A Manifestation Of Monsters - Reviewed

There's a new review from me of Dr. Karl Shuker's latest book: A Manifestation of Monsters. Here's how the review starts...

"Wondering where I got that article-title from? I’ll tell you: it’s also the title of the brand new book from Dr. Karl Shuker: A Manifestation of Monsters: Examining The (Un)Usual Suspects. Published by Anomalist Books, this is an excellent new book, one that those of you fascinated by the subject of Cryptozoology will definitely enjoy. Indeed, it’s difficult to go wrong with one of Karl’s books, as he’s someone who is justifiably referred to as one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists.

"What I enjoy about Karl’s books (and particularly so the new one) is that he doesn’t just focus on the world’s most famous cryptids, such as Bigfoot, Ogopogo, Nessie, the Yeti, and so on. Nope, as the '(Un)Usual' wording of the sub-title clearly demonstrates, Karl gets into the worlds of some very obscure and odd critters. Which is, of course, a good thing. Yes, Karl focuses on some of the more famous ones too. But, giving the reader a look at a wealth of strange “things” that, very likely, many have no knowledge of is a big plus."

The Curious Caper of the Charlton Crater

That's the title of my latest Mysterious Universe article.

Here's how part-1 starts:

"It’s an odd and near-surreal affair that occurred more than 50 years ago. And it’s something that most of Ufology has forgotten about. It is, as the title of this article demonstrates, the curious caper of the Charlton Crater. It was the very early morning of July 16, 1963 when things began and that went on to attract significant attention for a couple of months. The location: Manor Farm, Charlton, Wiltshire, England. Leonard Joliffe was the man who kicked off the controversy: he claimed to have heard a loud explosion somewhere nearby, something which had him puzzled and worried. He was not the only person to suggest something weird was afoot.

"A local policeman had seen something unknown and brightly lit crossing the skies over Charlton.
Then, when darkness gave way to daylight, a man named Reginald Alexander discovered something not unlike a crater at Manor Farm, in a potato field. Something had seemingly crashed to Earth or landed. But what was it? A missile? An aircraft? A bomb? Or…might it have been a UFO? Alexander quickly told his boss, farm-owner Roy Blanchard, of what he had found. Blanchard was confronted by a circular area of flattened soil. It was roughly eight-feet in diameter, one-foot deep (and with a deeper depression in the center) and had 'lines' coming out of it which created an impression of something resembling a huge bicycle wheel."

Part-1.

Part-2.

"Men In Black" - Art Bell Show Tonight

 

If you're a night-owl...I'll be on Art Bell's show tonight, from 11PM to 2AM (Central Time) talking about my new book, Men in Black: Personal Stories and Eerie Encounters.

Here's the page-link and here's where you can listen to the show. 

A Crashed UFO and Telephone Weirdness

That's the title of a new article from me, which focuses on a particularly strange UFO affair that I got caught up in, close to 20 years ago. A very, very odd saga...

Here's how it starts:

"Back in 1991, UFO researcher Leonard Stringfield published his then-latest of many reports on crashed UFOs. I had read all of Stringfield’s earlier reports, booklets and books, but this one stood out for me. The reason being that it referenced the alleged crash of a UFO, in 1964. The location was an area of woodland and fields near the Staffordshire, England market-town of Penkridge. It’s a town only a short drive from where I grew up as a kid. At the time, however, I was down in the south of England, in Harlow, Essex. But, I made a note to look into the affair next time I was back in the Staffordshire area.

"As for Stringfield’s story, it was an intriguing one. Unfortunately, and as was the case with so many of Stringfield’s informants, the name of the person who provided the story was not listed. Or, rather, it was, but in the form of a pseudonym: 'S.M. Brannigan.' According to the story, back in early 1964 'Brannigan' was serving in the US military aboard '…a specially rigged LST, a flagship that was attached to a naval amphibious force at an unspecified point in either the Caribbean or the Atlantic…'"

A Manifestation Of Monsters

 

 

Received in the mail...a review copy of the new book from Dr. Karl Shuker, A Manifestation of Monsters: Examining the (Un)usual Suspects, which looks very good, and which has a foreword from Ken Gerhard. 

 

Check it out. 

 

A review from me of this new title from Anomalist Books will be coming soon...

UFO Deaths on June 24, Pt. 2

Here's part-2 of my article on UFO deaths on Ufology's most famous date (June 24).

