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Witnessed: The True Story of the Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abductions
In his bestselling Intruders, Hopkins chronicles alien encounters. Tho Intruders greatly expanded readers' knowledge of the UFO abduction phenomenon, Hopkins subsequently learned of an extraordinary witnessed abduction--an abduction sighted by independent 3rd party witnesses. This book reveals this unprecedented & amazingly complex case for the 1st time in its entirety.
415 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
14 people are currently reading
468 people want to read
About the author
Budd Hopkins
35 books65 followersAmerican painter, sculptor, and prominent figure in alien abduction phenomena and related UFO research.
in 1964 Hopkins witnessed an UFO, dissatisfied with the response Hopkins received when he reported the incident to nearby Otis Air National Guard Base, he suspected a possible government cover-up.
in 1964 Hopkins witnessed an UFO, dissatisfied with the response Hopkins received when he reported the incident to nearby Otis Air National Guard Base, he suspected a possible government cover-up.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 10, 2015
Having previously read several books about the so-called alien abduction phenomenon, including Hopkin's own Intruders, I didn't expect much from this one beyond an incredible and unverifiable yarn. Witnessed, however, is different. For one thing, Hopkin's writing and plotting are better than they were in Intruders. His unfolding of his investigation is, except for too many repetitive asides countering objections that it all might be hoaxed, genuinely captivating. For another, this case, like that of Travis Walton (Fire in the Sky), involves multiple unrelated witnesses, several of them public notables, one of whom, the Secretary General of the UN at the time, has since been identified. Finally, I appreciated Hopkins' having somewhat moderated his earlier opinions that the abductors--whom he believes to be extraterrestrials--are up to absolutely no good. Now he seems to at least allow for the possibility that they have some genuine concerns for life on Earth, the position that John Mack, the recently deceased Harvard psychiatrist, had maintained.
I cannot say that this convinced me that alien species are abducting human beings. It's still a matter of words in books written by persons I don't know. Nor can I say that adjudicating the issue of this case is of great importance to me. If it were I'd do some research beyond reading a single book and some articles about it. Personally, I don't feel myself to be an abductee, nor have I ever seen a UFO. I do, however, on the basis of what I've read, take the phenomenon in general quite seriously indeed.
People, lots of them, have believed throughout recorded history that they have had contact with non-human intelligences. Interpretations have, of course, varied. The extraterrestrial hypothesis is a relatively modern one. So, too, is the level of contestation. While some polls have indicated that a significant percentage of Ameicans believe we've been visited by aliens, the belief is not uncontroversial as, say, beliefs in the reality of angels and demons were a few hundred years ago. I myself have experienced auditions and one rather impressive period of hallucination while awake, straight and sober--and I only call them "auditions" and "hallucinations" because I assume that others, if present, would not have heard or seen what I did.
What sets Hopkins' account apart from individual cases of such encounters is the public nature of it. If one is to believe his very credible account of the incredible, the 1989 abduction of a Manhattan housewife into a hovering UFO was witnessed not only by her, but also by a score of other persons in the vicinity. And that, the 1989 incident, is only the beginning of a host of related experiences and witnesses to what appears to have been a history of such abductions. This, the very public nature of the event, constitutes a case subject to verification and Witnessed goes a long way towards making a very strong case. As Hopkins points out with little emphasis, such evidence would certainly be sufficient were the event a crime and its adjudication conducted in a court of law.
I cannot say that this convinced me that alien species are abducting human beings. It's still a matter of words in books written by persons I don't know. Nor can I say that adjudicating the issue of this case is of great importance to me. If it were I'd do some research beyond reading a single book and some articles about it. Personally, I don't feel myself to be an abductee, nor have I ever seen a UFO. I do, however, on the basis of what I've read, take the phenomenon in general quite seriously indeed.
People, lots of them, have believed throughout recorded history that they have had contact with non-human intelligences. Interpretations have, of course, varied. The extraterrestrial hypothesis is a relatively modern one. So, too, is the level of contestation. While some polls have indicated that a significant percentage of Ameicans believe we've been visited by aliens, the belief is not uncontroversial as, say, beliefs in the reality of angels and demons were a few hundred years ago. I myself have experienced auditions and one rather impressive period of hallucination while awake, straight and sober--and I only call them "auditions" and "hallucinations" because I assume that others, if present, would not have heard or seen what I did.
