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In Plain Sight
An award-winning journalist investigates a story largely ignored by mainstream media but right there, in front of our eyes ... UFOs, UAPs, flying cigars, extraordinary new technologies ... Are we not alone?Award-winning investigative journalist Ross Coulthart has been intrigued by UFOs since mysterious glowing lights were reported near New Zealand's Kaikoura mountains when he was a teenager. The 1978 sighting is just one of thousands since the 1940s, and yet research into UFOs is still seen as the realm of crackpots and conspiracy theorists.In 2020, however, after decades of denial, the US Department of Defence made the astonishing admission that strange aerial and underwater objects frequently reported and videoed by pilots and tracked by sensors are real, unexplained, and pose a genuine national security concern.Compelled to investigate, Coulthart has embarked on what's become the most confronting and challenging story of his career, speaking to witnesses, researchers, scientists, spies and defence and intelligence officials and insiders. What he has found suggests that the world is on the cusp of extraordinary technological breakthroughs and cultural revelations.Bizarre, sometimes mind-blowing and utterly fascinating, In Plain Sight tells a story that's largely escaped the radar of mainstream media coverage but has been there all along. Now it's time to observe what's in front of our eyes.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
October 26, 2021
Excellent! Probably the best book to read _right now_ about UFO stuff, as it covers old cases for a while and then jumps into more recent developments (the US Navy videos, Admiral Wilson docs, and the Salvatore Pais patents).
Also, the author is Australian and mentions some neat cases from AU and NZ that I hadn't heard of before.
The only place I felt it was lacking was in the last chapter about the Dr. Pais patents for the US Navy. That guy's largely a mystery, and his story merits more investigative work than is in here, IMO.
Also, the author is Australian and mentions some neat cases from AU and NZ that I hadn't heard of before.
The only place I felt it was lacking was in the last chapter about the Dr. Pais patents for the US Navy. That guy's largely a mystery, and his story merits more investigative work than is in here, IMO.
December 28, 2024
0️⃣spoiler review: This is an audiobook review of Ross Coulthart’s work about UFOs ahem... UAPs and it wants to be taken seriously. The reading is great quality. The voices of official army/airforce proclamation are done especially well. The author gives us the whole shebang of who is who and what is what in UFO, I mean UAP sightings. Veteran ufologists, or should is say now Uapologists, will find themselves on familiar ground. Eyewitness accounts are described vividly, and some of the sillier government reaction to UFO-sightings are read (this the audiobook review) in a deliciously sarcastic voice and timber. What is even more amusing to me but perhaps not so for most scientists is that the author has some good arguments against using Ockham Razor and the various versions of “extraordinary evidence needs extraordinary bla bla” as a UAP denial panacea. I love you Ockham, Asimov and Sagan; you were my childhood heroes - not you good ole’ Ockham, you are hardly popular with kids and teenagers - but you see I read this here book and well Ross Coulthard just expresses the obvious, namely that overgeneralizing makes silly static aphorisms from the simplest, most elegant scientific phraseology. It just ain’t always that simple. Furthermore, as bonus there are many lesser-known Australian-specific sightings included that have been unknown to me. Also, this work is very up to date as it included the Tic-Tac and Go-Fast incidents and gives you information about former Pentagon intelligence insider Luis Elizondo and his later involvement withe the Go to the Stars academy of Sciences and Arts. Go ahead and give In Plain Sight a shot, I reckon even if, after all; you didn’t get much from it, you will at least have learned to call that unidentified flying awesomeness by its proper name - UAP. But hell I am just incorrigible, so let us just reinstate the good ole’ UFO moniker.
June 23, 2022
In the first part of this book, the author goes through a large number of reported UAP (Unexplained Aerial Phenomena, the term he prefers to UFO) sightings; these come so thick and fast that it seems he wants to convince the sceptical by the sheer frequency of the sightings. However, he hardly ever goes into any single sighting in sufficient depth to convince me (and I am profoundly sceptical) that any particular sighting offers clear evidence of an alien spacecraft, in particular since almost all of the author's 'evidence' is anecdotal.
He also relies a lot on hearsay: "It was reported" is a much-repeated phrase. When official sources doubt the reliability of the witness, the author assumes this provides evidence of an official cover-up. In Chapter 5, ironically entitled "Hard Evidence" he reports on the testimony of "United States researcher Budd Hopkins" who himself is reporting the testimony of an "air force sergeant" about a film supposedly of a UFO and some 'men in black'.
Almost every one of the sightings reported in this book happened near a US military base or US military exercises which might be due to the author's sampling techniques, though I suspect he would prefer to think that aliens have chosen to monitor the US military.
In the second part of the book, the author plunges into the world of claim and counter-claim, building up his case that the US military has conspired to hide the truth about UFOs from the world for years, and that they have recovered crashed alien spacecraft powered by Physics beyond our present-day understanding and reverse-engineered technologies of eg "anti-gravitics". He gets very excited when someone (for example a punk-rock star but more frequently someone who calls themselves by a scientific-sounding title like Doctor or Professor) makes sweeping and bizarre claims with minimal supporting evidence, suggesting repeatedly that even if a small part of the person's claims are true, this has huge implications. He doesn't seem to feel that if one part of a person's testimony is shown to be inaccurate (perhaps because the person is deluded or misguided or mendacious) that undermines everything else he says. He would rather give the benefit of the doubt ... until someone denies what the author so devoutly wishes to be true, in which case he nit-picks over their denial, often concluding, in a perfect example of heads I win, tails you lose, that the existence of the denial suggests that there must be some truth to the thing being denied. Another tactic is to take the absence of a response as tacit confirmation.
Another HIWTYL tactic is to claim that UFOs used mimicry so that they sometimes appear to be meteors, stars, or aircraft. Presumably the author believes that if it looks like a helicopter and moves like a helicopter it's a UFO masquerading as a helicopter.
There are some inaccuracies. At one stage it is stated that "A 15-metre circumference is an 11-metre diameter." Actually 15m circumference is less than 5 m diameter. He also offers an "estimated" speed of 104,895 mph for a UAP, believing, as many non-scientists do, that you can convince by the accuracy of your numbers, without realising that this undermines the whole concept of an "estimate".
The first part of the book detailing the UAP sightings might raise some interesting questions but the second part, which is obsessed with conspiracies and cover-ups, is, in my opinion, nonsense.
He also relies a lot on hearsay: "It was reported" is a much-repeated phrase. When official sources doubt the reliability of the witness, the author assumes this provides evidence of an official cover-up. In Chapter 5, ironically entitled "Hard Evidence" he reports on the testimony of "United States researcher Budd Hopkins" who himself is reporting the testimony of an "air force sergeant" about a film supposedly of a UFO and some 'men in black'.
Almost every one of the sightings reported in this book happened near a US military base or US military exercises which might be due to the author's sampling techniques, though I suspect he would prefer to think that aliens have chosen to monitor the US military.
