Literature Review #5

 

Summary

Annie Jacobsen’s “Area 51: An Uncensored History of America's Top Secret Military Base” discusses Area 51 in terms of it being a military base where the U.S. government develops surveillance technologies, such as spy aircraft. One section of the book that I decided to focus on was the discussion of the U-2 spy aircraft at Area 51. The book goes into detail, beginning from when the CIA discovered the land due to its remoteness. It then discusses the testing of U-2 at Area 51 and how it was later used to spy on various countries, which was successful. Later, it describes the downfall of the U-2 (a U-2 plane being taken down by the Soviet Union and the pilot of the plane being captured)  and how that led to the development and testing of other, more advanced aircraft, the A-12, and the F-117. Lastly, the book describes how the base was also used to test captured Soviet aircraft such as the MiG-21 and MiG-17.

Author(s)

The author of this book is Annie Jacobsen, who is not only an author but is also an American investigative journalist. From 2009 to 2012, she was an editor of the Los Angeles Times Magazine and has also been a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2016. Jacobsen is known for writing about the government’s secrecy, mainly focusing on war and weapons. She is best known for writing this book, Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base.

Key Terms

U-2: spy plane that was tested at Area 51

Classified: current state of Area 51 is classified, and the spy aircraft missions were previously

Quotes

“Of the seventy-four individuals interviewed for this book [Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base] with rare firsthand knowledge of the secret base, thirty-two of them lived and worked at Area 51.” (Jacobsen 5).


“The president’s fear was that if a U-2 mission was exposed, it would be interpreted by the Soviets, and perhaps by the whole world, as an overly hostile act.” (Jacobsen 40).


“There is no way to know precisely what is happening today at the Nevada Test and Training Range—aboveground at Area 51 or Area 52, or in the underground tunnels beneath the test site, because most of what is currently happening out in the Nevada desert is classified and the federal agencies involved believe the people do not have a need-to-know. The question is, does the public have a right to know?” (Jacobsen 228).

Value 

This book is one of the most crucial sources for my paper. This book, although extensive, goes into great detail about the military aircrafts that were being developed at Area 51. Not only does it provide details, but it also provides proof of these details by mentioning that they are backed up by veterans who have worked at Area 51 and using official CIA documentation.

Citation 

Jacobsen, Annie. Area 51 - An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base. Orion Publishing Co, 2012.

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