What sets Hopkins' account apart from individual cases of such encounters is the public nature of it. If one is to believe his very credible account of the incredible, the 1989 abduction of a Manhattan housewife into a hovering UFO was witnessed not only by her, but also by a score of other persons in the vicinity. And that, the 1989 incident, is only the beginning of a host of related experiences and witnesses to what appears to have been a history of such abductions. This, the very public nature of the event, constitutes a case subject to verification and Witnessed goes a long way towards making a very strong case. As Hopkins points out with little emphasis, such evidence would certainly be sufficient were the event a crime and its adjudication conducted in a court of law.
December 12, 2013
Scary. Truly scary. And well written, documented, and laid out in a cohesive manner. This non-fiction account of the highly witnessed abduction of Linda "Cortile" is a very unique case in the midst of thousands of similar abductions. It raises more questions than it answers, questions so unusual they make us rethink many things we thought we knew or had guessed about 'alien motives' up until 1989. You should read the book. And on to the next. RIP Budd.
January 29, 2011
I tried to put this book in my non-fiction shelf, but my fingers just wouldn't cooperate.
March 21, 2016
A fascinating true story of alien abduction. Even if find the idea preposterous there is no doubting the validity of this story bearing in mind the testimony of some pretty high up people. Well written and well worth a read as one of the best books regarding this controversial subject.
November 2, 2013
The word "weird" never felt so inadiquate. This is a compelling, moving, horrifying story - one of the most captivating I've found in truth or fiction.
May 21, 2024
“THE MOST IMPORTANT [UFO EVENT] IN RECORDED HISTORY”?
Elliot Budd Hopkins (1931-2011) was a prominent American artist (having received a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts), an author, and a ufologist specializing in ‘alien abductions.’ He was a prominent figure in ‘alien abduction’ phenomena and related UFO research.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1996 book, “Over the past five years I have interviewed and communicated with nearly a score of individuals involved in this New York City UFO abduction case. After conducting many hypnotic regressions and studying the various types of physical evidence, I have come to a firm conclusion: this abduction event so drastically alters our knowledge of the alien incursion in our world that it is easily the most important in recorded history. No previous case has had such a profound effect on so many lives, and none has ever been observed by so many independent witnesses… in this [account], Linda Cortile was floated out of her twelfth-floor window at roughly three A.M. in full view of anyone awake and near her lower Manhattan apartment. Among the many stunned observers was a political figure of international significance, whose presence was the likely reason for this demonstration of alien capability…
“None of the skeptics’ psychological ‘explanations’ and reassuring dismissals of the abduction phenomenon is relevant to this case---not in the face of so many independent eyewitnesses. Instead, we are left here with only two options: either the events of November 30, 1989, took place as the many participants contend, or this is an intricate, cold-blooded hoax perpetrated by a large group of individuals---a conspiracy theory for which there is not a shred of evidence. In the following pages one will find the information necessary to decide the issue. The final judgment is yours to make.”
He acknowledges, “Psychologists tell us that an individual may not consciously recall the meaning or certain objects or bits of memory even though the unconscious mind continues to attach great significance to these fragmented and puzzling artifacts. UFO investigators, wrestling with the partial amnesia that is an all too common aspect of most abduction experiences, see this psychological phenomenon in operation in virtually every case. The profound concern about her ‘forgotten’ surgery that Linda’s letter demonstrated, her description of paralysis and the sense of mysterious figures in her room, and her emotional reaction to the implant passage in my book led me to one conclusion: Her case was potentially significant.” (Pg. 12)
Hopkins recounts receiving a letter from “Police Officers Dan and Richard.” (Pg. 3-5) However, the search for these two individuals proved fruitless: “My search for the two men had ground to a temporary halt when I remembered that an abductee with whom I had worked is a highly placed civilian employee of the New York Police Department…. he made an interesting observation: ‘Budd, I think Richard and Dan may not be New York City cops… police are trained to always report things specifically by direction and location. A cop would have said “two or three blocks NORTH or WEST… but never two or three blocks UP… Richard may not be a cop… but he sounds like a guy with some kind of military background.’” (Pg. 52)
But soon, Linda left Hopkins a message: “Budd, Richard and Dan abducted me… they forced me into their car and drove me around for about three hours just asking me questions.” (Pg. 59) Hopkins states, “From the moment Linda and I first talked about her forced interrogation by Richard and Dan we knew that things had shifted to a new and more ominous level.” (Pg. 74)