In the second part of the book, the author plunges into the world of claim and counter-claim, building up his case that the US military has conspired to hide the truth about UFOs from the world for years, and that they have recovered crashed alien spacecraft powered by Physics beyond our present-day understanding and reverse-engineered technologies of eg "anti-gravitics". He gets very excited when someone (for example a punk-rock star but more frequently someone who calls themselves by a scientific-sounding title like Doctor or Professor) makes sweeping and bizarre claims with minimal supporting evidence, suggesting repeatedly that even if a small part of the person's claims are true, this has huge implications. He doesn't seem to feel that if one part of a person's testimony is shown to be inaccurate (perhaps because the person is deluded or misguided or mendacious) that undermines everything else he says. He would rather give the benefit of the doubt ... until someone denies what the author so devoutly wishes to be true, in which case he nit-picks over their denial, often concluding, in a perfect example of heads I win, tails you lose, that the existence of the denial suggests that there must be some truth to the thing being denied. Another tactic is to take the absence of a response as tacit confirmation.
Another HIWTYL tactic is to claim that UFOs used mimicry so that they sometimes appear to be meteors, stars, or aircraft. Presumably the author believes that if it looks like a helicopter and moves like a helicopter it's a UFO masquerading as a helicopter.
There are some inaccuracies. At one stage it is stated that "A 15-metre circumference is an 11-metre diameter." Actually 15m circumference is less than 5 m diameter. He also offers an "estimated" speed of 104,895 mph for a UAP, believing, as many non-scientists do, that you can convince by the accuracy of your numbers, without realising that this undermines the whole concept of an "estimate".
The first part of the book detailing the UAP sightings might raise some interesting questions but the second part, which is obsessed with conspiracies and cover-ups, is, in my opinion, nonsense.
February 9, 2024
For the amount of diligent detective work and for pulling it all together into 338 pages I'm awarding this book five stars. BUT, before you read a single page get yourself a large sheet of paper and a full pen and from page one write down every name mentioned with their military or political status and the relevant page number because generally they will recur again and this is the only way to make sense of the maze. I don't know whether Ross Coulthard smokes but I have been left with a mental image of him sitting in a haze of smoke with a desk piled high with sheets of notes and nearly as high with ash in an ashtray as he battles successfully to pull a book out of so many conspiracies.
From reading this book and all of the documented accounts of visitations, I have become quite sure that Non Human Intelligences (NHI ) exist and have been visiting this earth probably for thousands of years but are they just one race or many races, do they fly in on the documented Flying Saucers or diamond shaped crafts or long elliptical crafts like airships or all of these? Or have some always lived on earth but on a different wavelength, or in a future time, having used the currents of gravity to travel through time at enormous speed ( see Einstein Space/time) . Yes this is all serious. If anyone knows the truth they are keeping their cards very close to their chest in ultra secret laboratories that it seems even the Presidents of America are not powerful enough to gain entry to.
What seems to have happened is that in 1947 one of the Flying Saucers shaped crafts crash landed near Roswell in New Mexico. It allegedly carried three occupants only one of whom survived the crash. One of the American secret divisions, sped to the crash site and removed the craft and occupants to a highly secret place and ever since, have completely denied all knowledge that the crash ever happened. Since that time the scientists have been working to understand from the recorded sightings of other such craft such things as, how they could fly at thousands of miles an hour without any signs of an engine or propulsion yet turn instantly through 90 degrees or stop instantly and just hover in the sky without the G forces tearing the craft apart. From security leaks the answer seems to be that the crashed Flying Saucer was powered by anti gravity and the American scientists have been trying to reverse engineer the craft ever since. Some leaks say they are still trying while others say that they have built and secretly fly a fleet of these while allowing anyone who spots them to believe they are UFOs.
Now when you consider that these UFO crafts, now name changed to UAP crafts, have allegedly disabled a nuclear trial site, taken over the firing control at another and brought down a test flight of an unarmed nuclear missile while also completely out-flying the very best American fighter jets which were on an exercise off the coast of Virginia as recently as 2014 and being able to fly under the water at 500 mph, you can imagine why, if these UAPs were, perhaps, American built then America would want to keep Russia, China and North Korea wondering just how powerful America is. But were they American or flown by Non Human Intelligences?
There is another side to this, the people who have followed all of these rumours and leaks for years believe that if America has found the way to create anti gravity propulsion they have also found a source of forever free energy which would benefit the entire world but completely collapse the need for the massive financial empires of the Petro-chemical, gas and coal industries. It is believed by some that there is a massive conspiracy to keep anti gravity a secret from the masses to maintain the wealth of the few.
The American Government has actually stated publicly that UFOs (or UAPs) with all of their futuristic abilities do really exist and are passing a law to force any secret government department that has knowledge of them to come forward but the law is full of loop holes such as, they must come forward providing;
' No classified military and intelligence programmes are compromised.'
Which must be the most complete get out of jail card ever.
This book is full of various conspiracy theories and counter theories, accusations of double think and probably counter double think. I have tried to sieve out the truth I hope you have more success.
Peter E Upton author of Candles On The Ganges.
From reading this book and all of the documented accounts of visitations, I have become quite sure that Non Human Intelligences (NHI ) exist and have been visiting this earth probably for thousands of years but are they just one race or many races, do they fly in on the documented Flying Saucers or diamond shaped crafts or long elliptical crafts like airships or all of these? Or have some always lived on earth but on a different wavelength, or in a future time, having used the currents of gravity to travel through time at enormous speed ( see Einstein Space/time) . Yes this is all serious. If anyone knows the truth they are keeping their cards very close to their chest in ultra secret laboratories that it seems even the Presidents of America are not powerful enough to gain entry to.
What seems to have happened is that in 1947 one of the Flying Saucers shaped crafts crash landed near Roswell in New Mexico. It allegedly carried three occupants only one of whom survived the crash. One of the American secret divisions, sped to the crash site and removed the craft and occupants to a highly secret place and ever since, have completely denied all knowledge that the crash ever happened. Since that time the scientists have been working to understand from the recorded sightings of other such craft such things as, how they could fly at thousands of miles an hour without any signs of an engine or propulsion yet turn instantly through 90 degrees or stop instantly and just hover in the sky without the G forces tearing the craft apart. From security leaks the answer seems to be that the crashed Flying Saucer was powered by anti gravity and the American scientists have been trying to reverse engineer the craft ever since. Some leaks say they are still trying while others say that they have built and secretly fly a fleet of these while allowing anyone who spots them to believe they are UFOs.
Now when you consider that these UFO crafts, now name changed to UAP crafts, have allegedly disabled a nuclear trial site, taken over the firing control at another and brought down a test flight of an unarmed nuclear missile while also completely out-flying the very best American fighter jets which were on an exercise off the coast of Virginia as recently as 2014 and being able to fly under the water at 500 mph, you can imagine why, if these UAPs were, perhaps, American built then America would want to keep Russia, China and North Korea wondering just how powerful America is. But were they American or flown by Non Human Intelligences?
There is another side to this, the people who have followed all of these rumours and leaks for years believe that if America has found the way to create anti gravity propulsion they have also found a source of forever free energy which would benefit the entire world but completely collapse the need for the massive financial empires of the Petro-chemical, gas and coal industries. It is believed by some that there is a massive conspiracy to keep anti gravity a secret from the masses to maintain the wealth of the few.
The American Government has actually stated publicly that UFOs (or UAPs) with all of their futuristic abilities do really exist and are passing a law to force any secret government department that has knowledge of them to come forward but the law is full of loop holes such as, they must come forward providing;
' No classified military and intelligence programmes are compromised.'