And here's how part-2 starts:


"Part-1 of this article introduced you to a varied body of deaths in the field of Ufology, all of which occurred on one specific date. That date was June 24. Way back in 1947, June 24 was the date on which Kenneth Arnold had his now near-legendary UFO encounter at Mt. Rainier, Washington, State. It was an encounter that gave birth to the Flying Saucer phenomenon. And with that said, let’s now continue with our look at ufological deaths on June 24, which began – in part-1 – with Frank Scully, Ernest Arthur Bryant, Richard Church, and Frank Edwards.

"Willy Ley was a German-American science-writer, engineer, the founder of the German Rocket Society, and someone who was very interested in UFOs and alien life. As one example of many, in 1958 he wrote an article for Science Digest titled “What Will ‘Space People’ Look Like?” NASA notes of Ley: 'The German expatriate Willy Ley, had worked with some of the builders of the V-2 personally and had described his experiences, and their hopes, in his book Rockets, Missiles, and Space Travel. The first version, titled Rockets, appeared in May 1944, just months before the first firings of the V-2 as a weapon. Hence, this book proved to be very timely. His publisher, Viking Press, issued new printings repeatedly, while Ley revised it every few years, expanding both the text and the title to keep up with fast-breaking developments.'

"Willy Ley died on June 24, 1969."

Walsall...

Well, this was a cool surprise. Watching one of my soccer channels here last night and my old, home town team of Walsall, England were announced as being the next game. It was unfortunately a no-win for Walsall but they played well against Chelsea!

June 24: UFO Deaths

June 24, 1947 was the date on which Kenneth Arnold had his now-famous sighting of unidentified objects in the vicinity of Mt. Rainier. June 24 also happens to be the date on which there were a number of deaths in Ufology. Those deaths spanned the 1960s to the 2000s.

Of course, if we went looking, there's a very good chance we could find half a dozen UFO deaths on May 2, October 28, February 12, etc., etc.

In other words, it may simply be a case of looking for deaths on that specific date of June 24, of finding some deaths, and then interpreting that to mean something.

On the other hand, maybe it does mean something.

Anyway, however we look at it, it's the subject of a new 2-part article from me.

Here's part-1 and part-2 will follow tomorrow.

Djinn, ETs, "Star Wars," and Mysterious Deaths

My latest 2-part article at Mysterious Universe is, as the title above demonstrates, a very strange and sinister one.  In fact, just about anything and everything to do with the Djinn is strange and sinister.

Part-1 starts as follows...


"On June 3 of this year, I wrote an article here at Mysterious Universe titled “The Mystery of the Marconi Deaths.” It began as follows: “To many, it might sound like the ultimate plot-line of the equally ultimate conspiracy-thriller: dozens of scientists and technicians – all working on highly-classified programs, and all linked to one, particular company – dead under highly controversial and unusual circumstances.

 "It’s a controversy that ran from the early 1980s to 1991 and remains unresolved to this very day. And it all revolves around the top secret work of a company called Marconi Electronic Systems, but which, today, exists as a part of BAE Systems Electronics Limited. Its work includes the development of futuristic weaponry and spy-satellite technology."

And here's the link to Part-1.

 Part-2 begins like this...

"Part-1 of this article introduced you to a varied body of people, places, and projects. We’re talking about mysterious deaths, U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative ('Star Wars,' as it became known), and the sinister and sometimes dangerous Djinn. They were issues that deeply concerned the late Gordon Creighton. For a long time, he was the editor of Flying Saucer Review magazine. Back in May 1989, I interviewed Creighton on these same issues. Specifically because he had briefly made his thoughts known on how all these things were allegedly inter-linked. It was quite an interview, to say the least.

"According to Creighton, two things were going on. First, he was of the opinion that many of the 'Marconi scientists' deaths were indeed due to suicide. However, he qualified this by adding that he felt the unfortunate individuals were driven to commit suicide via what, in simplistic fashion, has popularly become known as 'Mind-Control.' Creighton was open-minded on who the guilty parties may have been, but he suggested maybe the Russians – who would, of course, have had both a deep desire and a pressing need to derail “Star Wars.” But, he said, the Russians weren’t the only guilty parties."

Here's where you can find part-2.

The "British Bigfoot" - 2 Parts

There's a new 2-part article from me, on how and why I got interested in the seriously weird phenomenon of Bigfoot in Britain.

Here's 1.

And here's 2.

