AFU Newsletter - No 03 - 1975

Magazine Overview

This issue of the "Nyhetsblad" (Newsletter) from Arbetsgruppen för ufologi (AFU) - The Working Group for Ufology - is volume 1, number 3, dated July-September 1975. The publication serves as a bulletin for their library and archive of UFO literature, providing information, bibliographical research, and updates.

Survey of UFO Organizations and Periodicals

The main focus of this issue is the launch of a survey distributed with the newsletter. This survey, divided into two parts (A for organizations, B for periodicals), aims to collect and compile information on UFO organizations and journals within the Nordic countries. The AFU emphasizes the importance of detailed responses and welcomes information even on defunct groups or publications. The collected data will be presented in AFU's information packages.

AFU's Library and Research Efforts

The newsletter highlights the ongoing work of AFU, particularly its library and archive services, which are described as the core of the organization. It is noted that the library's existence is not dependent on the fluctuating activity of a typical UFO group, making its closure unlikely. The AFU aims to provide a foundational resource for UFO research, which is currently challenging for new researchers due to the scattered and uncatalogued nature of existing materials like press clippings, books, and magazines.

Personnel and Contact Information

Kjell Jonsson, who heads AFU's library work in Södertälje, is mentioned as beginning a two-year study at the Library and Information Science School in Borås. This will likely cause delays in correspondence and book dispatches. For phone inquiries during this period, readers are directed to contact Håkan Blomqvist at 08/28 74 33 or Lennart Johansson at 08/29 91 86.

Book Reviews and New Acquisitions

Review of "UFOs Explained" by Philip J. Klass

Anders Liljegren reviews Philip J. Klass's book "UFOs Explained." Klass, a senior editor at "Aviation Week & Space Technology," previously explained many UFO cases using plasma formations. In this new book, he broadens his scope to offer explanations for a wider range of UFO phenomena. Liljegren notes that Klass meticulously searches for weaknesses in witness reports and conducts his own on-site investigations. The review discusses the case of farmer Durel Johnson in Delphos, Kansas, where Klass attempted to explain a 45 cm deep ground deformation. Klass claims there is no UFO case he has investigated that can be proven to be extraterrestrial and offers $10,000 to anyone who can disprove this with evidence accepted by the US Academy of Sciences. Liljegren acknowledges that Klass's work, while potentially comforting to skeptics, does not entirely dismiss the UFO problem. The review also briefly mentions Menzel's explanation for car stops on a US highway in 1957, attributing it to drivers mistaking the moon for a UFO and confusing pedals.

New Books Available for Loan

The newsletter provides an updated list of books available for loan from the AFU library:

• "UFO Guide 1947-67" by Martin Sable
• "Flying Saucers from Outer Space" by Donald Keyhoe
• "IFO" by Robert Loftin
• "Tillägg och förklaringar i UFO-frågan" (Additions and Explanations on the UFO Question) by Gösta Rehn
• "The Flying Saucer menace" by Brad Steiger
• "Flygande tefat har landat" (Flying Saucers Have Landed) by D. Leslie & G. Adamski
• "Extraterrestrial landings" by Egerton Sykes
• "Enigma fantastique" by Gordon Allen
• "Flying Saucers and Americas destiny" by Riley Crabb
• "Flying Saucers and the coming space probes"

Recensioner (Reviews)

• "UFOs Explained" by Philip J. Klass (reviewed above).

Nytt på bokfronten (New on the Bookshelf)

• "Overlords and Olympians" by William Gordon Allen (includes Uri Geller, UFOs, Nicola Tesla, Rudolf Steiner).
• "Extraterrestrial Intervention - The Evidence" by Jacques Bergier & Editors of INFO (discusses ancient civilizations and space visitors).
• "The UFO Controversy in America" by Michael Jacobs (based on a doctoral dissertation, includes new U.S. Air Force material).
• "Le College Invisible" (The Invisible College) by Jacques Vallée (discusses a group of scientists investigating phenomena; an English version is forthcoming).

Books from Abroad

• "40 Begegnungen mit Ausserirdischen in Brasilien" (40 Encounters with Extraterrestrials in Brazil) by Walter K. Bühler (compilation of observations and contact cases from Brazil).
• "The Amazing Uri Geller" edited by Martin Ebon (collection of articles and interviews, including one published in "Nature").
• "The outer Space Connection" by Alan & Sally Landsburg (explores ancient mysteries like Mayas, Peru, pyramids, and their connection to space visitors).

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the establishment and maintenance of a comprehensive UFO library and archive, the importance of systematic research, and the critical examination of UFO phenomena. The editorial stance appears to be one of promoting serious, evidence-based ufology, providing resources for researchers, and engaging with both proponents and skeptics of UFO theories. The AFU positions itself as a vital infrastructure for the field, aiming to overcome the current fragmented state of UFO research materials.