos ovni, los 80's como década de secuestros extraterrestres y la agenda alien, los 90's como década de la parafernalia conspirativa.
Es un buen libro introductorio y artístico pero indudablemente lo disfrutan más si ya le hayan desde antes al negocio...

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting overview of UFOs and aliens, from faeries to the Area 51 raid. As much as I love all things spooky, after finishing this, I was left feeling more skeptical of the “evidence” we have so far. Disappointing, really! It’s much more fun to think that there’s a big conspiracy out there, but I am left with the impression that our governments and scientists are just as befuddled as the lay people. Quite interesting how UFOs sightings and pop culture/science fiction play off each other. A quick, entertaining read, whether you believe “the truth is out there” or just for funsies.