Above Top Secret: The Worldwide UFO Cover-Up by Timothy Good stands as a monumental, watershed achievement in the literature of ufology. First published in 1987, it fundamentally shifted the modern conversation around unidentified flying objects from speculative tabloid sensationalism into the realm of rigorous investigative journalism and serious geopolitical inquiry.
The Hallmark of Rigor: Evidence Over Folklore
What sets Above Top Secret apart from the vast sea of sensationalist UFO paperbacks is Good’s disciplined, forensic approach to evidence. Rather than relying solely on anecdotal claims or subjective experiences, Good builds his case on an exhaustive foundation of declassified government files, official military cables, radar-visual tracking logs, and direct testimonies from high-ranking military and intelligence personnel.
Good systematically traces the paper trail across the United States, Great Britain, Canada, France, Australia, and beyond. He demonstrates that while official government statements frequently dismissed UFOs as swamp gas, weather balloons, or mass hysteria, behind closed doors defense establishments treated the phenomenon with profound strategic concern.
Key Strengths of the Work
- Global Scope and Perspective: Good does not fall into the common trap of viewing the phenomenon through an exclusively American lens. His extensive coverage of British Ministry of Defence (MoD) records, Royal Air Force encounters, and Commonwealth documentation provides a truly international perspective, proving the worldwide nature of the puzzle.
- Credibility of Witnesses: The volume draws on statements from figures whose credentials demand attention—commercial airline captains, military pilots, radar controllers, intelligence officers, and astronauts. These are trained observers with everything to lose and nothing to gain by coming forward.
- Meticulous Archival Research: Long before internet archives made document hunting accessible from a desk, Good spent years tracking down primary sources via the Freedom of Information Act and personal contacts within defense departments, presenting dozens of facsimile documents directly to the reader.
- Distinguished Endorsements: The book’s gravitas is underscored by a foreword from Admiral of the Fleet the Lord Hill-Norton, former Chief of the Defence Staff in the UK and Chairman of the NATO Military Committee. Having such a figure validate Good’s seriousness made it impossible for serious commentators to dismiss the work out of hand.
Narrative Flow and Tone
Despite being packed with dense technical data, flight coordinates, and bureaucratic memos, Good’s writing remains sharp, compelling, and readable. He approaches the subject not as a starry-eyed believer, but as a determined investigative reporter probing what he frames as a coordinated, multi-decade governmental cover-up born of defense protocol and fear of public panic. The narrative unfolds like an intricate espionage thriller, yet every turn is backed by citations and documentation.
Lasting Impact and Legacy
Decades after its initial release, Above Top Secret has aged remarkably well. In an era where modern militaries openly release UAP cockpit footage and governments conduct public hearings on unidentified aerial phenomena, Good’s core premise—that defense agencies have quietly tracked structured craft of unknown origin for generations—has been resoundingly vindicated.
For anyone seeking a definitive, hard-hitting, and intellectually serious entry point into the historical reality of UFO research, Timothy Good’s masterpiece remains an indispensable cornerstone of the genre.
Don’t forget to read the other blogs in my BASEMENT BOOK SHELF series. To add this book to your library, click on the book cover below.
