Thank you to @SimonSchuster and #NetGalley for a digital ARC of #UFO. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Covering 80 years of UFO history on earth is a big undertaking. Based on my experience with Graff's previous books, I had good expectations for this one. As a low-level sci-fi fan, I thought it would a fun and interesting read.

Somehow this book manages to be TOO MUCH and NOT ENOUGH at the same time. Graff is a skilled researcher and he digs into the agencies, scientists, military, citizen groups, government, committees & sub-committees that are part of the UFO-complex. With so much material, it quickly got confusing and overwhelming for me. On the other hand, there was nothing "new" reveals. It's the same old story of government cover-up/conspiracy that has been mythologized for years in the media.

Overall, this just didn't work for me. DNF at 65%.

Whenever I get a book about UFO‘s or the para normal I’m always scared it will be a copy and paste telling of the book but I saw no evidence of that in UFOs by Garrett M graft and despite some of the stories were ones I had read about before I found new detail a different perspective and it was all around interesting. If the strange and abnormal is what makes your day then you will not be disappointed in the sport I have read lots and lots and lots on UFOs and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I want to think the author the publisher and net Galley For my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

"A thrilling story of science, the Cold War, Nazi research, atomic anxieties, secret spy planes, and the space race, UFO traces the real-life history of the U.S. government’s hunt for “unidentified aerial phenomena” here on Earth, from Roswell to Rendlesham Forest, as well as the story of the small group of forward-thinking scientists—astronomers like J. Allen Hynek, Frank Drake, Carl Sagan, and Jill Tarter—who launched the search for extraterrestrial intelligence far from Earth. Drawing on original archival research, declassified documents, and interviews with senior intelligence and military officials, Graff's book traces the long history of our quest to understand one of the most profound and popular questions of all time: whether or not aliens exist." I was really hoping for more of a deep-dive with more evidence into the famous encounter stories and the more recent claims that we are not alone in the universe. "UFO" reads more like a history book explaining how we got to where we currently are starting back in the 50s/60s with the scientists who pushed for more exploration. If a history lesson into the U.S. government's intelligence on UFOs is what you are looking for then this is the book for you. If you were hoping for bombshells and conspiracies maybe try something else. Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This well-crafted book delves into the extensive research conducted to ascertain the authenticity of UFOs. The author skillfully narrates the journey from the earliest sightings to the present day, providing a captivating account. Notably, the author sheds light on the numerous investigation panels that were convened, as well as the government and military's apparent disinterest and lack of commitment towards these inquiries. By presenting the facts objectively, the author empowers readers to form their own conclusions regarding the existence of UFOs and extraterrestrial life. Overall, this comprehensive and engaging read offers a delightful exploration of the subject matter.

I should begin by saying that Graff is one of my favorite current nonfiction writers. He commands the ability to bridge history and storytelling unlike many others who try to and don't succeed. This book seemed a bit of a departure for him, considering his last book was the engrossing Watergate book. I can't help but think that his time immersed in conspiracies got him wondering about UFO conspiracies. Nevertheless, this is an engaging, thorough examination of how the US government has tried to address the question of whether we truly are alone in the universe or not. At first glance, you might consider that this is a book about UFO crashes and encounters. The first thing you'd notice is that this book does not include much talk of Roswell. Rather than look at significant "alien events" the book focuses on the US government's investigations into sightings. One one hand, this is a little old hat, as a lot of people are familiar with investigations during their lives (even if they think they're rigged); on the other hand, Graff brings his storytelling to weave a narrative of complexity and suspense throughout that is certain to pull readers in. Don't be fooled, this is a great book, although I cannot say that it is as good as Watergate or The Only Plane in the Sky. There's a lot of depth here, and sometimes it seems even more nuanced that the Watergate narrative. Absent is any strong analysis of the connection between the investigations and sighting during the time period, and the context of which they appear. Should we be surprised that sightings have decreased by the public with more capable handheld technology? Should we be surprised that in the doldrums of the 1970s, misbelief about government and belief in aliens seemed to be on the uptick?
While not Graff's strongest work, it still is a solid page-turner of history. If more nonfiction, scholarly work was written like this, history would sell more to wider audiences.

A well-done book on the efforts to determine if UFOs are indeed real. The author tells the story from the beginning of the first sightings to modern day. He does a great job on telling the various investigation panels that were held and the lack of interest/effort by the government/military in investigating. The author allows the reader to draw their own conclusion as to the existence of the UFO and aliens. An enjoyable comprehensive read on the subject.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

"UFO: The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here---and Out There" is a narrative history of our cultural and political response to UFO's since the end of the Second World War written by the acclaimed writer Garrett M. Graff and published by Simon and Schuster (who were kind enough to provide me with an ARC for the purposes of this review). I have long been fascinated with this topic and have read extensively in the "mythology" which has grown up around it. The author comes right to the point in that he immediately acknowledges that some permutation of one or the other of two principal positions seems to dominate. One position posits that the government has long been engaged in a conspiracy to baffle us with BS in order to conceal its detailed knowledge of alien activities on and around earth for the last few decades. The other dominant position still has the government engaging in something of a ruse, but this time with the object of concealing its complete inability to figure out what is going on "out there." Obviously there are many positions in between, and therein lies the rub. When these two contrasting positions are kept in mind it illuminates the evolving official narrative as it is revealed through government responses to these phenomena. This allows the reader to grasp more firmly the story of Project Blue Book and the various other responses to perceived incursions on earth, to include abductions and "close encounters." In "UFO," Graff examines everything from Roswell (a major touchstone) to Radio Telescopes and the men and women who have become involved in one way or another in trying to make sense out of our varied experiences with these phenomena. Quite frankly, by the end of the book, this reader was feeling some sense of information overload on this subject. Graff does not shy away from technical detail in favor of human interest, and the text can be challenging. Worse, there is so much information that many items, for example the Foo Fighters of World War II, receive disappointingly short shrift. One is left with a sense that, as has become something of a cliche, "the truth is out there," but we have a long way to go before we are able to grasp it in all of its complexity. Nonetheless, if you have ever thought about this at all, this is a good starting point for further examination.

