The Utah UFO Display: A Scientist Brings Reason and Logic to over 400 Sightings in Utah's Uintah Basin

by Frank B. Salisbury

Do UFOs really exist?

Noted scientist Frank B. Salisbury, in collaboration with Joseph Junior Hicks, tries to answer this question by examining UFO data in the context of modern science. In the process, he and Hicks interview countless Utah witnesses who adamantly insist they encountered a flying saucer.

Read how:
- Strange beings held a Kentucky family hostage for three hours.
-Father Gill of the Catholic Church watched with others while a disc-shaped object hovered nearby--and figures on top waved to the crowd below!
- A police officer saw a large, egg-shaped "spacecraft" land in a nearby ravine.
-And many more spectacular and classic cases.

Then read how in Utah:
-A mother and daughter were stopped on the highway by a house-sized object hovering in front of them, and when they arrived home, two hours were missing.
-A UFO chased a car and controlled its speed.
-A huge UFO dived on a car that held two women and some Indian girls.
-Strange events occurred on the Skinwalker Ranch--but what about the history of the ranch?

Shedding new light on the UFO mystery, this authoritative volume brings to life dramatic eyewitness accounts that address this timeworn puzzle from a scientific viewpoint. Prepare to be pulled to the edge of your seat and held spellbound until the last page.

Genres: Nonfiction, Paranormal

348 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1974

Reviews

[Art · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a recent, updated edition of the author's earlier work of the same title. The author and a local teacher have collected over the years numerous UFO sightings by people in the Uintah Basin. Although some are misidentifications and there are some occasional liars and crackpots, the author found many of the witnesses to be fairly normal people who were puzzled by strange lights or objects they saw moving around in the sky. The author is open to various interpretations and possibilities. He respectfully covers the beliefs of UFO debunkers, "true believers," and the truly puzzled. I loved the chapter on the "skinwalker ranch." Salisbury believes there are 3 possible explanations for what people are seeing/reporting. 1. The Debunker Hypothesis: all are misidentifications or reports by liars or mentally unstable people. 2. the Nuts and Bolts Hypothesis: UFOs are advanced machines coming from advanced civilizations in our solar system. 3. the Star Gate/Extradimensional Hypothesis: UFOs are coming from a portal or another dimension to put on a show to manipulate human belief systems. Salisbury favors hypothesis 3. He's not alone in his belief. Noted UFO researcher Jacques Vallee has long argued that UFOs are not ETs. Vallee believes UFO controllers have been putting on a show for humans throughout history. Vallee carefully compares the similarity between abduction stories and Medieval fairy/demon abduction stories. Paranormal activity is often associated with UFO activity. For some, it's a religious experience. Although Vallee and Salisbury obviously have different religious beliefs, they both seem to believe the "UFO Display" source is manipulative and often not benign in it's motives. Fascinating!

[David Corleto-Bales · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book about the wave of U.F.O. reports that hit N.E. Utah, (the Uintah Basin) in the 1960s. This book was first published in 1974 by the astronomy professor, Frank B. Salisbury, but he has added several chapters and done updates on a lot of the material. Some of it smacks me as filler material because it rehashes a lot of U.F.O. cases throughout history and assesses them from a scientific viewpoint. Salisbury seems pretty pokerfaced and objective, dealing with individual sightings and cases with a healthy dose of skepticism, which I appreciated, until the last chapter when he questions the theory of evolution; (Salisbury is a devout Mormon and Mormons are usually into U.F.O.s and aliens since their theology is heavy on the subject.)

[Sharon Zink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 2010 edition. This was a straightforward, conversational, objective examination by a scientist (botanist). I would feel a lot better if he were not a Mormon. It hurts the author's credibility. He tried to compare the appearances of Jesus and the men on the Mount of Transfiguration in the New Testament with the appearance of the angel Moroni, who appeared to Joseph Smith and gave him the plates that became the Book of Mormon. But the contents of the Book of Mormon are silly and have been historically disproved. They were translated into the English language supposedly from "Reformed Egyptian," a language which has never existed. The author said, "Most Mormons don't believe..." Yes, but they are still Mormons. If they really don't believe they should show with their feet what they really do believe. Aside from that, the author treats the Utah UFO display fairly and completely. Near the end of the book he says, "The UFO phenomenon is real, but we just don't understand it." (P. 249)

[George Kanakaris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has a lot of interesting information on the subject of ufos and the sighting in the Uintah Basin area. It even includes information on the Skinwalker Ranch, pre-Gorman family and before the NIDS takeover of the ranch. I had often wondered about previous owners and if they had seen or experienced weird things on the place. A good report about and with many testimonies.Except for the ending where the writer goes on the religious tour.

[Matt · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book is too old to really satisfy any serious modern quest to understand the phenomenon. the historical interviews of eyewitnesses is interesting and this book does a great service in preserving them. once the author let slip his dated theory that Martians were visiting us I just couldn't read past the interviews to his his analysis. The amount of flashing, multi-colored lights inherent to nearly all the stories is suspicious. These objects were meant to be seen. I still recommend "Aliens and UFOs, Messengers or Deceivers?" despite my wife's derision. That book lays out a theory that is plausible.

[MykeWeber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read my review on my blog:

http://mykeweber.blogspot.com/2010/09...