UFO CRASH AT ROSWELL

by SALER BENSON

An anthropological study of the alleged UFO crash in Roswell, New Mexico, treats the story as a modern myth that reflects popular beliefs in the omnipotence of technology, the duplicity of governments, and the existence of superior beings. UP.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science

198 pages, Hardcover

First published July 17, 1997

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 3 out of 5]

SOCIAL SCIENTISTS SUGGEST THAT, CULTURALLY, ROSWELL IS A ‘MODERN MYTH’

Authors Benson Saler, Charles Ziegler, and Charles Moore wrote in the Introduction to this 1997 book, “The so-called Roswell Incident was first described in 1980 in a book in which it was asserted that the government had successfully hidden evidence of the incident for more than three decades… This controversy received widespread publicity in 1994 when New Mexico congressman Steven Schiff asked the [GAO and the USAF] to search government files for Roswell-related documents. After a year-long investigation... the report can be summarized briefly: there was no crashed saucer, no alien bodies, no cover-up…

“Clearly, the Roswell Incident … is an epiphany for millions of Americans who believe in the reality of extraterrestrial visitations… It is equally clear that … the Roswell incident is a significant cultural phenomenon and… can be analyzed using the theoretical tools and concepts of cultural anthropology. Indeed, such analysis is the purpose of this book… It is … the theme of this book---that this objectively real ‘something’ has been mythologized. In other words, as a cultural phenomenon, the Roswell Incident can best be understood as an example of a modern myth.” (Pg. x-xi)

Charles Ziegler wrote in the opening chapter, “the widespread lack of confidence in government provided a favorable context for … the acceptance of crashed-saucer stories… a major figure in this acceptance was Leonard H. Stringfield… [whose] most important contribution to the genre was the idea that such stories are unfalsifiable (i.e., if not discredited they are true, and if discredited they are also true, because discrediting is part of a government cover-up of the truth)… this feature of unfalsifiability is one of the factors involved in the persistence of the Roswell myth.” (Pg. 15)

In another chapter, Ziegler notes that F.C. Bartlett states that when a traditor tells and retells a tale, “relations of opposition, similarity, subjection and the like, occurring in the original, are very commonly intensified.” Ziegler continues, “There is also a more generalized tendency toward exaggeration in folklore repetition, a tendency exemplified in the Roswell myth… [such as] the intensification of relationships of subjection and dominance. The military personnel… are portrayed … as agents of a shadowy entity of great power---the government. The relation of dominance … is intensified in the personalized legends of traditors when they tell and retell their tales to successive military traditors. In Version 1 the military personnel admonish civilian witnesses to remain silent; in Versions 3 and 4 the witnesses are told that severe reprisals will follow if they fail to comply; and in Version 5 their lives are threatened.” (Pg. 43)

In still another chapter, Ziegler argues, “Regarding the issue of deliberate deceit on the part of the literary traditors, it is apparent that the literary traditors have a much stronger economic motive to lie than do the traditors on whose tales their books depend. For instance, the sales of the first Roswell book by [Kevin] Randle and [Don] Schmitt have already exceeded 160,000 copies… many a ‘responsible member of society’ has been known to lie for a lot less. Indeed, there is evidence that … Schmitt … made false biographical statements. Like Jesse Marcel, Schmitt apparently lied about his background to lend credibility to his assertions about UFOs.” (Pg. 64)

Benson Saler asserts, “The Roswell myth incorporates a double conspiracy theory. First, the aliens, for reasons of their own, conspire to conceal their existence from earthlings, though they occasionally fail to do so (as in New Mexico in 1947). That is why they don’t land their ships on the White House lawn or drop in on the editors of the New York Times. Second, the U.S. government, perhaps in collusion with other national governments, conspires to keep the public as ignorant as possible of alien sightings and contacts. Such double-dipping in conspiracy theory constitutes something of an exercise in suspicion, anxiety, fear, and hostility.” (Pg. 144)