Hopkins says, “In the weeks since Dan had first informed me by letter of the existence of the third man, I had come to feel certain of his identity. (His position, however, meant that it would be virtually impossible for me to meet with him.) I also had reason to believe that when the three men were together on the night of November 30… Richard and Dan’s job of escorting him was probably a temporary arrangement… Dan provided enough clues … as to the third man’s leadership position to enable me to check his activities on November 30… But since it is my fervent hope that this internationally known political figure will come forward voluntarily to give his account of what he saw that night, I am honoring his desire for anonymity, a request that he has communicated to me …” (Pg. 90-91)
Dan wrote to Hopkins again, “Please stop trying to find us or else we will cut all contact with you.” (Pg. 120) Later, “Again, I told [Linda] how sorry I was that she had been so terribly manhandled. I vowed to locate Dan somehow, and if necessary to have him arrested. Or, if it seemed possible, to have him committed to a psychiatric hospital. But now Richard was the key figure, and his actions might very easily define the future for all of us.” (Pg. 153)
Hopkins depicts the event: “when all was ready, the brilliant, attention-getting lights of the UFO were suddenly switched on and the show was allowed to begin. In support of this thesis it is important to remember that all of the witnesses specifically referred to the theatrical nature of the abduction drama… the Linda Cortile abduction was as visible as one can imagine, with the witnesses feeling that hundreds or even thousands of people, even at 3:13 A.M., should have seen this spectacular sight. For me, one inference is inescapable: With the third man as the most important member of the captive audience, the initial part of the event was a deliberate display of UFO power. It serves as a provisional answer to the skeptics’ hoary old taunt, If they are really here, why don’t they land on the White House lawn? Before the eyes and ears and conscious minds of all the witnesses, the aliens were coolly demonstrating their authority: ‘See what we can do? We’re real, we’re here, and we can do this anytime we wish.’” 9Pg. 189-190)
In 1991, Hopkins received another letter from Richard, which noted: “As for Dan, he has suffered another set back… Shortly after we returned to the States, we checked him into a hospital for observation. It was concluded that Dan be placed into a rest home for a while. At least, until he can get his head on straight. He checked himself into one of the best rest homes in the country. He will remain there under treatment, for an indefinite period of time. Dan has had problems long before this incident occurred. The incident itself brought him to the breaking point.” (Pg. 212)
Dan himself wrote to Linda: “Everyone thinks I’m crazy, you know. It’s because they have never seen or heard what I have, coming out of you. Richard and the other man just let me sit in this place knowing full well that I’m not crazy. They saw the very same things I saw in you.” (Pg. 257)
Richard wrote to Hopkins: “The flashbacks began again, along with a panic attack. I had to pull over… There was a mental image of white silk fabric caught in between the sliding metal. I sat there in my car and lost control of my emotions. I sat there until nightfall… When I arrived home I telephoned the third man and Dan to tell them that I’d been hallucinating. Surprisingly enough, so had they.” (Pg. 295)
He summarizes, “In my twenty years of research in this field, I have been approached by a number of military people, a NASA scientist, psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors, well-known people in the entertainment industry, professionals of all kinds, and just plain folk… Of the more than five hundred men and women I have personally worked with, fewer than fifteen have been willing to come forward publicly, using their names and discussing their cases with representatives of the media. So it is not surprising to me that of the many participants I have dealt with in this case, none of them---NONE---ever reported what they had seen to the news media, to the police, or to any government or military agency… Under the circumstances, who can blame them?” (Pg. 431-432)
He says of a final meeting with the ‘third man’: “I walked away from the third man with a sense of sadness for his almost impossible position. He could not---would not---admit his involvement in the events of November 1989 in the presence of the reporter or his wife, and I gathered he was not eager to admit it directly to me, either. In fact I sensed an undertone of irritation in his dealings with me… But neither did he appear comfortable denying the truth, which he had done softly, diffidently, and with virtually no emotion. He had hemmed and hawed and qualified his responses to the reporter, yet he clung silently to all the material I had given him. It should come as no surprise that I have not heard from him since our Chicago meeting… It seems to me that until he decides to go public with what he remembers from the night of November 30, 1989, he cannot have much inner peace.” (Pg. 443)
This book will be of some interest to those studying ‘alien abductions,’ and related phenomena.
Elliot Budd Hopkins (1931-2011) was a prominent American artist (having received a Guggenheim Fellowship, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts), an author, and a ufologist specializing in ‘alien abductions.’ He was a prominent figure in ‘alien abduction’ phenomena and related UFO research.