Here's how it starts:

"On more than a few occasions I have been asked why it is I take an interest in such a certain, deeply weird, phenomenon; namely that of the so-called 'British Bigfoot.' After all, while it’s not inconceivable that unknown ape-like animals could dwell in the forests of the United States, or on the slopes of the Himalayas, to suggest that such things might actually exist in the UK often results in shaking heads and rolling eyes. But, hell, I don’t care. There are numerous reports of Sasquatch-style things in the UK, many of a strange yet intriguing nature. So, someone has to look into the matter, right? Right! And 'look into the matter' I certainly have, and on dozens of occasions. But, how did it all begin? Well, like this…"

Hollywood, MIB, and Dark Skies

Robbie Graham shares with us a fascinating story of the Men in Black, Hollywood, and the 1990s TV series, Dark Skies...

An Old Mystery - Which Remains A Mystery

I've just started writing regularly for Jim Harold's website, and my first article has just appeared. The article is focused on a strange and still-unresolved mystery that dates back to the late 1800s and which continued into the early part of the 20th Century.

The reason I decided to focus on this particular case is simple: it all went down only about ten minutes from where I lived as a kid.

The article deals with a saga filled with terrible attacks on animals, a "hypnotized ape," a "malicious aviator," a large cat, and much, much more...

Here's the link...

Hippies and Bettie Page - and a Door...

The hippie sign on my office door looked like it needed something to go with it. So, what better than a shot of the legendary Bettie Page!

Sam Shearon: Excellent Bigfoot Artwork For Sale

Sam Shearon is a friend of mine, who I've known for about 15 years - having first met him at a UFO gig back in England. 

He's a very skilled artist who, had he been born years earlier, would likely have been illustrating the works of H.P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe! And probably hanging out with Bram Stoker and Aleister Crowley, in the dark and foggy streets of old London!

Yep, that will give you an idea of the kind of atmospheric artwork Sam produces. And here's some very good news, for fans of Forteana in general and of Bigfoot in particular. 

Sam has produced a fine piece of Bigfoot-themed artwork that you can order from his website. That's the picture above, and below are a couple of other shots Sam sent me.

Here's the link to Sam's website, which will give you all the information you'll need.

MIB: When books become dangerous...

Probably the strangest article I've ever written, split into two parts. And here's how it all starts...


"There’s no doubt that over the years I’ve written some weird articles on equally weird subjects. But, this 2-part one just might be the strangest of all. In the last few years I have seen a trend develop that seems to be increasing. It basically goes as follows. I am getting more and more reports from people who have read my books and who, as a result and in the direct aftermath, were seemingly targeted by the very same supernatural phenomena I was writing about. No, I’m not kidding.

"It all began back in 2010, when I was promoting my second book on the MIB, titled The Real Men in Black. One of the things I dug into in the book was the matter of MIB and telephone interference. We’re talking about strange voices on the line, weird electronic noises, and hang-up calls. Several people contacted me to report they were experiencing the exact same thing – but only after they had read the book."

Here's part-1.

And here's part-2.

The photo at the top of the page relates to one particular piece of weirdness in part-2...

 

Walt Andrus RIP

Well, I heard tonight that one of the last UFO old-timers, Walt Andrus, has died. I met Walt probably seven or eight times between 2009 and 2014. I lecture regularly for the San Antonio, Texas chapter of MUFON and Walt continued to come to the monthly meetings, even in his 90s. He was still bright and alert and I remember him telling me some cool and amusing stories of when he met George Adamski, Truman Bethurum, and a few others from the old days of the Contactees. He also owned a skull of one of those "Texas Chupacabra"/hairless coyotes and donated it to me in 2009. It now sits on one of my shelves. That's it below! RIP, Walt.

(The photo above was taken at the San Antonio, Texas, MUFON gig on June 24, 2014)

Men In Black...In Japan

In a cool, new article at Mysterious Universe, Brent Swancer shares his discoveries on something we don't hear much about: Men in Black reports from Japan.

Here's where you can find Brent's article, and here's how it begins:

"I will be honest, the Men in Black phenomenon is not typically my area of expertise. I am usually more than happy to let my esteemed colleague Nick Redfern handle those bizarre and unsettling accounts, as he has had far more experience and a more formidable record of weird tales concerning these mysterious specters than I. However, Redfern’s recent series of articles on his book and the Men in Black in general, 'My New Book: Men in Black' part 1 and part 2 have really got me to thinking about the fact that this is by no means a isolated phenomenon, and indeed it does spread its tendrils to all corners of the globe. Reading the accounts mentioned in Redfern’s excellent set of articles made me want to share some of the other cases that I have personally acquired over here in Japan that perhaps concern these enigmatic black clad figures. “Want” is perhaps not the best word, rather I felt compelled to share these. It turns out that whoever they are, the Men in Black are not confined to the West, and they have a profile in Asia, just as strange and at times absurd, as they do anywhere else. So without any further ado, here are a few of the more interesting and weird accounts I have accrued over the years concerning possible Men in Black in Japan."