Which must be the most complete get out of jail card ever.
This book is full of various conspiracy theories and counter theories, accusations of double think and probably counter double think. I have tried to sieve out the truth I hope you have more success.
Peter E Upton author of Candles On The Ganges.
November 26, 2021
In many ways, In Plain Sight is the ideal model for a book investigating the UFO phenomenon. Author Ross Coulthart isn't shy about his belief in the extra-terrestrial explanation for UFOs or the integrity of his key witnesses, but he's also not averse to scepticism of the more outlandish theories that crop up in the field of ufology. Unlike other flying saucer advocates, he doesn't portray sceptics and debunkers as hateful monsters participating in a nefarious cover-up. Even when it comes to his favoured theories, he accepts that a lot of it is just speculation and hearsay. He even seems to understand what the word "proof" means -- a miraculous feat in this genre.
Tracing a line from the origin of the saucer phenomenon with Kenneth Arnold's famous sighting and that old chestnut Roswell through to the era of soft disclosure that has seen Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge emerge as an unlikely protagonist, In Plain Sight hits all the classic notes of UFO literature without feeling stale. Stories of recovered alien bodies, reverse-engineered spacecraft, end-of-life confessions from military personnel, dubious physical evidence and an assortment of people who "know what I saw"... it's all here. Of particular interest is the story of DeLonge's bold, stuttering attempt to get to the truth of the UFO mystery, which is alternately praised and lamented by Coulthart. He thinks it's great that DeLonge's used his celebrity to get more people talking but promises that his crowd-funded To the Stars academy was going to spark a technological revolution never had the ring of likeliness, and Coulthart doesn't let him off the hook.
Like Annie Jacobsen's Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret MilitaryBase , In Plain Sight has to have its final truth. Alas, it's much less elaborate than what Jacobsen's Area 51 insider left her with. Coulthart simply concludes that the guarded claims of a dying interviewee sound about right. Oh, and he thinks Bob Lazar might have been telling the truth. In Plain Sight is a fun read, though, so I'll forgive him for that last part.
Tracing a line from the origin of the saucer phenomenon with Kenneth Arnold's famous sighting and that old chestnut Roswell through to the era of soft disclosure that has seen Blink-182 frontman Tom DeLonge emerge as an unlikely protagonist, In Plain Sight hits all the classic notes of UFO literature without feeling stale. Stories of recovered alien bodies, reverse-engineered spacecraft, end-of-life confessions from military personnel, dubious physical evidence and an assortment of people who "know what I saw"... it's all here. Of particular interest is the story of DeLonge's bold, stuttering attempt to get to the truth of the UFO mystery, which is alternately praised and lamented by Coulthart. He thinks it's great that DeLonge's used his celebrity to get more people talking but promises that his crowd-funded To the Stars academy was going to spark a technological revolution never had the ring of likeliness, and Coulthart doesn't let him off the hook.
Like Annie Jacobsen's Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret MilitaryBase , In Plain Sight has to have its final truth. Alas, it's much less elaborate than what Jacobsen's Area 51 insider left her with. Coulthart simply concludes that the guarded claims of a dying interviewee sound about right. Oh, and he thinks Bob Lazar might have been telling the truth. In Plain Sight is a fun read, though, so I'll forgive him for that last part.
November 22, 2024
Way too many chapters about Tom Delonge from Blink 182. It should have been one and done but he keeps going back to him!!! Also, the more I read the more I began to realise he has no actual evidence. It's all third hand! Not worth the cash i spent on it!
December 28, 2022
fantastic book. the first half is an overview of the major ufo incidents throughout the past hundred years or so, while the second half looks at the much-theorized on conspiracy within the US government to retrieve and backwards engineer alien technology. this book contains a massive amount of information and is a great introduction and jumping-off point for further research.
i really appreciate that coulthart takes care to look at the evidence critically. sometimes, this means he will raise a possible ufo incident before explaining why he believes it is false. sometimes, it means admitting that he doesn't know whether a certain account is genuine or not, and giving evidence for both sides. he is open about his belief in ufos but doesn't let that lead him into blind faith. at many points he gets into contact with primary sources and interviews them himself. this sets it apart from other books or websites on ufos, where all information is second-hand and anecdotal.
another review criticizes the second half of the book for failing to maintain the same level of skepticism. i partially agree. when talking about to the stars academy and tom delonge, coulthart first explains the implausible story delonge tells and seems to reject it, then reveals that leaked emails have confirmed that the secret meetings with top government officials delonge described are verifiably true. he then implies that this could mean the rest of the information delonge disclosed is also true. but this isn't the case; it could be that these meetings really happened, but that they were exaggerated in interviews, or that he added his own personal beliefs into his story and attributed them to official sources, or that the official sources were lying to him, or whatever. this is a valid criticism. however, coulthart is careful to never actually claim anything is true other than what he can independently verify. he also does not let himself get into baseless speculation. it is also not the case that he uncritically accepts delonge's story, and he raises his own problems with it at several points. i think that, when discussing something that is necessarily obscure and hidden, it is sometimes necessary to bring up evidence that is not up to standard. this kind of evidence--where one part of a story is verifiable but other parts are not, or where something seems extremely likely to be true but can't be totally proven--shouldn't be presented as if it's fact, and coulthart never does so. but it is still worthwhile to address it and take it seriously. for that reason, i don't think the second half of the book can be written off as unfounded.
my only issue with in plain sight is that the amount of information can be overwhelming. so many incidents are covered in a relatively short book that it is hard to keep track of them all. i think this could have been fixed with stronger editing. ideally, i think the major incidents that have the strongest evidentiary basis should have been discussed more in-depth, while some of the smaller incidents that were mentioned in passing should have been left out. the second half of the book suffers from a similar problem. so many different narratives about the conspiracy are covered that it's hard to understand how they all tie together. on the other hand, it could be the case that they're confusing because information is being released in random bursts, and that an author who tried to make it into a neat narrative would have to ignore or mishandle certain facts to do so.
overall i can't recommend this highly enough. if you are not convinced that ufos are real and that they have landed on earth, you'll likely change your mind after reading. five gold star stickers for you ross coulthart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
i really appreciate that coulthart takes care to look at the evidence critically. sometimes, this means he will raise a possible ufo incident before explaining why he believes it is false. sometimes, it means admitting that he doesn't know whether a certain account is genuine or not, and giving evidence for both sides. he is open about his belief in ufos but doesn't let that lead him into blind faith. at many points he gets into contact with primary sources and interviews them himself. this sets it apart from other books or websites on ufos, where all information is second-hand and anecdotal.
another review criticizes the second half of the book for failing to maintain the same level of skepticism. i partially agree. when talking about to the stars academy and tom delonge, coulthart first explains the implausible story delonge tells and seems to reject it, then reveals that leaked emails have confirmed that the secret meetings with top government officials delonge described are verifiably true. he then implies that this could mean the rest of the information delonge disclosed is also true. but this isn't the case; it could be that these meetings really happened, but that they were exaggerated in interviews, or that he added his own personal beliefs into his story and attributed them to official sources, or that the official sources were lying to him, or whatever. this is a valid criticism. however, coulthart is careful to never actually claim anything is true other than what he can independently verify. he also does not let himself get into baseless speculation. it is also not the case that he uncritically accepts delonge's story, and he raises his own problems with it at several points. i think that, when discussing something that is necessarily obscure and hidden, it is sometimes necessary to bring up evidence that is not up to standard. this kind of evidence--where one part of a story is verifiable but other parts are not, or where something seems extremely likely to be true but can't be totally proven--shouldn't be presented as if it's fact, and coulthart never does so. but it is still worthwhile to address it and take it seriously. for that reason, i don't think the second half of the book can be written off as unfounded.