In UFO, we learn about the difference between what is truly a mystery that we have not yet uncovered, and something that has already been uncovered and is kept secret from the public's eye. This book goes into great detail on many different occasions where that line is blurred. It is not an exhaustive collection on anomalous phenomena to those who are seeking the deepest dive possible. However for the ordinary ufo, conspiracy fanatic, or if you have an interest in the scientific method of the 50's/60's, this is still a great hefty tome of information.

The writing style is clear and concise, each chapter digestible, almost a narrative, with great explanations on everything that may require one. I haven't read any of Graff's other histories, but it is clear that he is skilled in writing his genre.

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley allowing me a chance at reading this.

I'm really torn on how to rate it. By no means is it a bad book, it's just... bare. I was looking for a deeper expose or a deeper insight on cases / incidents throughout history. But look at the topic - what I expect is almost unthinkable. Since the topic is so hush hush and guarded, if anything got leaked in this book or even the slightest push of confirming something, the news and media world would have a frenzy.

So what IS this book? Well. It feels like a love letter to Carl Sagan and the other scientists who were obsessed with UFO's back in the 50's and 60's and how they pushed / championed for' the study of them and how the 'topic' came to be a part of mainstay public speculation.

So again, there is nothing spilled or bombshelled in this. If you're a casual Unsolved Mysteries / insert random TV or story here about a certain incident, you know the same as you did when you picked up this book. With the writers previous books I expected more. But hey, maybe we'll just never know and when we finally do, well, others will write a different book.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Avid Reader Press for an advance copy of this new look at America and strange objects in the sky, looking at both how the government, common people, scientists and grifters have shaped the narrative, and what the truth might actually be.

As I child I was heavily influenced by the coolest shelves in my library the ones that had the books by Daniel Cohen, right above a complete set of the Time-Life Books Mysteries of the Unknown, which were in circulation. Cohen wrote for young readers about cryptids, and aliens, strange places and weird ideas which I enjoyed. Time-Life made it seem real. As I grew older I noticed that a lot of books would come out about UFO's and aliens, and just as many people would rip them to shreds. It was obvious why. Some books were self-published nightmares, poorly written confessions about late nights out in the woods, and a seeing something, maybe meeting something. Even the bigger books lacked not just evidence, but the jaundiced eye of someone saying did that really happen. Most books pro and con were preaching to the choir of the audience. That's why I enjoyed UFO:The Inside Story of the US Government's Search for Alien Life Here—and Out There by historian, journalist and writer Garrett M. Graff so much. Graff approaches the material like a reporter looking for a story, digging deep and finding stories and truths that have been there so long, just waiting to be told.

The book begins with a look at the history of strange objects in the sky, before focusing on America after the war and the Arnold sighing of strange discs in the sky over Washington. Graff points out a big problem that problem hounds American government researchers today. American doesn't like to admit it is second, especially to the Russians who were the chief adversary at the time. If there were strange objects out flying, out racing our best planes, well a newly formed Air Force would look quite useless. While at the same time the military was working on a lot of top secret projects, some that they would not want to admit to having, and or causing problems for pilots in both military and civilian settings. Which made many of the Air Force projects investigating aerial phenomena almost schizophrenic in looking into these objects. Graff looks at the rise of contactees, those who went to other worlds, married aliens, or carry on long conversations with aliens about our future. And the industry that the UFO phenomena has created, up to the present day.

A book that looks at UFO's or UAP's Unidentified Aerial Phenomena as they are calling it now, with a look to what is real, what can be proven, and what will remain a mystery. Graff is very good at compiling a lot of information, and with his experience is able to understand deeper than most researchers what he has found. What might look to some as hiding evidence, to Graff is just employees not wanting to get in trouble with their superiors. The top secret lifestyle of government always made people wonder is these objects were something being tested by a secret group they weren't cleared to now. Graff looks at the scientists involved, the investigators and discusses why they came to the conclusions they raised, and how this could effect their motives.

The book if very well-written. Graff is very skillful at explaining bureaucracy, governmental gate keepers and the technology that was being discovered almost daily after the war. The narrative never drags and and covers many topics that will be familiar to ufologists. Men in Black, crashes, strange sightings, contact, and much more. A very complete history that is very well told. The truth might be out there, this books is very helpful in getting us closer.

Graff is the king of thoroughly-researched and brilliantly presented histories. From The Only Plane in the Sky, to Pulitizer Prize finalist Watergate: A New History, to his latest book, UFO. Who isn't intrigued by the subject of UFOs?? This is a comprehensive record of the topic, weaving together the efforts the military, scientists, astronomers, NASA, and even the CIA have made in the hunt for an answer. There is so much technical and scientific information involved with this topic, the book could have been a real snore. However, it's exceptionally easy to read with short chapters and compelling narratives. This is perfect for those who have seen a UFO story, headline, or Hollywood movie and wondered "Are we alone?" Don't expect a definitive answer on the last page!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

UFO by Garrett M. Graff could have been a tabloid-esque, "World Weekly News" expose of the search for alien life. It is not. Instead, it is a well-researched, even-handed look at the serious search for what may or may not be out there. Graff treats the topic respectfully and makes the reader think. Written in easily digestible chapters, Graf keeps the reader captivated. Of particular interest is the late Carl Sagan's role in many of these events. It makes for fascinating reading. Thanks to #netgatlley and #avidreaderpress for the opportunity to preview this book.