The Flying Saucers Are Real

The Flying Saucers Are Real is a book by Donald E. Keyhoe, first published in 1950. In this investigative account Keyhoe compiles witness reports from military pilots, Air Force personnel and civilian observers from the immediate post-war years and argues that the phenomenon of flying saucers merited serious scientific and defense attention. Written in a plain, persuasive style, the book examines radar reports, pilot sightings and official denials, and sets out the author’s controversial claim that the U.S. military had evidence of unexplained aerial objects but downplayed their significance — an early articulation of the “government cover-up” idea that would become central to later ufology.

Placed in its historical context, the book helped transform flying-saucer reports from pulp curiosity into a sustained public and policy debate about unidentified flying objects, national security and the possibility of extraterrestrial visitation. Keyhoe’s background as an aviator and writer lent the work an authoritative tone that reached a wide paperback audience and helped popularize terms and themes — UFO sightings, military secrecy, Project Blue Book and the extraterrestrial hypothesis — that remain central to UFO research and popular culture. For readers seeking an influential, early statement of postwar ufology and conspiracy discourse, this book remains a foundational, provocative read.