my only issue with in plain sight is that the amount of information can be overwhelming. so many incidents are covered in a relatively short book that it is hard to keep track of them all. i think this could have been fixed with stronger editing. ideally, i think the major incidents that have the strongest evidentiary basis should have been discussed more in-depth, while some of the smaller incidents that were mentioned in passing should have been left out. the second half of the book suffers from a similar problem. so many different narratives about the conspiracy are covered that it's hard to understand how they all tie together. on the other hand, it could be the case that they're confusing because information is being released in random bursts, and that an author who tried to make it into a neat narrative would have to ignore or mishandle certain facts to do so.
overall i can't recommend this highly enough. if you are not convinced that ufos are real and that they have landed on earth, you'll likely change your mind after reading. five gold star stickers for you ross coulthart ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 27, 2021
Its been a while since I've posted a review, however, this book deserves all the praise it can get. I Listened to the Audible version, brilliantly dictated by the author himself, Ross Couthart.
Ross dives into the world of UFO/UAP's as a serious, award winning investigative journalist. I would have to say, this is the best book on the subject I've had the pleasure of reading, more so, as this come s from the point of view of a serious journalist who covers multiple cases of the phenomenon, as well as interviewing countless members of the military and intelligence sectors. He covers the recent history over the last few years, including tom Delong's role in forming to the Stars and the key players involved with this.
Wonderfully narrated, I could listen to Ross al day talk about the subject, he even adds accents when narrating from a particular subjects point of view.
Fantastic, it should be read by anyone with a passing interest in the subject. You will be convinced, as he appears to be, this is a very real subject, which has been covered up by the governments of the world.
Ross dives into the world of UFO/UAP's as a serious, award winning investigative journalist. I would have to say, this is the best book on the subject I've had the pleasure of reading, more so, as this come s from the point of view of a serious journalist who covers multiple cases of the phenomenon, as well as interviewing countless members of the military and intelligence sectors. He covers the recent history over the last few years, including tom Delong's role in forming to the Stars and the key players involved with this.
Wonderfully narrated, I could listen to Ross al day talk about the subject, he even adds accents when narrating from a particular subjects point of view.
Fantastic, it should be read by anyone with a passing interest in the subject. You will be convinced, as he appears to be, this is a very real subject, which has been covered up by the governments of the world.
December 22, 2021
This book is right up there at the top with the best books on the subject matter that I've read. I don't throw out 5 star reviews easily, but this book easily deserves them. I've read two back to back 5 star ufo books over the last month. Reading this book will bring newcomers and seasoned ufo enthusiasts right up to speed. I highly, highly, recommend this book. The book is very engaging and brilliantly written.
November 5, 2021
Very interesting
And if any of it is true quite extraordinary.
But you know what they say about extraordinary claims.
And good stories sell books.
But the recent very minimalistic Pentagon report publicly admitting to the reality of Unexplained Aerial Phenomena ( UAPs) that are ... well, unexplained, is a game changer.
And if any of it is true quite extraordinary.
But you know what they say about extraordinary claims.
And good stories sell books.
But the recent very minimalistic Pentagon report publicly admitting to the reality of Unexplained Aerial Phenomena ( UAPs) that are ... well, unexplained, is a game changer.
August 3, 2021
This was a great read with lots of factual knowledge. Ross has done a lot of research on the history of UFO’s and it shows in his writing. If you are an avid ufologist or just interested in the topic, this book is a must read.
November 14, 2021
Australian investigative reporter Ross Coulthart goes way out on a limb in writing this book.
Sharing, as we do, a longtime fascination with this subject, I've talked with Ross at great length on multiple occasions from beginning to end as he's undertaken this remarkable journey into the heart of the darkness that has veiled this topic for so long.
Finally, in the US at least, there are compelling signs that the veil is beginning to lift.
This is due to a small group of people who have persistently been brave enough to go public with all they can, even while being bound to legally binding non-disclosure agreements.
The very existence of those NDAs and the power they have over people is, on its own, enough to tell you there is so much more here than meets the eye.
UFOs — or UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomena) as they are called now — have been a subject so deeply mired in taboo and ridicule for so many decades that the default setting for science academia and the media has been to dismiss all serious discussion on the mistaken presumption there is nothing to see here.
It's an attitude I've experienced many times in my own efforts to get stories over the line.
This is not a media conspiracy, though be in no doubt there is conspiracy in play here. The taboo is the result of a very clever campaign by high-placed people in defence and intelligence to belittle and bespoil all attempts at serious analysis.
In moving to break through that taboo, Ross has risked his own professional standing. This is no small thing for anyone to do in the name of truth, and this book is to be applauded for that.
What Ross has uncovered, both in the US and in Australia, are remarkable instances of UFO sightings that simply cannot be dismissed or explained.
He has helped put this subject back on the agenda.
Even if you've never thought to venture into this topic, read this book — it will open your eyes.
Sharing, as we do, a longtime fascination with this subject, I've talked with Ross at great length on multiple occasions from beginning to end as he's undertaken this remarkable journey into the heart of the darkness that has veiled this topic for so long.
Finally, in the US at least, there are compelling signs that the veil is beginning to lift.
This is due to a small group of people who have persistently been brave enough to go public with all they can, even while being bound to legally binding non-disclosure agreements.
The very existence of those NDAs and the power they have over people is, on its own, enough to tell you there is so much more here than meets the eye.
UFOs — or UAPs (unidentified aerial phenomena) as they are called now — have been a subject so deeply mired in taboo and ridicule for so many decades that the default setting for science academia and the media has been to dismiss all serious discussion on the mistaken presumption there is nothing to see here.
It's an attitude I've experienced many times in my own efforts to get stories over the line.
This is not a media conspiracy, though be in no doubt there is conspiracy in play here. The taboo is the result of a very clever campaign by high-placed people in defence and intelligence to belittle and bespoil all attempts at serious analysis.
In moving to break through that taboo, Ross has risked his own professional standing. This is no small thing for anyone to do in the name of truth, and this book is to be applauded for that.
What Ross has uncovered, both in the US and in Australia, are remarkable instances of UFO sightings that simply cannot be dismissed or explained.
He has helped put this subject back on the agenda.
Even if you've never thought to venture into this topic, read this book — it will open your eyes.
March 16, 2022
So before I continue with criticism of the book, let me first say this. The Earth's age can be measured to be approximately 4.5B years old and we can measure about 13.5B years of light in the known Universe. The data seems to indicate that it is "likely" other forms of intelligent life exist. The timetable also allows for the "possibility" of older and more advanced life forms.