He wrote in the Introduction to this 1996 book, “Over the past five years I have interviewed and communicated with nearly a score of individuals involved in this New York City UFO abduction case. After conducting many hypnotic regressions and studying the various types of physical evidence, I have come to a firm conclusion: this abduction event so drastically alters our knowledge of the alien incursion in our world that it is easily the most important in recorded history. No previous case has had such a profound effect on so many lives, and none has ever been observed by so many independent witnesses… in this [account], Linda Cortile was floated out of her twelfth-floor window at roughly three A.M. in full view of anyone awake and near her lower Manhattan apartment. Among the many stunned observers was a political figure of international significance, whose presence was the likely reason for this demonstration of alien capability…
“None of the skeptics’ psychological ‘explanations’ and reassuring dismissals of the abduction phenomenon is relevant to this case---not in the face of so many independent eyewitnesses. Instead, we are left here with only two options: either the events of November 30, 1989, took place as the many participants contend, or this is an intricate, cold-blooded hoax perpetrated by a large group of individuals---a conspiracy theory for which there is not a shred of evidence. In the following pages one will find the information necessary to decide the issue. The final judgment is yours to make.”
He acknowledges, “Psychologists tell us that an individual may not consciously recall the meaning or certain objects or bits of memory even though the unconscious mind continues to attach great significance to these fragmented and puzzling artifacts. UFO investigators, wrestling with the partial amnesia that is an all too common aspect of most abduction experiences, see this psychological phenomenon in operation in virtually every case. The profound concern about her ‘forgotten’ surgery that Linda’s letter demonstrated, her description of paralysis and the sense of mysterious figures in her room, and her emotional reaction to the implant passage in my book led me to one conclusion: Her case was potentially significant.” (Pg. 12)
Hopkins recounts receiving a letter from “Police Officers Dan and Richard.” (Pg. 3-5) However, the search for these two individuals proved fruitless: “My search for the two men had ground to a temporary halt when I remembered that an abductee with whom I had worked is a highly placed civilian employee of the New York Police Department…. he made an interesting observation: ‘Budd, I think Richard and Dan may not be New York City cops… police are trained to always report things specifically by direction and location. A cop would have said “two or three blocks NORTH or WEST… but never two or three blocks UP… Richard may not be a cop… but he sounds like a guy with some kind of military background.’” (Pg. 52)
But soon, Linda left Hopkins a message: “Budd, Richard and Dan abducted me… they forced me into their car and drove me around for about three hours just asking me questions.” (Pg. 59) Hopkins states, “From the moment Linda and I first talked about her forced interrogation by Richard and Dan we knew that things had shifted to a new and more ominous level.” (Pg. 74)
Hopkins says, “In the weeks since Dan had first informed me by letter of the existence of the third man, I had come to feel certain of his identity. (His position, however, meant that it would be virtually impossible for me to meet with him.) I also had reason to believe that when the three men were together on the night of November 30… Richard and Dan’s job of escorting him was probably a temporary arrangement… Dan provided enough clues … as to the third man’s leadership position to enable me to check his activities on November 30… But since it is my fervent hope that this internationally known political figure will come forward voluntarily to give his account of what he saw that night, I am honoring his desire for anonymity, a request that he has communicated to me …” (Pg. 90-91)
Dan wrote to Hopkins again, “Please stop trying to find us or else we will cut all contact with you.” (Pg. 120) Later, “Again, I told [Linda] how sorry I was that she had been so terribly manhandled. I vowed to locate Dan somehow, and if necessary to have him arrested. Or, if it seemed possible, to have him committed to a psychiatric hospital. But now Richard was the key figure, and his actions might very easily define the future for all of us.” (Pg. 153)
Hopkins depicts the event: “when all was ready, the brilliant, attention-getting lights of the UFO were suddenly switched on and the show was allowed to begin. In support of this thesis it is important to remember that all of the witnesses specifically referred to the theatrical nature of the abduction drama… the Linda Cortile abduction was as visible as one can imagine, with the witnesses feeling that hundreds or even thousands of people, even at 3:13 A.M., should have seen this spectacular sight. For me, one inference is inescapable: With the third man as the most important member of the captive audience, the initial part of the event was a deliberate display of UFO power. It serves as a provisional answer to the skeptics’ hoary old taunt, If they are really here, why don’t they land on the White House lawn? Before the eyes and ears and conscious minds of all the witnesses, the aliens were coolly demonstrating their authority: ‘See what we can do? We’re real, we’re here, and we can do this anytime we wish.’” 9Pg. 189-190)
