Los Archivos Secretos del Ejército del Aire:

El Fraude de la Desclasificación OVNI

by Bruno Cardeñosa. Cenlle (Galicia): Bell Book, 1998 (1st Ed.). 271 pages. Paperback.

          Score another hit for Bell Book and for Bruno Cardeñosa. Magdalena del Amo-Freixedo's publishing venture's first departure from publishing eponymous works caused a sensation in Spain and in the Spanish-speaking world in general as Bruno Cardeñosa, an original and vital member of the "third generation" of Spanish ufologists, categorically dismisses his country's much-vaunted declassification of UFO-related files as little more than window dressing.

          Archivos Secretos begins with Cardeñosa's own research into the world of abductions, hypnotic regression and truly astounding cases from northern Spain. Most dramatic of all these is the strange case of Antonio Ruiz--perhaps the world's only wheelchair-bound abductee--and the experiences which befell him and his brother Ramón in the summer of 1978. Most astonishing of all is Ruiz's description of a "Bigfoot"-like creature aboard what he presumes to be the abducting craft.

          The book quickly moves into the scorpions-in-a-bottle environment of the two factions of UFO research: those who aided and abetted the Spanish government's phony declassification process and the ones who spoke out to challenge it. The process--which came to an end in 1997 with over 80 declassified items--suppressed critical evidence, mixed up its findings, relied on character assassination and hearsay.

          Cardeñosa makes a nimble transition from the very tangible world of government intrigue and investigative procedure to the high-strangeness milieu of Spain's own brushes with the Chupacabras and the unexplained disappearance of over 200 sheep.

          Those fearing yet another dreary foray into the maze of government vs. ufology literature can rest assured that this book--fiery and opinionated at times, conciliatory and generous at others--constitutes the antidote for U.S. audiences suffering from "the Roswell blues.

          Ordering information: Contact <freixamo@navigalia.net> or visit www.crisol.es