That's where my intellectual empathy with the book ends. The book's logical structure is obnoxiously circular. The author starts with a conclusion and proceeds to assert series' of untestable qualititative evidences. He consistently utilizes appeals to authority by presenting testimonials of people who have long titles in the US government (which is ironic because he also eludes that people with long titles in the government are liars and attempting to cover up "real" quantitative evidence. I suppose they are all liars except the ones who support his premise.). Finally, the author attempts to reinforce these untestable premises by asserting that no one can prove the negative.
It's all very frustrating to work through and typical of conspiratorial arguments. Look, everything he is saying could be 100% correct, I don't claim the ability to read minds or predict the future. However, not knowing the answer to a problem isn't evidence of a proposed solution. Furthermore, his proposed answer lacks the logical rigor and testable data for me to give it any serious consideration. I gave it two stars instead of one simply because I recognize the courage it takes to write about a topic people will immediately pass off as fairy tale. I think the topic deserve actual intellectual effort and should be taken seriously, this book just doesn't do a good job of that.
That's where my intellectual empathy with the book ends. The book's logical structure is obnoxiously circular. The author starts with a conclusion and proceeds to assert series' of untestable qualititative evidences. He consistently utilizes appeals to authority by presenting testimonials of people who have long titles in the US government (which is ironic because he also eludes that people with long titles in the government are liars and attempting to cover up "real" quantitative evidence. I suppose they are all liars except the ones who support his premise.). Finally, the author attempts to reinforce these untestable premises by asserting that no one can prove the negative.
It's all very frustrating to work through and typical of conspiratorial arguments. Look, everything he is saying could be 100% correct, I don't claim the ability to read minds or predict the future. However, not knowing the answer to a problem isn't evidence of a proposed solution. Furthermore, his proposed answer lacks the logical rigor and testable data for me to give it any serious consideration. I gave it two stars instead of one simply because I recognize the courage it takes to write about a topic people will immediately pass off as fairy tale. I think the topic deserve actual intellectual effort and should be taken seriously, this book just doesn't do a good job of that.
October 27, 2021
Excellent book in breaking down all of the significant information about the UAP. The author throws it right down the middle and remains skeptical. The book is throughly cited and sourced. This book leans more to the current times of its publishing — the acknowledgment by the United States Navy and Department of Defense of the legitimacy of UAP. Just like the title the world has the most significant admission in history that we are not alone and another force has a tremendous technological advantage over us, at least that is how it appears to me and many; however, so many people I encounter have no idea that these admissions were made this past summer. Read this book but more importantly let someone borrow it and direct them to the actually DOD letterhead and 60 Mins segment. We as a human race should be at least cognizant of this situation. Moreover, use it as a way to get the discussion going, as this may not be a "bad thing" but just another milestone on the human journey. Enjoy and get ready for more in near future.
January 13, 2022
This book is not hogwash. If you are a believer of extraterrestrial beings, this book is filled with research and information that we are not alone, and that the Roswell incident was not what we were told. Pick up this book. Ross Coulthart does a tremendous investigative job.
March 23, 2022
An investigative journalist delves into the world of UAPs and black projects, only to find hints that the United States government may know far more than they're willing to disclose outside of a few grainy videos. Fascinating read!
May 14, 2023
Banger
August 27, 2021
"In mainstream journalism, the dominant view has always been and generally continues to be that such notions of dark conspiracies are batshit crazy, and heaven help you if you transgress from that position. The UAP/UFO subject was and still is The Great Taboo. If it gets covered at all, invariably there is a quizzical raising of the eyebrows or a subtle turn of phrase, or a flourish of X-Files music, to suggest that this is a lighter story to be taken with a grain of salt. There is little doubt that some or many people who contact media about flying saucers and aliens are sadly deluded, credulous or psychotic. But I had no idea, until I started digging, just how authoritative so many UAP sightings have been, and how poorly the evidence behind them has often been presented..."
Who doesn't love a good story about UFOs? The recent release of videos from the US military of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) has raised the stakes and added some much-needed credibility towards these accounts.
Author Ross Coulthart is an investigative journalist for Australian news and current affairs program 60 Minutes on Channel Nine. He is also a best-selling author of three books, including The Lost Diggers. He lives in Australia.
Ross Coulthart:
Accounts of UAPs date back many decades, span many countries and cultures, and have captivated the imagination of many thousands of people worldwide.
What's going on with these sightings? Are they evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life visiting Earth? Are they remotely-controlled crafts operated by Russia and/or China? Or are they something completely different? Coulthart aims to examine these questions here.
Coulthart has an engaging writing style, and the book is very readable. He opens the book with a decent intro; setting the tone for the rest of the writing to follow.
His writing here details a chronological account of UFOs, aka UAPs. Some of what he covers here includes:
• "Foo fighters,"
• The famous Roswell Incident,
• Cold War era sightings from both American and Russian military sources,
• Lockheed Martin's top secret Skunk Works facility; where the U2 Spyplane, SR-71 Blackbird, F-117A Nighthawk, and other game-changing aircraft were produced,
• Bob Lazar,
• Skinwalker Ranch; cattle mutilations,
• Billionaire Robert Bigelow's research and evidence of UAPs,
• Blink 182's Tom DeLonge's extravagent claims (for better of worse lol), and for more time than was worth, IMO,
Much of the writing here forwards the narrative of governmental suppression of evidence of UFOs/UAPs. Coulthart details many redacted papers, and meetings within the upper echelons of the American government. Many sworn statements by prominent members of the military and government are also covered here by Coulthart.
Coulthart also describes the advanced nature of these crafts; noting that many have moved in a manner that well exceeds the upper performance limits of any manmade technology; travelling at speeds of thousands of miles per hour, experiencing G-forces in the thousands, and seamlessly travelling between air and water mediums.
They have also been tracked and recorded by military observation equipment, including Forward-looking infrared (FLIR).
The recent release from the Pentagon has generated much recent media coverage, including in Scientific American, Fox and Tucker Carlson Tonight, and even The Wall Street Journal (among many others).
Coupled with the recent observation of ʻOumuamua in 2017, this story becomes much more interesting. ʻOumuamua is the first known interstellar object detected passing through the Solar System. Formally designated 1I/2017 U1, it was discovered by Robert Weryk using the Pan-STARRS telescope at Haleakalā Observatory, Hawaii, on 19 October 2017, approximately 40 days after it passed its closest point to the Sun on 9 September. When it was first observed, it was about 33 million km (21 million mi; 0.22 AU) from Earth (about 85 times as far away as the Moon), and already heading away from the Sun.
Also surrounded in mystery, 'Oumamama has raised many eyebrows, and captivated the minds of many prominent astronomers, including Israeli-American theoretical physicist and Harvard professor Avi Loeb. Loeb covers 'Oumamama in-depth in his 2021 book Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, which was a great look into the topic. Loeb notes that - most interestingly - the object entered the solar system from an unusual direction, had very strange and unnatural dimensions, orbited the sun, and then experience non-gravitational acceleration on its way out of our solar system. Loeb makes an impassioned case for more research going forward.
Honestly, I am not sure what to make of all these accounts, and this evidence. In my opinion, and as previously mentioned, the fact that the Pentagon has released new videos recorded by their surveillance equipment, coupled with their disclosure that they do not believe China or Russia to be responsible, is very compelling.
Could these (and other) videos be evidence of an extraterrestrial life visiting Earth? Maybe. It's pretty exciting to consider, in any event...