In 1991, Hopkins received another letter from Richard, which noted: “As for Dan, he has suffered another set back… Shortly after we returned to the States, we checked him into a hospital for observation. It was concluded that Dan be placed into a rest home for a while. At least, until he can get his head on straight. He checked himself into one of the best rest homes in the country. He will remain there under treatment, for an indefinite period of time. Dan has had problems long before this incident occurred. The incident itself brought him to the breaking point.” (Pg. 212)
Dan himself wrote to Linda: “Everyone thinks I’m crazy, you know. It’s because they have never seen or heard what I have, coming out of you. Richard and the other man just let me sit in this place knowing full well that I’m not crazy. They saw the very same things I saw in you.” (Pg. 257)
Richard wrote to Hopkins: “The flashbacks began again, along with a panic attack. I had to pull over… There was a mental image of white silk fabric caught in between the sliding metal. I sat there in my car and lost control of my emotions. I sat there until nightfall… When I arrived home I telephoned the third man and Dan to tell them that I’d been hallucinating. Surprisingly enough, so had they.” (Pg. 295)
He summarizes, “In my twenty years of research in this field, I have been approached by a number of military people, a NASA scientist, psychiatrists, psychologists, doctors, well-known people in the entertainment industry, professionals of all kinds, and just plain folk… Of the more than five hundred men and women I have personally worked with, fewer than fifteen have been willing to come forward publicly, using their names and discussing their cases with representatives of the media. So it is not surprising to me that of the many participants I have dealt with in this case, none of them---NONE---ever reported what they had seen to the news media, to the police, or to any government or military agency… Under the circumstances, who can blame them?” (Pg. 431-432)
He says of a final meeting with the ‘third man’: “I walked away from the third man with a sense of sadness for his almost impossible position. He could not---would not---admit his involvement in the events of November 1989 in the presence of the reporter or his wife, and I gathered he was not eager to admit it directly to me, either. In fact I sensed an undertone of irritation in his dealings with me… But neither did he appear comfortable denying the truth, which he had done softly, diffidently, and with virtually no emotion. He had hemmed and hawed and qualified his responses to the reporter, yet he clung silently to all the material I had given him. It should come as no surprise that I have not heard from him since our Chicago meeting… It seems to me that until he decides to go public with what he remembers from the night of November 30, 1989, he cannot have much inner peace.” (Pg. 443)
This book will be of some interest to those studying ‘alien abductions,’ and related phenomena.
April 14, 2021
Either the best alien abduction story ever documented or a complete work of fiction. This is the fourth book by Budd Hopkins I've read and the most engaging. This is his only book to deal with one sighting and the lives of individuals involved. There were times when I literally could not put the book down. I would have given it 5 stars if not for some very hard to believe aspects of it. I have a very open mind about these types of things but even I was challenged to believe all that was described in this book. Some of the testimony of witnesses to this sighting were letters written to the author. The language, phrases and ideas conveyed by the letters and the words of the protagonist Linda Cortile were awkward and detracted from credibility as well as just being downright annoying. I guess my feelings about this book could be summed up in a famous quote from The X-files: "I want to believe."
December 13, 2018
With the incredible development of an Argentinian politician witnessing one of Linda's abductions (not sure whether to call her Linda Cortile or Linda Napolitano) as the aliens levitate her through the air from high up in a New York skyscraper, Hopkins had quite a story to write, & I agree he does it quite well......you have to bear in mind he was not a professional writer before these investigations....you can feel he's sort of Got Better With Practice.......Linda herself is quite literary, which helps.
September 9, 2018
Well written. Amazing story. Sticks with me over the years. I read this two years ago and I still think back to parts of the story and concepts that were introduced. Hopkins reveals some of the tactics used by the visitors and shows that yes they too can make mistakes. I would definitely recommend this book.
June 10, 2016
Lots of details but not enough to retain my attention. Dry as the Sahara desert.
July 30, 2023
"I want to believe" is a cute saying on a poster. However, as a researcher's entire ethos, it is poison. I will not speak to the totality of the abduction phenomena -- this is a book review, not a critique of so broad a topic -- but the "Cortile" case is nonsense. Hopkins repeatedly fanwanks wild inconsistencies or outright lies so they make sense.
