The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects

The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects is a book by Edward J. Ruppelt, first published in 1956. Drawing on his time as the Air Force officer who ran the official investigations known as Project Grudge and Project Blue Book, Ruppelt offers a level-headed, insider account of the 1947–1953 UFO wave. The book moves beyond sensational newspaper headlines to describe how military investigators collected reports, interviewed pilots and radar operators, and wrestled with ambiguous evidence — from unexplained radar returns to reports of strange lights near atomic facilities.

Written in the cautious, empirical style of a career officer who nevertheless admits puzzlement, the book sits at the intersection of Cold War military history and early UFO research. Ruppelt’s report helped shape how the subject was discussed in both the public sphere and among researchers: it popularised the neutral term “unidentified flying object,” criticised hasty dismissals of credible witness reports, and argued that a small number of cases deserved careful scientific attention. For readers interested in Project Blue Book, classic UFO sightings, Cold War-era military investigations, and the origins of modern ufology, this book remains a foundational work — at once a historical document and a model of methodical inquiry into unexplained aerial phenomena.