**************************
In Plain Sight was a decent look into the topic. It was a fun book, that's a bit lighter than the material I usually read, which is nice once and a while.
I would recommend it to anyone interested.
3.5 stars.
Who doesn't love a good story about UFOs? The recent release of videos from the US military of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) has raised the stakes and added some much-needed credibility towards these accounts.
Author Ross Coulthart is an investigative journalist for Australian news and current affairs program 60 Minutes on Channel Nine. He is also a best-selling author of three books, including The Lost Diggers. He lives in Australia.
Ross Coulthart:
Accounts of UAPs date back many decades, span many countries and cultures, and have captivated the imagination of many thousands of people worldwide.
What's going on with these sightings? Are they evidence of intelligent extraterrestrial life visiting Earth? Are they remotely-controlled crafts operated by Russia and/or China? Or are they something completely different? Coulthart aims to examine these questions here.
Coulthart has an engaging writing style, and the book is very readable. He opens the book with a decent intro; setting the tone for the rest of the writing to follow.
His writing here details a chronological account of UFOs, aka UAPs. Some of what he covers here includes:
• "Foo fighters,"
• The famous Roswell Incident,
• Cold War era sightings from both American and Russian military sources,
• Lockheed Martin's top secret Skunk Works facility; where the U2 Spyplane, SR-71 Blackbird, F-117A Nighthawk, and other game-changing aircraft were produced,
• Bob Lazar,
• Skinwalker Ranch; cattle mutilations,
• Billionaire Robert Bigelow's research and evidence of UAPs,
• Blink 182's Tom DeLonge's extravagent claims (for better of worse lol), and for more time than was worth, IMO,
Much of the writing here forwards the narrative of governmental suppression of evidence of UFOs/UAPs. Coulthart details many redacted papers, and meetings within the upper echelons of the American government. Many sworn statements by prominent members of the military and government are also covered here by Coulthart.
Coulthart also describes the advanced nature of these crafts; noting that many have moved in a manner that well exceeds the upper performance limits of any manmade technology; travelling at speeds of thousands of miles per hour, experiencing G-forces in the thousands, and seamlessly travelling between air and water mediums.
They have also been tracked and recorded by military observation equipment, including Forward-looking infrared (FLIR).
The recent release from the Pentagon has generated much recent media coverage, including in Scientific American, Fox and Tucker Carlson Tonight, and even The Wall Street Journal (among many others).
Coupled with the recent observation of ʻOumuamua in 2017, this story becomes much more interesting. ʻOumuamua is the first known interstellar object detected passing through the Solar System. Formally designated 1I/2017 U1, it was discovered by Robert Weryk using the Pan-STARRS telescope at Haleakalā Observatory, Hawaii, on 19 October 2017, approximately 40 days after it passed its closest point to the Sun on 9 September. When it was first observed, it was about 33 million km (21 million mi; 0.22 AU) from Earth (about 85 times as far away as the Moon), and already heading away from the Sun.
Also surrounded in mystery, 'Oumamama has raised many eyebrows, and captivated the minds of many prominent astronomers, including Israeli-American theoretical physicist and Harvard professor Avi Loeb. Loeb covers 'Oumamama in-depth in his 2021 book Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth, which was a great look into the topic. Loeb notes that - most interestingly - the object entered the solar system from an unusual direction, had very strange and unnatural dimensions, orbited the sun, and then experience non-gravitational acceleration on its way out of our solar system. Loeb makes an impassioned case for more research going forward.
Honestly, I am not sure what to make of all these accounts, and this evidence. In my opinion, and as previously mentioned, the fact that the Pentagon has released new videos recorded by their surveillance equipment, coupled with their disclosure that they do not believe China or Russia to be responsible, is very compelling.
Could these (and other) videos be evidence of an extraterrestrial life visiting Earth? Maybe. It's pretty exciting to consider, in any event...
**************************
In Plain Sight was a decent look into the topic. It was a fun book, that's a bit lighter than the material I usually read, which is nice once and a while.
I would recommend it to anyone interested.
3.5 stars.
November 10, 2023
I read the earlier (2021) print copy of this book. It was another of my Covid Lockdown reads where I went off reading fiction and read a string of non-fiction books.The world was in lock-down, Covid seemed to dominate 90% of the news and I was desperate to escape reality. I took to this book like someone gasping with thirst takes to a long glass of water.
I can't speak to the updated edition, but the version I read gripped me from the prologue, relating how a group including 2 Australian police officers driving home from a party on a military base were buzzed by a UFO (UAP) that had manouvering capabilities not seen in normal aircraft.
An investigative journalist with a personal interest in UFO/UAP investigation iirc, Coulhart weaves previous well-known UFO cases with more modern happenings. This book was published not that long after the US government - after many teasers- finally announced they were willing to accept UAPs - Unidentified Aerial Phenomena - are acknowledged. It wasn't much of a Ta-Da! moment, as UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) have been acknowledged for decades, not in the context that we're being invaded by aliens, but there's a small percentage of unusual sightings that can't be explained. So much for 'the BIG announcement'. Since then the government has released footage of jets launched from an aircraft carrier during war games sighting airborn devices later described as 'tic-tacs'.Interesting because it was the onboard equipment that recorded the 'tic-tacs, confirmed by equipment on the aircraft carrier, before the pilots had visuals on the objects. The US has since released footage of the interaction.
Skinwalker Ranch was new to me. I can't access the TV series, but the descriptions in the book were enough to have me wondering if it's an elaborate hoax. But the UFO phenomena has been in the public mind for over 70 years now. If it's technology generated on earth, which country or countries have the technology? And why don't we know, especially in this day and age where our stratosphere is increasingly cluttered by satellites, and encoded information sent via electrons can be intercepted and decoded?
'In Plain Sight' raises all sorts of questions but no firm answers. It challenged me to pause, ponder and think about something else. The distraction was much appreciated!.
I can't speak to the updated edition, but the version I read gripped me from the prologue, relating how a group including 2 Australian police officers driving home from a party on a military base were buzzed by a UFO (UAP) that had manouvering capabilities not seen in normal aircraft.
An investigative journalist with a personal interest in UFO/UAP investigation iirc, Coulhart weaves previous well-known UFO cases with more modern happenings. This book was published not that long after the US government - after many teasers- finally announced they were willing to accept UAPs - Unidentified Aerial Phenomena - are acknowledged. It wasn't much of a Ta-Da! moment, as UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) have been acknowledged for decades, not in the context that we're being invaded by aliens, but there's a small percentage of unusual sightings that can't be explained. So much for 'the BIG announcement'. Since then the government has released footage of jets launched from an aircraft carrier during war games sighting airborn devices later described as 'tic-tacs'.Interesting because it was the onboard equipment that recorded the 'tic-tacs, confirmed by equipment on the aircraft carrier, before the pilots had visuals on the objects. The US has since released footage of the interaction.
Skinwalker Ranch was new to me. I can't access the TV series, but the descriptions in the book were enough to have me wondering if it's an elaborate hoax. But the UFO phenomena has been in the public mind for over 70 years now. If it's technology generated on earth, which country or countries have the technology? And why don't we know, especially in this day and age where our stratosphere is increasingly cluttered by satellites, and encoded information sent via electrons can be intercepted and decoded?
