Dreamland
The Secret History of Area 51
Published on 28. December 2023
Book
Hardback
560 pages
978-0-7643-6709-0 (ISBN)
Description
A highly detailed look into the Groom Lake test site known as Area 51, from the early years (circa 1955 to 1969) through to present day
Area 51, a top-secret military installation hidden in the desert northwest of Las Vegas, has been shrouded in mystery since 1955. Now, aerospace historian Peter Merlin cuts through the myths and conspiracy folklore to reveal in extraordinary detail the true story of how a ramshackle temporary outpost was ultimately transformed into one of the nation's premier flight test and evaluation facilities for advanced aviation technology and high-tech weapons.
This compelling narrative is based on a treasure trove of declassified documents and interviews, and is richly illustrated with more than 700 images, many never published before.
Author Peter Merlin has appeared in more than a dozen film and television documentaries for the History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and others. Dreamland was edited to the same rigorous academic standard as the author's works published by NASA and the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Area 51, a top-secret military installation hidden in the desert northwest of Las Vegas, has been shrouded in mystery since 1955. Now, aerospace historian Peter Merlin cuts through the myths and conspiracy folklore to reveal in extraordinary detail the true story of how a ramshackle temporary outpost was ultimately transformed into one of the nation's premier flight test and evaluation facilities for advanced aviation technology and high-tech weapons.
This compelling narrative is based on a treasure trove of declassified documents and interviews, and is richly illustrated with more than 700 images, many never published before.
Author Peter Merlin has appeared in more than a dozen film and television documentaries for the History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and others. Dreamland was edited to the same rigorous academic standard as the author's works published by NASA and the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Reviews / Votes
"But until the government declassifies more information on what has been happening way out there in the desert, Merlin's book will stand as the definitive source on this subject for many years." -- Dwayne A. Day, The Space Review "This book has something for history buffs, aviation enthusiast, aeronautical students and anyone interested in how America developed some the most advanced aircraft of the Cold War and into the 21st century." -- Jerry D. Lenaburg, NY Journal of Books "The book is well organised, written in an impeccable style, and is handsomely illustrated and produced, and I highly recommend it." -- Chris Pocock, author, "50 Years of the U-2"More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
over 720 color and b/w images
Dimensions
Height: 286 mm
Width: 225 mm
Thickness: 52 mm
Weight
2979 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7643-6709-0 (9780764367090)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Peter W. Merlin is an American writer, researcher, and journalist. Before transitioning to academia and a position at Southern Illinois University Carbondale's School of Aviation, he spent more than two decades as a government contractor in the flight test and research environment. Merlin has authored numerous books on aviation and space technology and history, and two volumes on aerospace safety and human factors. As a subject matter expert on aerospace and Cold War history, he has appeared in more than a dozen film and television documentaries for the History Channel, Discovery, National Geographic, Smithsonian, and others. He has been doggedly pursuing the history of Area 51 for more than 30 years with a view toward separating fact from fantasy.