The Truth Behind Men in Black

by Jenny Randles

Stranger than the X-Files... Darker than your worst nightmares-And all too true...

You've just spotted it. Strange, circular, and whizzing through the night sky. You've never seen anything like it in your life-you think it might be a UFO. As you turn around to head back to your house, someone taps you on the shoulder-and the nightmare has just begun...

It's a phenomenon as old as the sighting of UFOs-and perhaps stranger than the sightings Men in Black. With eerie consistency, UFO witnesses around the world report their presence after a sighting or alien abduction. But who are these shadowy figures-men dressed in dark clothing who seem to know intimate details about witnesses' lives...and who strike unearthly fear in these people in order to keep then quiet about what they saw? Are they just a figment of overactive imaginations? Are they government agents? Secret Service men? Aliens? Or part of a much darker force whose urgent mission remains veiled in mystery...

For the first time ever, renowned UFO expert Jenny Randles blows the lid off this fascinating and even life-threatening phenomenon. Through extraordinary case histories of real-life encounters, Randles sheds stunning new light on these ominous strangers known as Men in men who will protect extraterrestrial secrets-at any cost...

Genres: Nonfiction, Aliens, Conspiracy Theories

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 15, 1997

About the author

British author and former director of investigations with the British UFO Research Association (BUFORA), serving in that role from 1982 through to 1994.

Randles specializes in writing books on UFOs and paranormal phenomena. To date 50 of these have been published, ranging from her first UFOs: A British Viewpoint (1979) to Breaking the Time Barrier: The race to build the first time machine (2005). Subjects covered include crop circles, ESP, life after death, time anomalies and spontaneous human combustion.

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

An investigation of the UFO-adjacent MIB phenomenon that's relatively grounded in rationality, The Truth Behind Men in Black is Jenny Randles' attempt to make sense of various stories of dapperly dressed intimidation agents who have made themselves known to witnesses and alleged abductees over the decades since Albert Bender was first visited by them in the early 1950s. The more famous encounters are all here, Randles delivering on our expectations of stories featuring MIB antagonists who are alternately alien, human, lipless, illusory. Pretty sane by the standards of mainstream Ufologists, Randles generally rejects the more elaborate, paranormal explanations of MIB origin, favouring instead the idea that they're secret government agents aiming to suppress and misinform for reasons that may not have anything to do with aliens. She pours a good deal of cold water on the comparatively sensationalist work of people like Gray Barker ( Saucers of Fear: Nazi UFOs, Alien Abduction, Project Bluebeam, and Other High-Tech Horrors From the X-Files of Saucerian Press ) and Clive Harold ( The Uninvited ). Why she is so dismissive of Nick Pope's theory of mischievous LARPers being responsible for at least some MIB encounters is a bit of a mystery, however. In any case, if you're after a fairly sensible look at this subject and can tolerate the limitations of a somewhat drab writing style, The Truth Behind Men in Black is a decent read.

[Dollie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ms. Randles is a British author who has written fifty or so books, many of them on the UFO phenomenon. She is a UFOlogist and relates many instances where people who have reporting seeing a UFO, and some who never reported it, have been visited by tall men in black (or dark) suits, driving vintage black vehicles and warning the observers not to say anything to anyone about it. They also request any evidence of the sighting (photos or videos) be given to them and sometimes continue to call and harass observers for months, telling them they’ll be sorry if they don’t keep their mouths shut. After reading this book, my thoughts are that if there are MIBs (I have never encountered any, but am not denying that they may exist), they are humans from the government in an effort to secure evidence and confound the people who saw something they can’t explain, they are humans who get their jollies over pretending to be investigators and who enjoy intimidating people, they are humans or unknown beings beyond our understanding from another dimension or time or – and this is the least likely explanation for me - they are figments of peoples’ imaginations. I believe people have encountered MIBs. So, if there really are MIBs, why are they subjects of comedy movies? Is it just for the money to be made or is it an effort to discredit and ridicule anyone who reports meeting them? I don’t have any answers and this book didn’t really give any. Ms. Randles, for all her UFO investigative work, didn’t relate any truth as to what MIBs are, just conjecture. I found this book interesting, but didn’t find any answers. And, I have to say, there were spelling and grammatical errors through the book that made me cringe every time I came across one. Hopefully, there aren’t any in this review. If UFOs are a subject that interest you, although somewhat dated, I found this book interesting reading.

[Jessica Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this reminded me all over again why Jenny Randles is one of the UK's best known authors when it comes to the strange and unusual - her work is always so eminently readable. I found myself wishing there was more detail and follow up of cases, but as a light casual read I couldn't fault it.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but I can't say I believe half of these stories. It was a decent read but nothing to persuade me of "the truth" behind Men in Black.

[John Wenz · Rating 3 out of 5]

As cheapy UFO paperbacks go, fairly average, which I guess puts it at above average, with some intriguing parts -- the last chapter on military disinfo, which ironically talks to Nick Pope and Bill Moore -- but some of the cases are a lot of padding without much oomph. It's either at its best when it's insightful or weird, but a lot of the in-between can all blend into a few standouts and a lot of noise. I came here for the weird! Give me whatever that is! But I get that when you're trying to speak the Truth, getting too into the weird maybe pulls you out of it during peak Roswellmania.

At least Richard Doty wasn't in it. Or at least not in name.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everybody knows the movies but who were the MIB? Government agents or visitors from beyond? The author shines a light on those sinister figures and tries to solve the question who they are. We learn that those witnessing UFOs weren't allowed to talk, wonder about people that never were, see missing footage lost forever. Those men in black are agents of silence, callers, abductionists, men of mystery, spacenappers... well if you are in search of answers or in search of compelling mystery or conspiracy you definitely should pick up this eerie volume. Page turning and highly recommended!

[David Riedel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super fun read!

[Isidore · Rating 2 out of 5]

Randles deals very even-handedly with the various theories about these odd gents who allegedly harass UFO witnesses. Although she is inclined to regard them as government agents, she fully explores the more bizarre aspects of phenomenon, and leaves the final verdict open. She furnishes quite a few interesting case histories for our consideration. Unfortunately, she is rather a plodding writer, and I'm afraid it's a lot more fun to read John Keel rattling on about sinister "ultraterrestrials". She is also given to odd, annoying little errors, such as confusing "infer" and "imply", and referring to "Jefferson Davies" (sic) as an "American president".