'In Plain Sight' raises all sorts of questions but no firm answers. It challenged me to pause, ponder and think about something else. The distraction was much appreciated!.
January 19, 2025
I want to believe.
This is a very well researched and presented account of the current common questions regarding unidentified anomalous phenomenon. I've never been entirely sold on Coulhart - and to be plain, I'm still not - but this book won me over pretty quickly in a lot of ways. He questions everything and will present theories but never makes any claims. He brings the receipts, as they say, and eloquently and captivatingly outlines the people, places, and times that form the craziest most unbelievable aspects of the phenomenon. I was expecting a book for believers but really, given how well it explores the history and current state of the UAP phenomenon, and how readily Coulhart debunks or questions the more suspicious aspects, I think this is a perfect book for those who aren't believers and don't know much about the phenomenon beyond the word "Roswell". I think it would be hard to read this and not realise, something is up. Whether or not it's NHI. In short, it's an incredible read and covers so much, so well. Loved every second of reading it and wish there was more.
5 Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon out of 5
🛸🛸🛸🛸🛸
This is a very well researched and presented account of the current common questions regarding unidentified anomalous phenomenon. I've never been entirely sold on Coulhart - and to be plain, I'm still not - but this book won me over pretty quickly in a lot of ways. He questions everything and will present theories but never makes any claims. He brings the receipts, as they say, and eloquently and captivatingly outlines the people, places, and times that form the craziest most unbelievable aspects of the phenomenon. I was expecting a book for believers but really, given how well it explores the history and current state of the UAP phenomenon, and how readily Coulhart debunks or questions the more suspicious aspects, I think this is a perfect book for those who aren't believers and don't know much about the phenomenon beyond the word "Roswell". I think it would be hard to read this and not realise, something is up. Whether or not it's NHI. In short, it's an incredible read and covers so much, so well. Loved every second of reading it and wish there was more.
5 Unidentified Anomalous Phenomenon out of 5
🛸🛸🛸🛸🛸
March 20, 2024
Required reading for anyone looking to get the background on the UAP phenomena leading up to the recent Grusch Congressional hearing on UAPs. Ross has done a lot of heavy lifting on disclosure in the United States, and I was very pleased with this book. He gave facts while having a healthy amount of skepticism for certain ideas and personalities in the UFO community.
While I keep up to date on this subject and knew most of these things covered, I felt like Ross was able to lay everything out in a way that makes sense to the average reader.
Also his American accent in the audiobook is HILARIOUS.
While I keep up to date on this subject and knew most of these things covered, I felt like Ross was able to lay everything out in a way that makes sense to the average reader.
Also his American accent in the audiobook is HILARIOUS.
January 28, 2025
Was a bit hard for me to read but lots of good info!
July 14, 2025
In Plain Sight is a good informative a book about the history of UFOs and the government UAP programs, which many are still hidden from the public eye of course.
I did enjoy learning more about the history of when UFOs were first sighted and was fascinated by how many pilots have actually got stories about seeing them when flying. It was sad to see how anyone who tries to tell their stories are so quickly discredited or have their lives ruined. Hopefully, one day it will all be worth it and the government will come clean.
My only issue was that it was a little textbook like for me. I appreciate that there were helpful appendixes in the back like a list of all the acronyms, an index so you could look back when you get confused on all the various people, and the photo section was great!
I highly recommend for anyone who is interested in the world of the paranormal, any one interested in the history of UFOs, and/or anyone who is interested in learning more about what the government has been hiding from the public.
I did enjoy learning more about the history of when UFOs were first sighted and was fascinated by how many pilots have actually got stories about seeing them when flying. It was sad to see how anyone who tries to tell their stories are so quickly discredited or have their lives ruined. Hopefully, one day it will all be worth it and the government will come clean.
My only issue was that it was a little textbook like for me. I appreciate that there were helpful appendixes in the back like a list of all the acronyms, an index so you could look back when you get confused on all the various people, and the photo section was great!
I highly recommend for anyone who is interested in the world of the paranormal, any one interested in the history of UFOs, and/or anyone who is interested in learning more about what the government has been hiding from the public.
March 11, 2024
They are real...
Read
September 23, 2023👽🛸😵💫
March 21, 2024
Solid and insightful read. Whilst going over the entire history of the subject you’d think this would be just another UAP book, but with new eyes on it makes this entertaining yet informative at the same time. 5 stars!
September 15, 2023
The first whistleblowers, now protected by law, have come forward to testify in Congress regarding ‘’UAP’’ (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena, formerly called ‘’UFO’s’’) and ‘’NHI’’ (Non Human Intelligence). Their explosive and historic revelations have sent shockwaves through government:
*We are not alone - UAP are common in our skies, though not often reported.
*Craft of non human origin have been recovered, including ‘’biologics,’’ i.e. nonhuman bodies
*These craft are being reverse engineered.
*There has been a massive coverup of covert programs around this matter for approximately the past 80 years.
Against these mind-bending revelations, books like ‘’In Plain Sight’’ are of special importance. Meticulously researched by author Ross Coulthart, a multi-award winning investigative Australian journalist, this is the go-to book, the one to start with in any exploration into the enigma of UAP's. Humanity is crossing a new frontier, and books that guide and orient us are invaluable. Ready or not, we are being challenged to question, expand and reassemble our basic ideas about Reality. We are facing undeniable, scientifically documented phenomena that defy our understanding of physics and cause us to question our place in the cosmos.
‘’In Plain Sight’’ speeds along like a nonstop thriller, one stunning incident following another. From the 1947 Roswell event through the encounters of the 50’s and the massive Washington DC flyover in 1952, from the triangular crafts over Belgium and the Hudson Valley in the 80’s up through the recently photographed tic-tac shaped craft near the Nimitz aircraft carrier a few years ago, this is not just ‘'the story of the century,’’ it is the most important story in history.
What does it portend for humanity? What is the agenda of our visitors? Is there promise of new, planet saving technologies from their non-polluting, zero point, anti-gravitic, ‘’free energy’' propulsion systems?
Illuminating and enthralling, ’'In Plain Sight’’ gets us up to speed. Additionally, I can recommend a brand new publication: ‘’Unveiling the Enigma - A UAP Digest for Curious Minds.’' This is an extremely helpful primer on this vast subject, as well as an update on current developments. Subscribe at https://wttafriend.substack.com
Truly, ‘’There is more between heaven and earth, Horatio, than is dreamt of in your philosophy.’’ - Hamlet
Rich Flanders, author of ‘’Under The Great Elm - A Life of Luck & Wonder’’
richflandersmusic.com
*We are not alone - UAP are common in our skies, though not often reported.
*Craft of non human origin have been recovered, including ‘’biologics,’’ i.e. nonhuman bodies
*These craft are being reverse engineered.
*There has been a massive coverup of covert programs around this matter for approximately the past 80 years.
Against these mind-bending revelations, books like ‘’In Plain Sight’’ are of special importance. Meticulously researched by author Ross Coulthart, a multi-award winning investigative Australian journalist, this is the go-to book, the one to start with in any exploration into the enigma of UAP's. Humanity is crossing a new frontier, and books that guide and orient us are invaluable. Ready or not, we are being challenged to question, expand and reassemble our basic ideas about Reality. We are facing undeniable, scientifically documented phenomena that defy our understanding of physics and cause us to question our place in the cosmos.
