What do you think?
Rate this book
The UFO Conspiracy: The First Forty Years
. with dustjacket, 1987 light tanning to pages
224 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1987
1 person is currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Jenny Randles
66 books31 followersBritish author and former director of investigations with the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA), serving in that role from 1982 through to 1994.
Randles specializes in writing books on UFOs and paranormal phenomena. To date 50 of these have been published, ranging from her first UFOs: A British Viewpoint (1979) to Breaking the Time Barrier: The race to build the first time machine (2005). Subjects covered include crop circles, ESP, life after death, time anomalies and spontaneous human combustion.
Randles specializes in writing books on UFOs and paranormal phenomena. To date 50 of these have been published, ranging from her first UFOs: A British Viewpoint (1979) to Breaking the Time Barrier: The race to build the first time machine (2005). Subjects covered include crop circles, ESP, life after death, time anomalies and spontaneous human combustion.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 25, 2015
This is a general overview of UFO cases, worldwide, since 1947. The theme running through all of it is how such cases have been ostensibly dismissed, obfuscated and ignored by governments, particularly those of the UK (the author's home) and the USA. In fact, author Randle substantiates, there is much evidence that governments have taken many of these cases very seriously indeed but have, in most cases, chosen to deny such interest. Exceptionally, however, the governments of Italy, France and Brazil have recently become more forthcoming, leading Randles to hope that this represents a trend. Sadly, this book came out in the mid-eighties and although some more governments have become more disclosive, the USA and UK remain as obdurate as ever.
March 18, 2019
This book is exactly the book for someone who claims there is no evidence of ufos ! Jenny Randles doesn’t claim that little green men are ruling the earth or layout different theories ! She clearly lays down the facts as they are from around the world via leaks, freedom of information act requests, or governments opening up their files ! The truth is there for anyone willing to read and except things as they are !
May 21, 2024
A BRITISH UFOLOGIST LOOKS HISTORICALLY AT UFO CASES AND DEVELOPMENTS
Jenny Randles is a British author and ufologist, who served as director of investigations with the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA) from 1982-1994. (She is also a pioneering Transgender woman, having been named ‘Christopher Paul’ at birth.)
She wrote in the Introduction to this 1987 book, “This book is a catalog of facts, not of dreams. It is popular, especially in the USA, to say that a ‘cover-up’ of UFO reality by official sources is responsible for all the problems that beset this subject. That is a rather naïve statement. Many of the difficulties stem from the basic inadequacies of amateur investigators, who have turned to the sky in search of a fairy tale rather than the truth. However, the suggestion that an attitude of disinformation prevails on some vast scale … is surprisingly justified if you look deep enough… UFOs exist… UFOs have also been investigated by every major government on earth… If UFOs were ‘bunk,’ or of no great importance, do you really think every leading power and super power would make the same crass error and submit to this absurdity?... I contend very simply that one thing is clear: the public is being deceived on a colossal scale. Ordinary citizens are being labeled ‘fools’ for honestly describing what they saw…. I submit that this DOES meeting requirements to be called a conspiracy.”
Of the early days, she notes, “Several people wrote books claiming that they had talked to aliens, ridden in their spaceship, and even visited planets that circle this star or another one. Prominent was George Adamski… By buying a toy telescope he was able to con a lot of people into believing that he was somehow an official astronomer. His several books… told of inter-galactic voyages and trees and rivers on Venus and the moon. In pre-spaceflight days nobody could disprove them. Now we can see how absurd they were. His dreadful photographs also convinced only those who wanted to be convinced.” (Pg. 49)
After recounting the story of Betty and Barney Hill, she states, “Barney… died from a stroke, whilst still young in 1969. Betty, however, continues in the role of a kind of UFO guru. She enjoys this and has reported seeing countless lights which others who have investigated are certain can be explained as aircraft. Nevertheless, few question the sincerity of the original story.” (Pg. 62)
She acknowledges, “It is now becoming very clear to researchers around the world that in the aftermath of the Spielberg movies… UFO sightings are fast disappearing. Some have gone so far as to suggest that the UFO craze is over and we are now simply historians. It is not quite as bad as that. A few cases continue to trickle through, but the effect is very real and too long-standing and widespread for us to ignore.” (Pg. 87)
She states, “Sophistication of investigators has allowed them to recognize that not all UFO reports are even possible evidence for alien craft. Every genuine researcher agrees that he can explain nine out of ten reporting sightings as misperceptions of one form or another. He agrees with all the official studies that what really counts are the other 10 per cent. However, amongst these there has been a dawning realization that there are strange natural phenomena sill to be explored. The term UAP (Unidentified Atmospheric Phenomena) is now used to distinguish such things… Even if only one out of a hundred UFO reports offers potential evidence for an alien visitation (and I doubt it is higher than that), this still means a colossal surveillance of this planet by an intelligence from an unknown source.” (Pg. 88)
She says of purported photos of UFOs, “In the end I found only a small handful of pictures that MIGHT be of UFOs. On a global scale there are probably not many more than one or two hundred worth getting excited about. This total just three or four cases a year around the world, is hardly auspicious, but it provides enough scope to tantalize us.” (Pg. 157)
She asserts, “You can find plenty of IPOs (Identified Flying Objects) in my previous books. Nobody can fairly accuse me of ignoring them. However, all of this does mean that when a serious investigator believes a case to be unresolved the changes are good that it is and will remain so. Do not be bamboozled by the cries of those amateurs who know nothing about UFOs, hardly ever interview witnesses and yet appear on the scene whenever a heavily-promoted case comes around. They are the leeches of the UFO world.” (Pg. 169)
She concludes, “My simple aim has been to demonstrate that if we can discover these things with relative ease, then the authorities of this world must have chanced upon them long ago. To imagine all of them making stupid errors of misjudgment and washing their hands of this serious matter is unthinkable. The various documents, statements and governmental actions prove that it is also incorrect. The truth about UFOs is being hidden---for whatever reason.” (Pg. 204)
This book will be of interest to those studying UFOs---particularly in their historical development.