There is a good reason that Witnessed did not get the same filmic representation Intruders did: it was beyond unreliable, in no small part because of Linda's every shifting story (where literally everyone tells her how pretty she is as often as they can, somehow an author insert in her own life, a ufological Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way).
Read the debunkers. Read what Carol Rainey said. Then read Witnessed. Hopkins made this mess and likely tainted more honest research because he needed a new and stranger case for a new book.
The Levitating Linda Case is most noteworthy not because of what happened -- and just what *did* happen? -- but because of Hopkins' willful gullibility, which is firmly on display here.
There is a good reason that Witnessed did not get the same filmic representation Intruders did: it was beyond unreliable, in no small part because of Linda's every shifting story (where literally everyone tells her how pretty she is as often as they can, somehow an author insert in her own life, a ufological Ebony Dark'ness Dementia Raven Way).
Read the debunkers. Read what Carol Rainey said. Then read Witnessed. Hopkins made this mess and likely tainted more honest research because he needed a new and stranger case for a new book.
The Levitating Linda Case is most noteworthy not because of what happened -- and just what *did* happen? -- but because of Hopkins' willful gullibility, which is firmly on display here.
May 14, 2017
This story is great whether you read it as fact or sf drama, but it only leaves you with questions.
Either Linda is a master of hoaxes or it truly happened, which brings me to my issue with the book and most paranormal cases.
Ufologists et al. don't seem to have a good understanding of the scientific method. They often confuse and misuse terms like "evidence," "proof," " theory, " and "experiment," straining their credibility.
Such is the case in this book, wherein Hopkins interferes with the witnesses' memories via hypnosis, essentially destroying Linda's life in the process.
And "alien abduction" becomes the reason for any ailment: trouble sleeping, smoking too much, fear of clowns (all in the book).
Budd Hopkins was the Giorgios Tsukolous of 30 years ago.
Budd seems to treat science as though it were the same as a courtroom; it isn't.
So I'm leaving this book with a really good story, but with no satisfaction that it truly did happen.👽
Either Linda is a master of hoaxes or it truly happened, which brings me to my issue with the book and most paranormal cases.
Ufologists et al. don't seem to have a good understanding of the scientific method. They often confuse and misuse terms like "evidence," "proof," " theory, " and "experiment," straining their credibility.
Such is the case in this book, wherein Hopkins interferes with the witnesses' memories via hypnosis, essentially destroying Linda's life in the process.
And "alien abduction" becomes the reason for any ailment: trouble sleeping, smoking too much, fear of clowns (all in the book).
Budd Hopkins was the Giorgios Tsukolous of 30 years ago.
Budd seems to treat science as though it were the same as a courtroom; it isn't.
So I'm leaving this book with a really good story, but with no satisfaction that it truly did happen.👽
May 11, 2024
This is a compelling narrative of a complex UFO/abduction case involving multiple parties which is lended a heavy dose of credulity due to several eye witnesses and Budd's systematic research. What I find really striking about this case is the revelations about intergenerational and interfamilial patterning of abduction experiences as well as the developing understanding of paired abductions from infancy throughout the lifespan. This goes beyond the well worn story of UFO occupants studying human life forms and conducting examinations and implies systematic longitudinal research of human bonding, reproduction, and family dynamics over generations. The public nature of the incident in front of a politically significant audience and delicate interplay with intelligence operatives leaves the reader with many inquiries regarding motives and intentions that will likely remain occluded. I enjoy reading Budd's books and highly recommend this gem to anyone interested in the UFO phenomenon.
August 9, 2025
The Brooklyn Abduction novel was truly awful. The plot was so ridiculous a child could have wrote it.
Budd Hopkins recognized that the letters were written by Linda but he was deeply committed and aimed to complete the book by the deadline. Fast Forward 20 years, Budd Hopkins wife unleashed a bombshell about Linda Napolitano and how she manipulated Budd. Linda convinced him that she was taken by Aliens then in the days following she had to deal with being harassed by two UN diplomats. The whole story was a LIE.
Budd Hopkins recognized that the letters were written by Linda but he was deeply committed and aimed to complete the book by the deadline. Fast Forward 20 years, Budd Hopkins wife unleashed a bombshell about Linda Napolitano and how she manipulated Budd. Linda convinced him that she was taken by Aliens then in the days following she had to deal with being harassed by two UN diplomats. The whole story was a LIE.
