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REVIEWS BOOKS MIB: Investigating the Truth Behind the Men in Black Phenomenon by Jenny Randles Publisher: Piatkus Books, UK, 1997 ISBN: 0-7499-1721-0 (235pp s/c) Price: AUD$19.95; NZD$29.95; STG£8.99 Distributors: Aust—Hodder Headline, ph (02) 9841 2800 (Nov '97); NZ—David Bateman Ltd, ph (09) 415 7664; UK— Piatkus Books, ph +44 (0)171 631 0710, fax +44 (0)171 436 7137. Cri government agents acting weirdly or aliens trying to act like humans? These are two 'plausible' possibilities to account for the bizarre "Men in Black" phe- nomenon, but they certainly don't explain it. As researcher Jenny Randles documents in her latest book, MIB, mysterious strangers (usually dressed in black, driving black cars and behaving oddly) have been reported for decades by reliable witnesses who have experienced a UFO or paranormal event and may have managed to gather photographic or on-site evidence. These Men in Black (MIBs) reportedly visit or telephone within days of witnesses’ encounters, interrogate them, take their evidence and intimidate them into silence. When pressed, they have been known to give Air Force names which upon later checking were found to be false. Several reports of their vanishing into thin air don't fit the usual profile of a military officer or covert intelligence agent. The fact that so many witnesses have been silenced means that data-gathering in this area of ufology is fraught with difficulties. Yet Randles (who credits the work of MIB researchers John Keel and Bill Moore) has assembled a fascinating collection of cases rom the last 50 years through to today (and a few going back through the centuries), which suggest something strange is definite- ly going on—worldwide. Randles tends to favour the government agent explanation, and goes so far as to inti- mate that these agencies may be capitalising on an age-old phenomenon to create a per- ect deception to discredit ufology. As for which agencies, she hints at some candidates but lacks hard-and-fast proof. The truth may be stranger than we dare imagine. LEFT AT EAST GATE by Larry Warren and Peter Robbins Publisher: M. O'Mara Books, UK, 1997 ISBN: 1-85479-231-8 (505pp h/c) Price: AUD$45.00; STG£15.99; USD$24.95 (ISBN 1-56924-759-5) Distributors: Aust—Cameron Books, ph (047) 587676; UK—Michael O'Mara Books, ph 0171 7208643; USA—Marlowe and Company customer service, ph 1800 788 3123. Ox of the most significant UFO/military incidents in the history of ufology took place in late December 1980 at Rendlesham Forest in Suffolk, East Anglia, UK. Over three nights, high- and low-ranking military personnel encountered UFO/ET activity and some mind-boggling special effects at close range in the forest, located between RAF bases Bentwaters and Woodbridge. These bases, equipped with underground facilities and hiding a top-secret arsenal of nuclear warheads at the time, were occupied by the US Air Force on NATO alert, but evi- dence suggests the US National Security Agency was also operational there. 74 © NEXUS Former US Air Force Security Policeman Larry Warren was witness to the third night of UFO activity at Rendlesham. During the event he suffered injury to his eyes, and in the aftermath drew suspicions when he began to ask questions. In March 1981 he was given an honourable discharge, but in 1983, still disenchanted, he decided to go public with his testimony and allegations of a massive military cover-up. A large portion of Left at East Gate is Warren's own story of his part in the inci- dent and aftermath, and of the investigations that he and several UFO researchers subse- quently conducted. Over the years, some military witnesses have corroborated specif- ic details of his account, including his claim of having been drugged and brainwashed in an underground ‘bunker' straight after the OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1997