THE BASEMENT BOOKSHELF: "The UFO Encyclopedia" by Jerome Clark

I have been fascinated with the subjects of UFOs since I was probably seven or eight years old. I am a firm believer that despite the many hoaxes perpetrated over the years, there are many legitimate cases, reported by very reliable people and that the government is not telling us everything that they know. My UFO book library, which is quite extensive, features many books by author Jerome Clark and I have enjoyed every one of them. For this review, I am discussing not only his best book in my opinion, but also one of the best books out there on this subject.

“The UFO Encyclopedia: 3rd Edition” came out in 2018 and because of its size, is in two volumes. The books themselves are oversized, measuring approximately eleven by nine inches, and features 1,520 pages of UFO facts and stories. When I originally received this book, I figured I would go through it as an encyclopedia, reading entries that interested me the most. What ended up happening though was that I read the whole book because it was so well written and complete.

This encyclopedia is comprehensive reporting through and through, with Clark not giving his opinions on any of the entries. They are all well researched, often showing both sides of the stories. In most entries the story is presented in a no-nonsense way with follow-ups from researchers and debunkers. Each individual listing also features an extensive bibliography, showing all of the sources used.

Each page is double columned so in some entries, the presented research is quite extensive and very welcomed. Clark’s writing style is also fantastic, holding the reader’s attention throughout. Do not be discouraged in any way by the price of this book; it is worth every penny! This book is about as near perfect as a book can be and you will not be disappointed when you add it to your library.