1947: Crashed UFOs That Weren't

"Many people within the UFO field take the view that aliens crashed outside of Roswell, New Mexico, in the summer of 1947. And maybe they did. Over the years I have tackled the Roswell affair from various perspectives, and, I freely admit, I still don’t know what the real story is. I’ve had people tell me it was aliens. Others have suggested highly classified military experiments of a dark and dubious nature. Some have even gone down the demonic pathway. But, there is something I’m sure of: the case didn’t involved weather-balloons, Mogul balloons or crash-test dummies.

"This brings me to one thing that often gets overlooked by the field of Ufology. Maybe it’s due to ignorance on the part of some. Perhaps others think it’s not worth focusing on. And some may assume it has no relevance to Roswell. What am I talking about? This is what I’m talking about: in the very same time-frame that the military at Roswell said they had got their hands on the remains of a crashed 'flying disc,' people were claiming to have found landed, grounded, or crashed UFOs all across other parts of the United States."

Yep, another article - right here.

Tackling The (Living?) Pterodactyl

I take a look at stories of "living pterodactyls" in a new article that begins with a discussion of a certain piece of controversial footage that surfaced recently.

As I note in the article, I don't think it shows a pterodactyl at all.

But, it has definitely prompted a huge amount of debate.

I've even had people complaining and even upset because I'm skeptical of the film. A clear case of the "I want to believe" factor going into overdrive.

It's well made, and it's cool to see. But, no it's not a pterodactyl!

Here's the link...

And the footage can also be viewed at the link, in case you haven't seen it.

Men In Black - 2-Part Article

There's a new, 2-part article from me on my latest book, Men in Black: Personal Stories and Eerie Adventures.

Part-1 starts as follows...

"Right now, I have a new book out titled Men in Black: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures. This is my third book on the MIB phenomenon, the previous ones being On the Trail of the Saucer Spies and The Real Men in Black. Like most of my writing on the Men in Black, the new book demonstrates that despite widespread assumptions that the MIB are from 'the government,' they clearly are not.

"Of the thirty-plus chapters in the book, only two are suggestive of a government connection to the MIB controversy. The vast majority of the cases take things down very weird paths. They are paths that lead towards the domains of the occult and the paranormal. And in some cases there is absolutely no UFO link at all. In those cases, we’re seeing nothing less than full-blown supernatural activity."
 

And here's how part-2 begins...


"Part-1 of this article introduced you to my new book, Men in Black: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures. As I noted in part-1, the vast majority of the cases in the book focus upon matters of a very bizarre nature, and typically of a supernatural or occult nature. I shared with you a few observations and data on the MIB from David Weatherly, Micah Hanks, Jason Offutt, and Brad Steiger. Now, however, it’s time to focus on the witnesses.

"Of the dozens of people who generously shared with me the details of their personal encounters with the MIB, nearly all of them provided data that reinforces my firmly held belief that the Men in Black are nothing to do with the world of government, military, or intelligence agencies. Their origins are much weirder than that."

Chupacabra Road Trip: Article

Over at the website of Llewellyn Publications, you can find a new article from me on the Chupacabra.

Llewellyn have just published (Sept. 8) my book, Chupacabra Road Trip, and so the article coincides with the book release.

The article covers 3 theories for what the Puerto Rican Chupacabra may be, all of which I have heard time and again while visiting the island.

Of course, the mystery still exists and, as I note in my book, there may well be several explanations for what has, collectively, become known as the Chupacabra.

More On The Men In Black

A cool bit of publicity for my new book, Men in Black...

