Captured! The Betty and Barney Hill UFO Experience: The True Story of the World's First Documented Alien Abduction

I was two years old when what is still probably the most famous case of alien abduction of all time occurred in 1961 - that involving Barney and Betty Hill of New Hampshire. When I was about seven years old I was struck with a magnificent obsession for astronomy, and that naturally led to an interest in the possibility that Earth was being visited from the stars.So I have been aware of the Hill abduction saga virtually all my life. Over the decades, I have read a book or two and dozens of articles about the case. It's also frequently discussed in other UFO books. I vividly remember being glued to the TV as a teenager over the 1975 made-for-TV docudrama of the Hill story starring James Earl Jones and Estelle Parsons.Thus, ever since KATHLEEN MARDEN'S book CAPTURED! THE BARNEY AND BETTY HILL EXPERIENCE first came out in 2007, I've been taking a pass on it, thinking, "What more is there possibly to say about this already over-analyzed case?" and:"Do we really need another Barney and Betty Hill book?"I now know the answer is "Yes!" I decided to purchase "Captured" partly on a whim, but also because it's been too long time since I read a good UFO yarn. I was flabbergasted by how much I still did not know about the case after all these years - in fact, I can say that I have an all-knew perspective.I have opted to move myself out of the "skeptic" column regarding the Hill abduction into the "believer" column - as difficult as that is for me to say.(NOTE: Although Stanton Friedman gets top billing on the cover, the primary author is Marden. Friedman consulted and wrote a couple of the latter chapter. Also, Kathleen Marden is Betty Hill's niece).Marden, with Friedman's contribution, presents a case that may be wholly circumstantial - but the weight and the aggregate of all this circumstantial evidence would be more than enough to hang a man in a court of law.By contrast, the alternative explanations offered by some of the greatest skeptics and debunkers - including Carl Sagan, James Randi and Philip Klass - seem petty, sparse, cherry-picked and highly theoretical by comparison.In Captured, Marden present painstaking, point-by-point analysis of every aspect of the case, from an in-depth analysis of the hypnotic regression sessions compared with consciousness memory accounts and Betty's dreams; the lives and character of the Hills; actual physical evidence (left on her dress); the famous "Star Map"; follow-up events and sightings - and how the aftermath played out in the lives of the Hills for decades to come - the latter of which shows how the case actually has gained credibility over the years.I noticed that some other reviewers were turned off by one of the late chapters in which the authors launch an intense and scathing attack on skeptic and debunkers. (This chapter was almost certainly penned by Friedman). I think some will find the tone of this chapter a bit overwrought, harsh and even mean - and yet, there is not charge made that does not point to obvious, egregious errors committed by debunkers - for which they seem to get a free pass.Skeptics get a free pass because the public - even myself - still find is astoundingly difficult to wrap the mind around the implications which fall out of the Hill case. I mean, if their story is true - it means space aliens are running around, picking up ordinary people, sticking anal probes up their orifices, and conducting studies on human being like so many wildlife biologists drugging and tagging animals.The danger, though, is in making comparisons that are mundane. The true meanings behind alien abduction scenarios like the Hill case have their actual basis in a kind overarching-meta-reality ... or ... or ... perhaps in terms of some greater, higher dimensionality of thought and conception of the universe.The bottom line is: Barney and Betty Hill may have had a genuine abduction experience, but what the event actually means and implies may be something that can never be known in terms of the current way we model our ideas about what is real and what is unreal. It is something that is beyond the ken of material and empirical science - but also beyond any level of metaphysical and spiritual conceptions we have managed to develop as a species at this point in our evolution.

I've seen various UFO and abduction documentaries on this particular case of Betty and Barney Hill. Depending on who is doing the documentary the details of their case are shortened, scattered or completely missing. I have not read the other book or books covering this case. I can not compare but in this book they kind of do that for you. They tell you in this book what was missing in the other book so you don't have to read both and compare. It's clear that Stanton and Kathleen (authors) know A LOT of details about this case and it helps that Kathleen is related to Betty Hill. Anything Stanton does you know he's been through every inch and detail of the case and left no stone unturned. I have not completed the book but so far it's an excellent read. There's a ton of information they bring to the table include reports and letters Betty wrote to and from various people in the military, health professionals or even scientists from various backgrounds. Interesting to see other sides of this story instead of just one. I haven't gotten to the tape recorded hypnotic sessions yet but I'm sure if that area of the book is anything like the first 3 chapters it's going to be very detailed as well. I have only heard a couple of recordings from various documentaries on their case. One where Barney Hill is screaming about the aliens taking both of them on board the ship and another where Betty Hill is describing the needle-like instrument the aliens are putting into her abdomen. I'm excited to read more about these recordings. I find it interesting that the aliens trying to understand how Betty's zipper works on her dress or also how aliens spent time pulling on Betty's natural teeth to see if they came out like her husbands dentures did during the examination on board of the alien ship. Very interesting read for believers and non-believers alike.

A very intriguing read, especially for skeptics...interesting to hear from all sides and documentation was helpful as well...a must read!

Ce livre est une des nombreuses perles que j'ai eu le privilège de lire ;Les auteurs nous présentent là une approche d’une humanité touchante.La nièce de Betty fait revivre sa tante qui nous raconte son aventure de manière sivivace que les larmes vous montent comme devant un film. Et les faits vont au-delàde simples oui-dire…J’avais dévoré The Interupted Journey (le voyage Interrompu) de John G. Fuller. Et hésitais de lire un livre de plus sur les Barney. Je me trompais A lire absolument !!!Merci au très fiable Stanton Freidman et mille merci à Kathleen Mardeen

A really good genuine read on the account and well investigatedOnce I started to read I could not put the book down

A very interesting read with information I'd not previously heard about this case. Really enjoyed it!

Le livre, écrit par la nièce de Betty Hill, jette "une lumière" un peu différente sur l'évènement que beaucoup connaissent à travers le livre "The Interrupted Journey" paru fin des années 60.Beaucoup de détails sur la vie et la personnalité des Hills, pas mal d'infos sur tout ce qui a « entouré » l'affaire à l'époque.Bref un livre attrayant pour toute personne qui s'intéresse au sujet.Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas l'histoire : Le couple Hill dit avoir été enlevé par des extraterrestres sur la route N°3 en direction de leur domicile à Portsmouth (dans le nord est des USA) alors qu'ils revenaient du Canada (au mois de septembre 1961) Interrupted Journey . Interrupted Journey