2.21.9: Ann Druffel (p.2) on BoA:Audio :: Preview

THIS WEEK: Ann Druffel (Part 2 of 3), Firestorm: Dr. James E. McDonald's Fight for UFO Science, www.anndruffel.com

It's the middle portion of our 3-part "miniseries" with esteemed Ufologist Ann Druffel. Over the course of the next two episodes, we'll go in-depth on Ann's book Firestorm and cover the remarkable life and amazing contributions to Ufology by renowned atmospheric physicist James McDonald. This richly detailed interview will also cover a wealth of major events in Ufology's history all of which were experienced and witnessed first-hand by Ann and then re-experienced from McDonald's perspective when she wrote Firestorm, providing priceless perspective on this era of the history of UFO studies.

In this week's episode, we'll find out how Ann ended up writing Firestorm, speculation on how Ufology would look today if McDonald hadn't died in 1971, McDonald as "leader" of Ufology in the late 1960's, how he bridged the gap between science and civilian UFO groups, his visit to Blue Book in 1966 and how he ripped the lid off of what was really going on there, his relationship with J. Allen Hynek, the lost McDonald "small notebooks" referenced throughout Firestorm, McDonald's view of the ETH as the "least unsatisfactory hypothesis," McDonald's trip to Australia and the subsequent political fallout, his feud with Phil Klass, the 1968 Congressional hearing on UFOs, Jim & Coral Lorenzen and APRO, and the Heflin photos. Plus, of course, tons and tons more.

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NEXT WEEK: Ann Druffel (Part 3 of 3), Firestorm: Dr. James E. McDonald's Fight for UFO Science, www.anndruffel.com

Next week, we wrap up our Ann Druffel "miniseries" with the second half of our discussion on Firestorm. We'll be covering James McDonald's goals for a national UFO monitoring system, the unspoken pressure on McDonald to provide a UFO "breakthrough," how much Hynek may have known about other government agencies investigating UFOs, the Condon Report, in-depth, including the "Low memo" and how McDonald was responsible for that document getting widely released, the reaction of Ufology to the Condon Report and if Ann thinks the UFO field was permanently damaged by the series of events that befell it in the late '60s / early '70's.

We'll also examine the folding of NICAP, and the events that led up to McDonald's death, beginning with his clandestine meeting with "top government officials," the SST Congressional hearings which saw McDonald publicly ridiculed by a Congressman, family issues that plagued McDonald towards the end of his life, and his subsequent suicide and Ann's thoughts on what may have been behind it and the result of McDonald's mysterious death on other scientists who may have been interested in UFOs. Plus, much more in this comprehensive interview.