Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Book Review for West Virginia UFOs

Title:  West Virginia UFOs: Close Encounters in the Mountain State
Author: Former journalist Bob Teets
Publisher:  Headline Books (October 1994)

Theresa's Review:

This book is a little outdated, being written 18 years ago...but it is one that I've come across from time to time and had been meaning to read.  The result was well worth the wait.

I thought this book was a lot of fun. The author delves into over 150 eyewitness encounters of UFOs spotted throughout the state of West Virginia.  Interviewing these witnesses himself, as well as even hypnotizing a few, provided some interesting additional details into UFO cases that many people have never heard of.  Famous cases like the Braxton County Monster and Mothman were discussed, but not with any great detail...the main bulk of the work just featured everyday accounts from everyday people of all walks of life.

The book was not without its flaws, though.  The organization seemed a little helter-skelter to me, with a really weak ending that I couldn't really decided how it got included.   And, although the interviews were interesting, (although the ones where he hypnotized people may be a little controversial) the author seemed to ask really leading questions and not really flesh out other possible theories and explanations for the experiences.  It truly was written from more of a journalistic perspective, than one of a serious investigator.  In the author's defense, he did note that this work was quite the rushed job, and requests for personal stories flooded in up to the cut-off date, and well past.

Overall, I enjoyed the book.  I thought it was a great little glimpse into WV Ufology from a layman's perspective, and definitely is a great resource for anyone studying such since most of the sightings had never previously been reported.  It isn't a book that I would recommend for just anyone to read, but it does make an excellent addition to my paranormal WV collection!

Purchase from Amazon

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