August 1, 2021
At times I found this "Based on true events" abduction book hard to believe. Lots of coincidences and characters acting pretty far from what you expect people in reality to act like. If it's true the story is incredible, if it is made up Budd Hopkins put together an amazing plot
August 9, 2022
The plot has a solid starting but (my opinion, after reading the book and not taking the event as true), it derails for a more Hollywoodian script other than something that leads one to believe it. As stated, I don't get it as true, regardless how much I would like it was.
May 30, 2023
Whether you believe this or not, it's an interesting read. A bit redundant at times but still good. I googled it too which made it even more believable. Google uncovers some of the hidden characters of the story. Worth a look.
October 18, 2023
I prefer the books on abduction with more cases than the ones with one complex case, but Budd sizes his opportunity very well and makes a compelling cases for the abductions been material, and not only mind controlled by other intelligence. Fantastic book.
August 5, 2018
Absolutely amazing! So many different levels! Mind blowing that this book didn’t bring the ufo topic to the mainstream!
April 25, 2019
I bought the book , this is very interesting read . RIP BUDD for you will be missed 🙏
August 10, 2025
Pradžia labai sudomino, bet tik pradžia... Paskiau buvo gumos tempimas ir pasikartojantys sakiniai. Siužetas įdomus, bet rašymo stilius nesudomino.
January 12, 2013
I read this book many many years ago because I used to have an unshakable belief in extraterrestrial abduction, and the stories downright scared the shit out of me.
Here's how a typical abduction works. You awaken at a late night hour. You are paralysed in totality except for your eyes. Anyone else in the house has been reduced to coma-like state (some reports show the breathing so faint that first aid tactics need be used to find signs of breath). Two to six "little grey men" are gathered around your bed. If you're "lucky", you remember only that. Two hours from your life are missing thereafter and you may or may not have a small unidentifiable metal ball embedded in your nose or ear (some believe this to be a tracking device or tag). Hypnosis has been known to bring back those lost memories, the awakening of which can cause PTSD-type anxiety.
This book I remember very little of. The basic premise is that a woman was abducted in Brooklyn, more or less fitting the above scenario. The difference here is that the ascent to the UFO happens to be witnessed by a UN official's motorcade from a nearby street. Members of the security detail have tracked down Hopkins after living in terror of what they saw, and Hopkins contends the "Brooklyn Bridge Abduction" is the most widely witnessed UFO abduction in history. At first glance, these are credible sources that clearly saw something that night and recount vivid details themselves under hypnosis, and it's plausible within ethos of abductions - outside the aliens' loss of consciousness range, so to speak. On the other hand, Hopkins has changed the names of these witnesses to protect their identity and none of this can therefore be verified.
I don't remember much beyond the vivid account that retells the woman's side of the abduction and the statements from the primary two witnesses, except that it goes into a descent into madness thereafter for the two security personnel. Upon looking up a synopsis, one apparently vanishes off the face of the Earth and the other falls in love with the abductee only to realise he too is an abductee and they've been apart of a breeding program for years. I don't remember any of that in the book, but I did read this many years ago and I struggled even to remember the author's name.
I don't believe the abduction stories with as much rigidity as I once did. I do believe that with the sheer vastness of the universe, it's highly implausible we're the only life out there, yet as to whether that life has become bipedal spacefaring quasi-humanoids that can travel to and from Earth on a whim and abduct us at random, well, that claim I find much more suspect than I once did.
I can't even remember if this is a decent book if you're a right believer or not. I can remember nothing about the writing style, effectiveness, his ability to tell a story... so I'm rating it a three, right down the middle.
Here's how a typical abduction works. You awaken at a late night hour. You are paralysed in totality except for your eyes. Anyone else in the house has been reduced to coma-like state (some reports show the breathing so faint that first aid tactics need be used to find signs of breath). Two to six "little grey men" are gathered around your bed. If you're "lucky", you remember only that. Two hours from your life are missing thereafter and you may or may not have a small unidentifiable metal ball embedded in your nose or ear (some believe this to be a tracking device or tag). Hypnosis has been known to bring back those lost memories, the awakening of which can cause PTSD-type anxiety.
This book I remember very little of. The basic premise is that a woman was abducted in Brooklyn, more or less fitting the above scenario. The difference here is that the ascent to the UFO happens to be witnessed by a UN official's motorcade from a nearby street. Members of the security detail have tracked down Hopkins after living in terror of what they saw, and Hopkins contends the "Brooklyn Bridge Abduction" is the most widely witnessed UFO abduction in history. At first glance, these are credible sources that clearly saw something that night and recount vivid details themselves under hypnosis, and it's plausible within ethos of abductions - outside the aliens' loss of consciousness range, so to speak. On the other hand, Hopkins has changed the names of these witnesses to protect their identity and none of this can therefore be verified.