Men In Black - Contents

To give you an idea of my new book, Men in Black: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures, here's the list of contents:

Introduction
1. “Men in Black types have pounced on humanity”
2. “Looking up at his room, were the three men”
3. “Some witnesses report that the skin looks ‘artificial’”
4. “I noticed a kind of change in the air, a shift, a weird shift”
5. “My encounter with an ‘Old Man in Black’”
6. “The MIB seem just a little off”
7. “Something is wrong with this man – dangerously wrong”
8. “There was nothing friendly about the way he was grinning”
9. “You will not discuss what happened”
10. “The MIB seem to be able to drain a person’s energy”
11. “A short man in a black cape and top-hat”
12. “All I could hear was static”
13. “Men in Black are neither hallucinations nor hoaxes”
14. “He was staring right into my soul”
15. “I was to be visited by these strange men in the dead of night”
16. “This shadow wore a black fedora”
17. “It was like something out of The Exorcist”
18. “Beings that don’t quite fit the mold”
19. “Feeling a little paranoid I quickened my pace”
20. “The voices revealed themselves as the MIB”
21. “His eyes were black and his skin a Mediterranean olive”
22. “It occurred to me that I could make contact with the MIB”
23. “Perhaps the black car was my guardian angel”
24. “What you doing out here all dressed up like that?”
25. “I will ask you one more time to leave now”
26. “I was waking up unhappy and shaken”
27. “He had a narrow shrunken face”
28. “They looked odd and retro”
29. “His staring eyes are lit up with a disturbing glare”
30. “I remembered thinking: I don’t think they had pores in their skin”
31. “Nothing entities like Men in Black say or do should be trusted”
Final Words
About the Author
Acknowledgments

The Bizarre Beast(s) of Bodmin

"In my recent two-part article on so-called “Alien Big Cats” (ABCs) and Princess Diana, I made mention of a creature that has become legendary in the field of British-based cryptozoology. It’s infamously known as the Beast of Exmoor. It’s reputed to be a large, savage, black cat of some unknown type, and which is as stealthy as it is deadly. Of the various people who contacted me about the ABC-Diana issue, one asked why I didn’t make mention of a similar ABC known as the Beast of Bodmin. Well, the question was a bit of a puzzle, since the Bodmin critter had no connection to the Diana issue! So, why would I mention it?!

"But, since the person brought up the matter, I figured I would focus on it today, as the story of the Bodmin thing is a very weird one. Whereas the Beast of Exmoor is found in the English county of Devon, the Beast of Bodmin is found in the county on which Devon borders. Namely, Cornwall. But is it just a large black cat and nothing else? There are a couple of very weird stories that suggest the Bodmin creature is actually not a big cat, after all. Or, bizarrely, we may be looking at two very different kinds of creature on the loose. Possibly even three."

Yep, it's another new Mysterious Universe article, and here's the link...

Peacocks and the Paranormal

What's the connection?

Here's the answer...

Ufologists: Are You Being Watched?

That's the question I ask in a new, 2-part article. Yes, you probably are. But, it may not be for the reasons you suspect...

Here's part-1.

And here's part-2.

Part-1 starts like this...

"Is it just paranoia to suspect that agencies of government might take an interest in you for researching and writing about UFOs? Well, no, actually, it’s not. Not at all. The Freedom of Information Acts (FOIA) of more than a few nations have demonstrated time and again that, yes, elements of the UFO research community have been watched. And not just for years, but for decades. It’s very important to keep things in perspective, however. And I’ll explain exactly what I mean by that.

"On more than a few occasions, a UFO researcher who we can prove has been the subject of official files, has also spent time digging into other potentially sensitive areas that might attract the attention of agencies of government, the military, and/or the intelligence community. This is an issue I wrote about extensively in my 2006 book, On the Trail of the Saucer Spies. It’s worth noting, however, that a great deal more (and relevant) data has surfaced since the publication of my book, and which demonstrates how and why they watch us.

Available Now, My New Book: Men In Black

Available right now is my new (third) book on the Men in Black, titled Men in Black: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures.

It's available in Kindle right now, and the paperback will be available anytime now.

Also, a big, BIG thank you to everyone who contributed to the book. As soon as the paperbacks are available, copies will be on their way to you in the mail.

Here's the publisher's (Lisa Hagan Books) info on the book:

"Nick Redfern’s new, and third, book on the Men in Black is filled with the very latest revelations on the sinister and deadly MIB. Never-before-seen witness testimony combines with papers from some of the leading figures in UFO- and paranormal-themed research to provide an outstanding look at this creepy and disturbing phenomenon.

"Men in Black: Personal Stories & Eerie Adventures takes the reader on a mysterious, macabre, and menacing journey into the world of the dark-suited silencers. It’s a journey that encompasses tales of UFO conspiracies, government agents, strange and bizarre monsters, the occult, demonology, and psychic attack."

