Area 51: The Graphic History of America’s Most Secret Military Installation 076034664X, 9780760346648

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First published in 2014 by Zenith Press, an imprint of Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc., 400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA Illustrations © 2014 Greg Scott Text © 2014 Dwight Jon Zimmerman All rights reserved. With the exception of quoting brief passages for the purposes of review, no part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the Publisher. The information in this book is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without any guarantee on the part of the author or Publisher, who also disclaims any liability incurred in connection with the use of this data or specific details. We recognize, further, that some words, model names, and designations mentioned herein are the property of the trademark holder. We use them for identification purposes only. This is not an official publication. Zenith Press titles are also available at discounts in bulk quantity for industrial or sales-promotional use. For details write to Special Sales Manager at Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc., 400 First Avenue North, Suite 400, Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA. To find out more about our books, visit us online at www.zenithpress.com. ISBN: 978-0-7603-4664-8 Digital edition: 978-1-62788-492-1 Softcover edition: 978-0-76034-664-8 Edited by Howard Zimmerman Written by Dwight Zimmerman Illustrated by Greg Scott Cover and interior designed by Dean Motter THIS IS A Z FILE INC. BOOK. Printed in China 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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The Graphic History of America’s M o s t S e c r e t M i l i ta r y I n s ta l l at i o n Dwight Jon Zimmerman N e w Y o r k T i m e s B e s t- s e l l i n g A u t h o r I l l u s t r at e d b y G r e g S c o t t

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Contents PROLOGUE--------------------------------------------- 1 Chapter One THE ORIGIN OF AREA 51: FROM ROSWELL TO OXCART-------- 5 Chapter Two FROM OXCART TO THE DAWN OF THE DRONES--------------- 22 Chapter Three UNLEASH THE DRONES---------------------------------- 42

T E R C

Chapter Four GOING UNDERGROUND---------------------------------- 51 Chapter Five FROM HOPELESS DIAMOND TO HAVE BLUE TO F-117A NIGHTHAWK----------------------- 58

E S P

O T

Chapter Six BEWARE THE PREDATOR-------------------------------- 65 Chapter Seven TEST BED FOR TECHNOLOGIES, NOT OPERATIONS---------- 74 Chapter Eight FLIGHTS OR FANTASIES?------------------------------ 78 Chapter Nine THE OUTING OF AREA 51------------------------------ 82 Chapter Ten THE FUTURE OF AREA 51------------------------------ 87

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Further Reading John Anderson and Richard Passman, X-15: The World’s Fastest Rocket Plane and the Pilots Who Ushered in the Space Age (Zenith Press) David Donald, Black Jets: The Development and Operation of America’s Most Secret Warplane (AIRtime) Richard Graham, Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission (Zenith Press) Richard Graham, SR-71: The Complete Illustrated History of the Blackbird, the World’s Highest, Fastest Plane (Zenith Press) Annie Jacobsen, Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base (Back Bay Books) Clarence L. “Kelly” Johnson, Kelly: More than My Share of It All (Smithsonian Books) Peter Merlin, Area 51 (Arcadia Publishing) Phil Patton, Dreamland: Travels Inside the Secret World of Roswell and Area 51 (Villard) Dana Priest and William M. Arkin, Top Secret America: The Rise of the New American Security State (Little, Brown & Company) Ben R. Rich, Skunk Works: A Personal Memoir of My Years at Lockheed (Back Bay Books) Bill Yenne, Area 51 Black Jets: History of the Aircraft Developed at Groom Lake, America’s Secret Aviation Base (Zenith Press)

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