I don't remember much beyond the vivid account that retells the woman's side of the abduction and the statements from the primary two witnesses, except that it goes into a descent into madness thereafter for the two security personnel. Upon looking up a synopsis, one apparently vanishes off the face of the Earth and the other falls in love with the abductee only to realise he too is an abductee and they've been apart of a breeding program for years. I don't remember any of that in the book, but I did read this many years ago and I struggled even to remember the author's name.
I don't believe the abduction stories with as much rigidity as I once did. I do believe that with the sheer vastness of the universe, it's highly implausible we're the only life out there, yet as to whether that life has become bipedal spacefaring quasi-humanoids that can travel to and from Earth on a whim and abduct us at random, well, that claim I find much more suspect than I once did.
I can't even remember if this is a decent book if you're a right believer or not. I can remember nothing about the writing style, effectiveness, his ability to tell a story... so I'm rating it a three, right down the middle.
July 7, 2009
I haven't read this in a long time, but it really got me to think. The "aliens" abducted two complete strangers and placed them together in a "reproduction" experiment, and later, in series of memory recall, everything was tied together. The people were all connected. I absolutely loved the pictures and photographs. It was really eerie and real.
I think my reading experience was enhanced by the fact that strange things happened to me in the room I was, at the time, sleeping and reading this book in. One time, in early morning, I felt and heard a crunching slimey sound in my left ear, and it was enough to wake me up and have me shout out (to which my dog came by to check if I was okay). It sounded like a bug crawled (or was inserted) into my ear, but when I felt, there was nothing there. But ever since then, I had trouble sleeping with my ears exposed.
Another incident I had in this room, was that it was in the middle of the night, pitch black, and I heard someone say, "Hey, what's up?" like there was someone in the room, but I was too afraid to move and turn on the lights. (I figured this out to be someone outside because the window was open, but still.)
I think my reading experience was enhanced by the fact that strange things happened to me in the room I was, at the time, sleeping and reading this book in. One time, in early morning, I felt and heard a crunching slimey sound in my left ear, and it was enough to wake me up and have me shout out (to which my dog came by to check if I was okay). It sounded like a bug crawled (or was inserted) into my ear, but when I felt, there was nothing there. But ever since then, I had trouble sleeping with my ears exposed.
Another incident I had in this room, was that it was in the middle of the night, pitch black, and I heard someone say, "Hey, what's up?" like there was someone in the room, but I was too afraid to move and turn on the lights. (I figured this out to be someone outside because the window was open, but still.)
September 28, 2013
It's hard to believe that the library shelves this one as non-fiction (and I am open to the possibilities here...I wonder what a total skeptic would say?). Few illustrations or documents, and the ones present do not add much validity. The first 2 "documents" are supposedly transcriptions of letters the author received. The language, vocabulary, punctuation, etc., of the two seemed close to identical to me and they shouldn't be...sure, photocopies could be faked, but it would at least seem like an attempt to document the experiences. Overall, it was not enjoyable reading at all by pages xiv + 30, so I quit.
April 15, 2012
Not sure what to make of this. As always, I'm a complete skeptic when it comes to these sorts of encounters, but I can't say for sure that they *didn't* happen. It's a fun read, whether "true" or not...I'll add more as I get further into the book...update: seems to be getting more preposterous the further I read. I'll stick to it through the bitter end before passing final judgement.
Ok, I'm done...on the one hand, this was a fascinating read. Budd Hopkins does provide decent evidence and he tells the story in rather convincing fashion...but good golly, it's tough to swallow. I guess it's up to the reader to decide. I'd recommend it to those interested in UFO lore.
Ok, I'm done...on the one hand, this was a fascinating read. Budd Hopkins does provide decent evidence and he tells the story in rather convincing fashion...but good golly, it's tough to swallow. I guess it's up to the reader to decide. I'd recommend it to those interested in UFO lore.
June 3, 2009
This one starts out nicely, than gets more and more fantastic as the book goes on. Supposedly a UFO abduction got witnessed by two New York City police officers one autumn night back in 1989, but as the story unwinds it becomes somehow less and less likely that it ever really happened.
February 22, 2010
Riveting! Aliens in Brooklyn--seriously.
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