‘’In Plain Sight’’ speeds along like a nonstop thriller, one stunning incident following another. From the 1947 Roswell event through the encounters of the 50’s and the massive Washington DC flyover in 1952, from the triangular crafts over Belgium and the Hudson Valley in the 80’s up through the recently photographed tic-tac shaped craft near the Nimitz aircraft carrier a few years ago, this is not just ‘'the story of the century,’’ it is the most important story in history.
What does it portend for humanity? What is the agenda of our visitors? Is there promise of new, planet saving technologies from their non-polluting, zero point, anti-gravitic, ‘’free energy’' propulsion systems?
Illuminating and enthralling, ’'In Plain Sight’’ gets us up to speed. Additionally, I can recommend a brand new publication: ‘’Unveiling the Enigma - A UAP Digest for Curious Minds.’' This is an extremely helpful primer on this vast subject, as well as an update on current developments. Subscribe at https://wttafriend.substack.com
Truly, ‘’There is more between heaven and earth, Horatio, than is dreamt of in your philosophy.’’ - Hamlet
Rich Flanders, author of ‘’Under The Great Elm - A Life of Luck & Wonder’’
richflandersmusic.com
October 6, 2022
In 2020, the US Navy went on the record confirming that several leaked videos showing purported UFO technology which defied the laws of physics were real…and this took the nation by storm. All of a sudden, everyone was talking about “aliens”. My interest, though laced with a heavy dose of skepticism, was piqued.
Along the way, and through numerous conversations about the phenomenon with a few close friends, a podcast featuring Ross Coulthart found its way in front of me. I immediately took a liking to his demeanor, and his critical, rational approach. He gave the subject matter serious thought, but retained a healthy dose of skepticism. I found myself captivated, and wanting to hear more of what he had to say. I was thrilled when during the conversation, mention was made of this book.
Admittedly, I’m entirely new to the subject matter. This book, In Plain Sight, was my first official deep-dive into the subject of UFO’s, and UFO-related conspiracies. So my high rating may be in part due to the new and exciting fascination I have for the subject material itself. But that said, Ross presents the information in a concise, ordered, and compelling manner. Building upon the records of US investigative programs, purported crashes, and recorded sightings both locally and abroad, he leaves the reader with a fundamental understanding of the overall history of the phenomenon, as well as several recent developments. Much of what is written seems too fantastical to be true, but what I respect about Coulthart’s approach is that he never begrudges anyone for their apprehensions. He even voices his own struggle to believe some of what he encounters several times throughout the book.
In the end, we’re still left with questions, conspiracies, and mysteries. I’m unsure where I stand entirely on the matter. Do I believe? I don’t know. But what I read is compelling enough to entertain the ideas…and I admit it: I WANT to believe. What is clear is this…there is much adventure to be had, and the universe holds great mystery for those open to the possibilities. I suspect that some answers might be closer to home than we imagine. In Plain Sight was an enthralling read. I highly recommend it.
(As an aside, I wrote Ross an appreciation email after completing the book. I was pleasantly surprised when he took the time to write back. It was a nice cap on what was an already enjoyable experience. He’s a great author, and a very pleasant guy in general.)
Along the way, and through numerous conversations about the phenomenon with a few close friends, a podcast featuring Ross Coulthart found its way in front of me. I immediately took a liking to his demeanor, and his critical, rational approach. He gave the subject matter serious thought, but retained a healthy dose of skepticism. I found myself captivated, and wanting to hear more of what he had to say. I was thrilled when during the conversation, mention was made of this book.
Admittedly, I’m entirely new to the subject matter. This book, In Plain Sight, was my first official deep-dive into the subject of UFO’s, and UFO-related conspiracies. So my high rating may be in part due to the new and exciting fascination I have for the subject material itself. But that said, Ross presents the information in a concise, ordered, and compelling manner. Building upon the records of US investigative programs, purported crashes, and recorded sightings both locally and abroad, he leaves the reader with a fundamental understanding of the overall history of the phenomenon, as well as several recent developments. Much of what is written seems too fantastical to be true, but what I respect about Coulthart’s approach is that he never begrudges anyone for their apprehensions. He even voices his own struggle to believe some of what he encounters several times throughout the book.
In the end, we’re still left with questions, conspiracies, and mysteries. I’m unsure where I stand entirely on the matter. Do I believe? I don’t know. But what I read is compelling enough to entertain the ideas…and I admit it: I WANT to believe. What is clear is this…there is much adventure to be had, and the universe holds great mystery for those open to the possibilities. I suspect that some answers might be closer to home than we imagine. In Plain Sight was an enthralling read. I highly recommend it.
(As an aside, I wrote Ross an appreciation email after completing the book. I was pleasantly surprised when he took the time to write back. It was a nice cap on what was an already enjoyable experience. He’s a great author, and a very pleasant guy in general.)
October 1, 2025
Good read! Very useful information about UFOs covering key incidents. Only annoying thing is in the 2nd half of the book Tom DeLonge (lead singer of Blink 182) is mentioned way too much
May 26, 2022
It's a decent run through of the current state of affairs, but runs into the same problems as all UFO literature. There's a core of verifiably amazing events (the Nimitzes, the Malmstroms, the Phoenix Lights), but glommed onto it is whole mess of unverifiable hearsay, insane people, and outright intentional, planned psyops. Even the assertion that these sightings are alien spaceships is an enormous assumption, so anything that expands upon that assumption is pretty useless without evidence. Every single person that lends apparent credibility to the "alien spaceships" idea is a CIA spook of some sort, and my personal lodestar of believing the opposite of whatever the CIA wants me to believe hasn't failed me yet! That's not to totally dismiss the idea, but I don't share in Coulthart's deference when it comes to American military types.
I also think that the book fails to contextualise things properly: Lue Elizondo is a CIA spook who has claimed to have remote viewing powers, Linda Moulton Howe is a True Believer in every sense, Hal Puthoff has endorsed just about every paranormal phenomenon you could name, Leslie Kean is obsessed with mediums and the afterlife, and ditto for Robert Bigelow. It becomes easier to understand how so much deep lore has grown from the real events once you know what these people are like.
Also: I'm amazed that a journalist can briefly cover the Bennewitz affair (failing to grasp its significance), then fail to see the parallels with Delonge etc.
Found Coulthart's "chatty" authorial voice a bit annoying, ditto for his liberal use of "boffin" to describe basically any scientist or technician. Would maybe recommend if you're new to the topic and curious about it.
I also think that the book fails to contextualise things properly: Lue Elizondo is a CIA spook who has claimed to have remote viewing powers, Linda Moulton Howe is a True Believer in every sense, Hal Puthoff has endorsed just about every paranormal phenomenon you could name, Leslie Kean is obsessed with mediums and the afterlife, and ditto for Robert Bigelow. It becomes easier to understand how so much deep lore has grown from the real events once you know what these people are like.
Also: I'm amazed that a journalist can briefly cover the Bennewitz affair (failing to grasp its significance), then fail to see the parallels with Delonge etc.
Found Coulthart's "chatty" authorial voice a bit annoying, ditto for his liberal use of "boffin" to describe basically any scientist or technician. Would maybe recommend if you're new to the topic and curious about it.
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