 "Another unorganized bunch of Cr*p from this author" | 2008-02-28 |
| - Reviewed By ADDIE from Palo Alto, Ca |
This is just like UFO's over Calif. A bunch of unsupported "eye witness accounts" of undocumented stuff.. a real disapointment.
I would not buy this again. |
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 "Comically Bad..." | 2007-12-29 |
| - Reviewed By Shofixti from TX USA |
I had my doubts about this book the moment I thumbed through it. Like most non-scientific, high-strangeness UFO books, it contains not a single photograph or video still of a craft, alien, landing site, physical trace, or radar return. Nothing. As I started to read, I found my initial supposition to be proven most accurate. Apparently, Topanga Canyon in the '90s remained so totally impervious to modernization that gadgets like cameras and video recorders were not possessed by any of the populace.
This book is sadly typical of many in the UFO canon. It's got the obligatory contactee couple who claim a variety of UFOs routinely park across the street while the occupants relay strange messages about Ross Perot (hey, it was '92 and maybe the UFO pilots were big Clinton backers) and the usual nonsense about "impending disaster." There are also suggestions that the UFO occupants might have impregnated the woman or at least bestowed upon the baby some kind of "starchild" status, as it is alleged that the baby possesses psychic powers. "Proof" of this absurdity is offered by making yet another preposterous, unsubstantiated claim: that the government intercepted the ultrasound images and vials of amniotic fluid (cue X-Files theme music)
Of course, the contactee is too dumb to think, "Hey, maybe a picture of this craft would bolster the credibility of my story, as well as bring a tidy sum from basically every news outlet on the entire planet." Nope. The usual nonsense about how they don't want attention, blah, blah, blah. They allegedly come to KNOW when it's going to show up and are STILL too incompetent to get a picture of it. Crap like this is why the legitimate UFO research initiative has had so much trouble gaining traction in the public domain.
Then there's a couple who witness nearly 200 UFOs over a period of several hours, but apparently don't own a camera or recording device of any sort. Not only that, they make no effort to contact friends or family. Personally, I see 200 glowing orbs performing aerial maneuvers that don't correspond to the laws of known physics, I'm probably going to call a couple of my buddies and tell 'em to look skyward.
That's the essential flaw of this book as opposed to one like "Night Siege." Virtually none of the stories are corroborated by multiple, independent witnesses. It's always a couple driving down a road deep in the midnight darkness of the canyon. A couple living in a house perched high on the canyon wall. Or four friends out conducting a midnight seance in the park. It's all related by very isolated groups of people. The author routinely throws the word "flap" or "wave" around to describe the sightings, but it's really nothing of the sort. Read about the Hudson Valley sightings in the mid-80s where hundreds of cars stopped along the Taconic Parkway on multiple nights if you want an informed discussion of a true wave of UFO experiences.
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 "an excellent read" | 2007-07-20 |
| - Reviewed By randalldean |
| This is such an enjoyable book. It's an easy read and yet draws you in to where you really feel excited while reading the experiences of some of the people involved. Preston Dennett is a very good writer. He moves things along. I read another of his books, "UFO's over California", and while good I enjoyed this more........I think because all of the events take place in one location....Topanga Canyon. You get the feeling of the setting.....rural, dark, and a little spooky. |
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 "A note from the author" | 2005-09-21 |
| - Reviewed By Preston Dennett from Canoga Park, CA |
Hi,
I am the author of UFOs Over Topanga, and a field investigator for the Mutual UFO Network. I would like to respond to some of the points raised by some of the reviews of the book. First,I can assure the reader that the book is non-fiction, all the stories are absolutely true. Several other prominent Los Angeles investigators also contributed their efforts. To call the book "fiction for the gullible" is not fair to the more than 100 people whose accounts are presented in the book. Several of the witnesses bravely allowed their real names to be used, despite the possibility of ridicule from skeptics. The witnesses include doctors, pilots, teachers and other professionals. Many still live in Topanga. I recorded all the interviews on tape, and some of the witnesses have also appeared on various television programs. I also contacted the local police station who not only verified the events of June 14, 1992, but referred several other callers to me. The book presents more than 80 encounters of all types from simple sightings of strange lights at night, to UFO-car chases, helicopter-UFO encounters, landings, ocean-going UFOs, face-to-face ET encounters and a few cases of abductions. The book is about UFOs, not ancient civilizations. The UFO accounts are told in the witnesses' own words, taken directly from their testimonies. While I do have some theories about why Topanga Canyon is so active -- and I do present several -- I have tried to leave the speculation to the reader. My job is simply to present the evidence. Actually, all these cases would have gone unreported if the editor of the Topanga Messenger Newspaper hadn't called me up and asked me to investigate the June 14, 1992 wave of sightings. On that evening, more than 17 witnesses situated all throughout Topanga and beyond experienced highly dramatic encounters, including one case in which the witnesses' vehicle was actually lifted up into the sky by an unknown object which had chased them down the boulevard. The investigation took about four years to complete, and I am actually still getting new accounts even to this day. I myself have had several sightings in the canyon. If you want to see a UFO, Topanga Canyon is definitely one of California's major hotspots. |
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| "Fiction for the gullible (by a Topanga resident)" | 2005-05-27 |
| - Reviewed By Book Fan from California |
I've lived in the little town of Topanga since before the time span of this book. When the book came out we bought a copy to add to our Topangiana collection, just for fun.
As far as I'm concerned, this book is amusing fiction. I had never heard of any of these people, nor had anyone else that I talked to. And I've never heard of any of these kinds of events either ... and having school kids & volunteering in the local school, I have talked to many many people and have friends all over the canyon. |
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| "Magnificent. UFOlogy at its best." | 2004-08-22 |
| - Reviewed By teknoslag from Moorpark, CA United States |
Preston Dennett is a great writer and an even better UFOlogist. He offers you eyewitness testimony and lets you draw your own conclusion of what happened to these people. No bias here. No leading the readers' opinion down a winding path littered with contradictions and biased beliefs. He truly allows you to develop your own opinion and this is something we need a hell of a lot more of in UFOlogy.
The book details a massive UFO wave that took place in Topanga Canyon, California in the early 1990's and some say even continues to this day. The Topanga area is undoubtedly immersed within plenty of bizarre occurences; UFO sightings, abduction reports, strange lights in the skies, poltergeist activities, etc.
I saw this book in Barnes & Noble's bookstore whilst perusing their metaphysical section with my girlfriend at the time. My eyes caught the title: UFO's Over Topanga Canyon and I knew immediately this would be of interest to me. I have family living in and around Topanga Canyon including a grandmother that literally lives right on the edge of the town, on Mulholland Way. I've been to Topanga Canyon countless times and have experienced bizarre situations my self, so reading this book brought me an overwhelming sense of joy getting to know just what it is that's going on in this little town.
Preston Dennett is a UFOlogist to consider; he knows the field better than most, has a great talent at presenting the facts as they are and letting you draw your own conclusion, and also happens to be one of the nicest, kindest, most sincere people I've met. I recommend his works to anyone, interested or not. If you are interested in this phenomena, Preston will indeed give you the facts, nothing more, nothing less, and let you decide on your own what is going on. If you've never immersed your self in UFOlogy or the metaphysical, do your self a favor and pick up this or any of Preston Dennett's other works; I guarantee you'll walk away a changed individual. |
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