Men in Black...Cloaks

"There’s no doubt in my mind that when it comes to the matter of the Men in Black, there is a direct connection between these menacing characters and a wealth of other supernatural phenomena. That includes the Hat-Man, the Shadow People, the Black-Eyed Children, and the Women in Black. All of these entities are definitively sinister in nature and should be avoided at all costs. And, to a degree, they even mirror each other.

"The Black-Eyed Children, for example, parallel the MIB when it comes to trying to find their way into homes, usually late at night. The MIB and the Hat-Man are both known for their old-style fedoras. The Women in Black are the absolute female counterparts of the MIB, even down to the pale, overly-smooth skin. And there are more than a few reports on record of Shadow People wearing fedoras."

That's how one of my new Mysterious Universe articles begins - on the subject of cloak-wearing Men in Black...

The picture above is to my new book on the MIB, available right now in Kindle, and the paperback to appear any time now.

Yak and Yeti

Hanging out in Alaska, at the Yak &Yeti store ...

Morag: Nessie's Lesser-Known Cousin

And also got this book in the mail today. An old one (1972) I've been meaning to get for years. On Morag, the lake-monster of Scotland's Loch Morar.

Arrived in the Mail...

Arrived in the mail today, a copy of the new book from Stan Gordon, Astonishing Encounters: Pennsylvania's Unknown Creatures, Casebook Three. A big review will be online from me next week. Thanks, Stan!

Bad Magic! Motorhead!

Arrived in the mail! The brand new CD from Motorhead, "Bad Magic." If you live in Arlington, Texas, open your windows and listen carefully. You might hear a massive roaring sound coming from near I-20. No it's not the end of the world or a squadron of jets flying over. It's Motorhead, blasting out of my windows!

And here's hoping Lemmy manages to overcome his health issues.

Princess Diana and an Alien Big Cat

I've written some weird shit over the years. But this has to be near the top of the list. It's a new, 2-part article from me at Mysterious Universe on the strange and complicated saga of the late Princess Diana and an Alien Big Cat!

Here's an extract from part-1:

"More than a few years ago, Jonathan Downes, of the British-based Center for Fortean Zoology, received a late-night phone call of a very weird and conspiratorial nature. Something which many of us who immerse ourselves in the world of the unexplained can definitely relate to! The man in question – who preferred not to give Downes his name, and for reasons that will soon become very clear – wanted to discuss the controversy surrounding sightings of Britain’s Alien Big Cats. Or, to be absolutely correct, a couple of particular aspects of the ABC phenomenon. One of them was focused upon the alleged shooting of not just one ABC, but several. The other was on a certain, famous, and now dead Royal."

And here's an extract from part-2:

"Part-1 of this article focused on a clandestine conversation that English cryptozoologist, Jon Downes, had a number of years ago with a retired member of the British military. Specifically of the Royal Marines. Downes’ source revealed startling data on his alleged secret knowledge of how, in 1983, the Marines came to locate and kill several so-called Alien Big Cats. And on the private land of an influential, powerful figure living on Exmoor, England. Downes’ informant had another, somewhat related, story to tell. It was an eye-opening and controversial story that involved the late Diana, Princess of Wales.

"Jon Downes’ caller confided in him that in the mid-1980s, and during his career with the Royal Marines, he was part of a unit that was assigned to keep careful and secret watch on the activities of Princess Diana. This makes a great deal of sense, as rumors circulated at the time that she had been targeted for kidnap or assassination by terrorists. This particular surveillance coincided – time-wise – with the period in which Diana’s affair with Major James Hewitt began, in the summer of 1986."

You can find part-1 here and part-2 here.

Government Files on Alien Abductees?

That's my new Mysterious Universe article...

Here's how it starts:

"Over the years, I have heard more than a few stories suggesting that agencies of various governments – including the UK and the US – have extensive background files on alien-abductees. Such a thing is not as far out as the skeptics might think. After all, back in the 1950s the FBI opened files on numerous and well-known figures in the UFO Contactee field.

"Under Freedom of Information legislation I obtained the FBI’s files on such Contactees as Dr. Frank Stranges, George Van Tassel, Truman Bethurum, George Adamski, and George Hunt Williamson. I also have the British Police Force’s Special Branch files on George King and the Aetherius Society. Granted, the primary reason why the Contactees were watched was not because of their UFO claims. Rather, it was because many of their claims were peppered with matters relative to politics, communism, and the Russians. And when the Cold War was in full swing, too."