How UFOs Conquered the World: The History of a Modern Myth

by David Clarke

Overview

A history of the various manifestations and shifting meaning of the Twentieth Century's single great contribution to mythology: the UFO.

Neither a credulous work of conspiracy theory nor a sceptical debunking of belief in 'flying saucers', HowUFOs Conquered the World explores the origins of UFOs in the build-up to the First World War and how reports of them have changed in tandem with world events, science and culture. The book will also explore the overlaps between UFO belief and religion and superstition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781781313039
Publisher:	Aurum Press
Publication date:	07/15/2015
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.60(h) x 1.30(d)

About the Author

DR. DAVID CLARKE, is one of Britain's leading writers on folklore and mythology and in recent years he has acted as a consultant and spokesperson for The National Archives during the release of the Ministry of Defence's files on investigations into UFO 'sightings' under the Freedom of Information Act. As such he appears regularly in print for major national newspapers, and on air for programmes such as BBC Radio 4's Today and BBC 2's Timewatch. He lives in Leeds.

Editorial Reviews

'UFO believers will not like this book. It is not a classic debunking; David Clarke is too subtle and warm for that. But it is written by a turncoat, a former believer turned journalist who, in 2007 curated the release of all 52,000 pages of the Ministry of Defence's UFO-related documents to the National Archives...

This is a good book...sceptical, respectful and dry.'

'True believers in the ETH will undoubtedly dismiss this fascinating book as a whitewash, even as part of a government cover-up. One would expect nothing less.'

'A journey from childish faith to adult disbelief, from a yearning for the fantastic to a regular invocation of Occam's Razor. The stripping away of a desire to believe, although clear-eyed and sensible, seems in the long term rather a chilly process, unsparing and ruthless. This is not to say that Clarke does not make for excellent company. He is often droll and always insightful.'

'A journey from childish faith to adult disbelief, from a yearning for the fantastic to a regular invocation of Occam's Razor. The stripping away of a desire to believe, although clear-eyed and sensible, seems in the long term rather a chilly process, unsparing and ruthless. This is not to say that Clarke does not make for excellent company. He is often droll and always insightful.'

'UFO believers will not like this book. It is not a classic debunking; David Clarke is too subtle and warm for that. But it is written by a turncoat, a former believer turned journalist who, in 2007 curated the release of all 52,000 pages of the Ministry of Defence's UFO-related documents to the National Archives...

This is a good book...sceptical, respectful and dry.'

'True believers in the ETH will undoubtedly dismiss this fascinating book as a whitewash, even as part of a government cover-up. One would expect nothing less.'

From the Publisher