Jenny Randles is a British author and ufologist, who served as director of investigations with the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA) from 1982-1994. (She is also a pioneering Transgender woman, having been named ‘Christopher Paul’ at birth.)
She wrote in the Introduction to this 1987 book, “This book is a catalog of facts, not of dreams. It is popular, especially in the USA, to say that a ‘cover-up’ of UFO reality by official sources is responsible for all the problems that beset this subject. That is a rather naïve statement. Many of the difficulties stem from the basic inadequacies of amateur investigators, who have turned to the sky in search of a fairy tale rather than the truth. However, the suggestion that an attitude of disinformation prevails on some vast scale … is surprisingly justified if you look deep enough… UFOs exist… UFOs have also been investigated by every major government on earth… If UFOs were ‘bunk,’ or of no great importance, do you really think every leading power and super power would make the same crass error and submit to this absurdity?... I contend very simply that one thing is clear: the public is being deceived on a colossal scale. Ordinary citizens are being labeled ‘fools’ for honestly describing what they saw…. I submit that this DOES meeting requirements to be called a conspiracy.”
Of the early days, she notes, “Several people wrote books claiming that they had talked to aliens, ridden in their spaceship, and even visited planets that circle this star or another one. Prominent was George Adamski… By buying a toy telescope he was able to con a lot of people into believing that he was somehow an official astronomer. His several books… told of inter-galactic voyages and trees and rivers on Venus and the moon. In pre-spaceflight days nobody could disprove them. Now we can see how absurd they were. His dreadful photographs also convinced only those who wanted to be convinced.” (Pg. 49)
After recounting the story of Betty and Barney Hill, she states, “Barney… died from a stroke, whilst still young in 1969. Betty, however, continues in the role of a kind of UFO guru. She enjoys this and has reported seeing countless lights which others who have investigated are certain can be explained as aircraft. Nevertheless, few question the sincerity of the original story.” (Pg. 62)
She acknowledges, “It is now becoming very clear to researchers around the world that in the aftermath of the Spielberg movies… UFO sightings are fast disappearing. Some have gone so far as to suggest that the UFO craze is over and we are now simply historians. It is not quite as bad as that. A few cases continue to trickle through, but the effect is very real and too long-standing and widespread for us to ignore.” (Pg. 87)
She states, “Sophistication of investigators has allowed them to recognize that not all UFO reports are even possible evidence for alien craft. Every genuine researcher agrees that he can explain nine out of ten reporting sightings as misperceptions of one form or another. He agrees with all the official studies that what really counts are the other 10 per cent. However, amongst these there has been a dawning realization that there are strange natural phenomena sill to be explored. The term UAP (Unidentified Atmospheric Phenomena) is now used to distinguish such things… Even if only one out of a hundred UFO reports offers potential evidence for an alien visitation (and I doubt it is higher than that), this still means a colossal surveillance of this planet by an intelligence from an unknown source.” (Pg. 88)
She says of purported photos of UFOs, “In the end I found only a small handful of pictures that MIGHT be of UFOs. On a global scale there are probably not many more than one or two hundred worth getting excited about. This total just three or four cases a year around the world, is hardly auspicious, but it provides enough scope to tantalize us.” (Pg. 157)
She asserts, “You can find plenty of IPOs (Identified Flying Objects) in my previous books. Nobody can fairly accuse me of ignoring them. However, all of this does mean that when a serious investigator believes a case to be unresolved the changes are good that it is and will remain so. Do not be bamboozled by the cries of those amateurs who know nothing about UFOs, hardly ever interview witnesses and yet appear on the scene whenever a heavily-promoted case comes around. They are the leeches of the UFO world.” (Pg. 169)
She concludes, “My simple aim has been to demonstrate that if we can discover these things with relative ease, then the authorities of this world must have chanced upon them long ago. To imagine all of them making stupid errors of misjudgment and washing their hands of this serious matter is unthinkable. The various documents, statements and governmental actions prove that it is also incorrect. The truth about UFOs is being hidden---for whatever reason.” (Pg. 204)
This book will be of interest to those studying UFOs---particularly in their historical development.
April 2, 2016
If you like conspiracy theories then this book is good for you. This book goes into much depth about different types of sighting of ufos and different types of encounters. It even talks a little bit about roswell and how the united stated could be in possession of the ufo that crashed there! Whether the stories in this book are true or not I still believe if you enjoy conspiracy theories you would like the info and reports in this book.
July 22, 2023
The author promises a catalogue of facts and comes up with many interesting encounters: Roswell (of course) and the green fireballs, Operation Intercept, Project Bluebook. She is there when the aliens arrive, humans receive a warning from space in 1957 and people get in contact with aliens. Then we see the worldwide phenomenon in UFOs in a huge chapter. Eerie photos, the UFO proof, air encounters, space encounters, UFO radiation and their cover-up... everything inside the conspiracy and UFO fans is looking for. A bit dated though and no new material. Recommended for all those who can't get enough of this stuff and try to find a structure of events.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews