*Includes pictures *Highlights the history of Area 51 and the various conspiracy theories about its purpose *Includes footnotes, online resources and a bibliography for further reading *Includes a table of contents "We flew over it and within thirty seconds, you knew that was the place ... it was right by a dry lake. Man alive, we looked at that lake, and we all looked at each other. It was another Edwards, so we wheeled around, landed on that lake, taxied up to one end of it. It was a perfect natural landing field ... as smooth as a billiard table without anything being done to it." - Kelly Johnson, Lockheed's U-2 spy plane designer "The shape of OXCART was unprecedented, with its wide, disk-like fuselage designed to carry vast quantities of fuel. Commercial pilots cruising over Nevada at dusk would look up and see the bottom of OXCART whiz by at 2,000-plus mph. The aircraft's titanium body, moving as fast as a bullet, would reflect the sun's rays in a way that could make anyone think, UFO." - Annie Jacobsen, "The Road to Area 51" Unlike many aspects of other conspiracy theories, Area 51 is a frequently-documented fact. UFO seekers can theorize to their heart's content about what might have gone on there or whether Area 51 even exists, but Area 51 is quite real. In simple terms, it is a place where the United States government conducted-and continues to conduct-tests, in a remote environment where civilians are not in jeopardy and enemies from foreign countries cannot observe or sabotage weaponry or strategy the U.S. might use against them. Assuming that other countries were doing the same, the U.S. also used this remote site to test equipment like the U-2 that would make it possible to spy on other countries and for other countries to do harm to the United States. In civilian terms, it is merely a location on a map in a remote part of the Nevada desert, near the tiny hamlet of Rachel. The tiny little group of local residents is so small that one source notes that Rachel has never even been home to a post office. Area 51: The History and Mystery of America's Most Controversial Military Base looks at the mysterious military base that has been the subject of countless conspiracy theories. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Area 51 like never before, in no time at all.