Book Reviews

Book Review by Geoff Richardson

 The Phoenix Lights

“A Skeptic’s Discovery That We Are Not Alone”

The book is to be published in March

 by Hampton Roads Publishing Company Inc.

Charlottesville, VA 22902.

ISBN Is 1-57-174-377-4 

It will be available from thewhyfiles network

        At 8 P.M. on the evening of the 6^th February, 1995, Dr. Lynne Kitei had just settled into a bath when her relaxation was suddenly brought to a halt by her husband, Frank, calling from the bedroom. Dr. Lynne, knowing her husband, a family physician, was not easily alarmed, wrapped a towel around herself and rushed to his side to find him standing transfixed at the bedroom window, overlooking the distant skyline of the city of Phoenix, Arizona.

      Frank’s frantic calls were well justified for, less that a hundred yards from the window, three sphere-shaped objects hovered approximately 50 to 75 feet above ground level. Each of these “spheres” emanated a soft, inner light and it was obvious that they were not resultant of some laser beam or light show.

      Realising instinctively that something very special was happening, Dr. Lynne grabbed her 35m.m. camera and managed to capture evidence of the strange objects on film. Little could she have known that this would prove to be the first of a whole series of events that would unfold over the coming months and years, peaking but not culminating on the evening of March 13^th, 1997 when a number of craft and orbs, all unidentified, would cross the Arizona skies, an incident which became known as “The Phoenix Lights”.

      The phenomenon of The Phoenix Lights commenced at approximately 7-50p.m., when a "V-shaped" formation of bright yellow-orange orbs was observed leaving the Las Vegas area (Nevada) and flying at speed over the border into Arizona. The object was observed to travel over the Phoenix area and then on to Tucson, via a 300 mile corridor. The "V-shaped" formation was observed by thousands of people - from lorry drivers to physicians and children to lawyers. A whole cross section of society witnessed the object as it made its way across the Arizona skies and as the formation passed over Phoenix, the city stood still and traffic on the freeway stopped whilst the vehicles’ occupants stared in awe.

      However, Dr. Lynne was prepared. After two years of capturing the “spheres” on 35m.m. film and on video tape, she was ready with cameras at hand and succeeded in obtaining photographic and video evidence that would be broadcast locally, nationally and eventually across the World.  Whilst avoiding all personal publicity and acknowledgement, Dr. Lynne fed her evidence gradually and anonymously to the excited media.

     Despite the magnitude of The Phoenix Lights incident, the eyewitnesses to the events became increasingly concerned over the lack of explanation or even proper response from the authorities, whose attitude, at times, was one of derision. The authorities, however, did not appreciate the determination and expertise of the members of the public who were committed to seeking an explanation for the events which had occurred on the evening of March 13^th.

    Dr. Lynne’s contributions to this “search for the truth” were of critical value. With expert scientific analysis of the photographic and video evidence by Jim Dilettoso and Mike Tanner, the unique optical properties of the “Lights” proved without doubt that the “military flares theory” had as much substance as flares themselves, expiring very quickly when subjected to proper scrutiny. Also, the contributions made by Ufologists Bill Hamilton and Peter Davenport and Councillor Francis Barwood as well as the other eyewitnesses who provided vital evidence and testimony should be acknowledged.

    To describe The Phoenix Lights as an important incident would be an understatement and this applies to Dr. Lynne’s book, which is also truly unique. For the first time a series of current, major UFO events has been captured on film and video by someone who readily admits to initially being a skeptic.  Let us not forget that Dr. Lynne had little knowledge of or interest in UFOs prior to the evening in early February, 1995, when she first saw the mysterious pyramid-formation of spheres in the skies over Phoenix. Perhaps in that fact there lays the incredible value of this book.

     For in her book, The Phoenix Lights, Dr. Lynne describes a personal journey, a journey which involved not just a change of opinion but a change of belief; a journey that resulted not just in a change of attitude but a spiritual change as well.

      Dr. Lynne’s book provides a detailed account of a momentous incident which will not only be of inestimable value to Ufologists but also provide comfort to those who have had a convincing UFO sighting themselves and have questions they need to answer. This is not just a book for “UFO buffs” though, being authored with such clarity of thought and expression, it is a book that should be a fascinating read for everyone. In fact, it probably should be read by everyone!