Jacobsen not only writes a historical overview of cold war stealth characterized by engineering triumphs, she deftly blends her history into an entertaining story. That’s not an easy feat given the breadth of her material. She begins her tale with hover-and-fly aircraft soaring over U.S. airspace undetected; and ends her tale with a mesmerizing explanation of what really happened at Roswell in 1947. In between, she analyzes Operation Paperclip—the use of captured German scientists to develop the U.S. ballistic rocket program; Operation Harass—the search for the legendary Horten brothers who developed Hitler’s flying-wing aircraft shaped like a flying saucer; the UFO phenomenon; the doomed U-2 flight of Francis Gary Powers shot down by a Soviet missile over a secret facility called Kyshtym 40 in 1960; the development of the A-12 Oxcart by the CIA; lunar landing conspiracies; captured Russian MiGs, Atomic Energy Commission experiments, and many more gripping narratives.

 

At the conclusion of her book, Jacobsen explores the troubling question of what should be revealed about Area 51, and what should remain born classified. The author points out that many secret projects undertaken at Area 51 have kept America safe; but she also suggests that some projects should no longer be kept secret. It is a credit to the author’s skill that she diplomatically poses these questions for the ultimate resolution by the reader. Area 51 is not only a great read but it is also a model of investigative journalism.