Ziegler and Saler summarize, “Each chapter in this book is intended to support an assertion made in the Introduction---that is, as a cultural phenomenon the Roswell Incident can best be understood as an example of a modern myth. In the discussions that follow, we explore the extent to which that intent has been fulfilled. We do so by assessing some of the analytical findings that have been presented in the context of certain facets of the Roswell Incident that are not examined explicitly in the previous chapters but, nevertheless, are among the primary determinants of its cultural significance. More specifically, we describe three images of the Roswell Incident: the public image projected by the media, the scholarly image conveyed by the writings of the skeptics, and the believers’ image promulgated in letters, commentaries, and articles by members of the UFO community. In a final section we discuss the significance of these images in terms of society effects.” (Pg. 150)

They conclude, “Regardless of which view is deemed correct, it is quite apparent that real societal effects are involved in the phenomenon of media-driven public credulity, a phenomenon that is now largely attributed to the recent qualitative change in the social role of television’s video verité ‘products.’ The public image of the Roswell myth is thus significant both as a prominent indicator of the changed role of television ‘infotainment’ in the dynamics of our culture and as an omen of things to come.” (Pg. 168)

This book will mostly interest those interested in social science, rather than a ‘empirical’ approach to the subject.

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

While the title of this book is "UFO Crash at Roswell" the subtitle - "The Genesis of a Modern Myth" - is actually a bit more germane to the actual topic of this book in that the authors are primarily concerned in the development and propagation of the myth of Roswell in the public zeitgeist as opposed to any "nuts and bolts" refutation of of a UFO crash at Roswell. This is not to say that the material discussed isn't interesting, but that the amount of time spent establishing that Roswell was the result of balloon flights by New York University as part of Project Mogul is quite limited at one chapter and two appendices of the book.

The authors do a fairly good job with presenting their arguments, but this is also a very academic book, and even by the standards of academic books it can be a bit of a challenge to get through. Folklorists might find it interesting and those interested in aviation history might find the chapter on the New York University balloon flights to be interesting as well, but those interested in Roswell from a folklore standpoint might not find it to be the most accessible reading there is out there.

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a unique account of the Roswell incident, though it is likely to disappoint flying-saucer afficionados. The author concludes that the alleged sighting of a crashed flying saucer in Roswell, NM was actually a weather balloon. He goes into great detail about how such a balloon would have been at the site of the crash when it is supposed to have occurred, and goes into psychological factors associated with the origins of myths generally. (This subject might even interest those who have no interest in UFOs.) I think the account this book gives is probably the correct one. One problem I have with accepting "crashed saucer" incidents at face value generally is that I cannot imagine how such a craft could come to Earth from an incredible distance and then have a problem landing.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this down to earth and fact based analysis what really happened in Roswell. To the authors there are no crashed saucers, no alien bodies and no cover-ups. Boring? Not at all. You'll learn why the truth isn't accepted by the UFO community, the origins of a myth, the real cover story by the government (Project Mogul), the traditional folk motif clothed in a new garb, the balloon flights in that area. I especially liked the analysis of the Roswell incident debris and the almost religious dimension this area received over the years. Very interesting and plausible depiction of the facts. Highly recommended!

[Rebecca Jackson kirkpatrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars because honestly this book is so boring. Then again facts always get in the way of a good story. Between Ziegler’s 73 pages on myths and Moore’s 30+ pages on Project Mogul, I fell asleep, a lot. If your looking for actual facts then read it. If you need information on myths then read it. If you think UFOs are real, don’t read it.

[Ford · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you just skim the book it just barely rates 2 stars. Most of the book is boring.

[David]

I've read part of this very interesting anthropological study of the Roswell phenomenon.

[Valena Arguello · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book does a pretty good job analyzing this modern day myth and it's transformations over the years

[Angus MacHaggis]

The Smithsonian book about the Roswell Incident being a real balloon.