The Secret History of Bigfoot
- Downloads：6061
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2024-02-09 13:22:07
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：John O’Connor
- ISBN：1464216630
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
- Download
Summary
From the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest to off-the-wall cryptozoological conventions， one man searches high and low for the answer to the real or not， why do we want to believe？ Journalist and writer John O'Connor takes readers on a narrative quest through the American wilds in search of Bigfoot， its myth and meaning。 Inhabited by an eccentric cast of characters – reputable men of science and deluded charlatans alike – the book explores the zany and secretive world of "cryptozoology，" tracking Bigfoot from the Wild Men of Native American and European lore to Harry and the Hendersons， while examining the forces behind our ever-widening belief in the supernatural。 By turns an ardent， philosophical defense of nature， investigation into what Kurt Andersen calls our peculiar "American appetites for immersive make-believe，" and a gonzo trip into alternative reality， this is the story of our Bigfoot obsession – where it comes from， what it means today – and the people driving it。 Tag along with O'Connor as he treks through the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest， studies indigenous legends， and attends off-the-wall cryptozoological conventions。 Perfect for readers of Bill Bryson and Douglas Preston and with sharp wit and an adventurous spirit， this heartfelt exploration of a cornerstone of American folklore unpacks why we believe in the things that we do， and what that says about us。
Reviews
Wyatt Stringer
，
Awful， could not finish， DNF at 20%
Ink
，
A Secret History of Bigfoot is not just a book about the mysterious Sasquatch that wanders North America， but about the places it has been sighted in， the people who have sighted them and discerning credible accounts from hoaxes。 There is a lot of information contained within these pages and John O'Connor is an engaging writer， keeping my interest with an immersive narrative that flows beautifully from one chapter to the nextI requested this book because I visited New Hampshire a few times over A Secret History of Bigfoot is not just a book about the mysterious Sasquatch that wanders North America， but about the places it has been sighted in， the people who have sighted them and discerning credible accounts from hoaxes。 There is a lot of information contained within these pages and John O'Connor is an engaging writer， keeping my interest with an immersive narrative that flows beautifully from one chapter to the nextI requested this book because I visited New Hampshire a few times over the last cople years and my friends told me that sightings （or claims thereof） had increased in recent years， alongside the increase in commercial souveniers of the same。 I considered my friends comments to be made with an amount of cynicism and I can truthfully say that this book has given me some wonderful insight （plus an extensive armoury of perspectives） about which to banter about on my next foray into the mountains of North-East AmericaA wonderful book for fans of the squatch and mysteries in general， also those who enjoy the ecology and natural environment of North AmericaThank you to Netgalley， the publisher Sourcebooks and the author John O'Connor for this enjoyable and enlightening ARC。 My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own 。。。more
Eric Smith
，
With all the myths， legends， and stories coming out of North America， Bigfoot has caught the attention of a large audience。 From the dense forests surrounding Washington’s Mount Saint Helens to the woods of Massachusetts， reports of sightings have been part of the lore since humans have inhabited these lands。 Whether you call it Bigfoot or prefer Sasquatch， the enormous monster has had an enormous impact。 In fact， it has become a growing phenomenon。 Bigfoot is North America’s monster celebrity， With all the myths， legends， and stories coming out of North America， Bigfoot has caught the attention of a large audience。 From the dense forests surrounding Washington’s Mount Saint Helens to the woods of Massachusetts， reports of sightings have been part of the lore since humans have inhabited these lands。 Whether you call it Bigfoot or prefer Sasquatch， the enormous monster has had an enormous impact。 In fact， it has become a growing phenomenon。 Bigfoot is North America’s monster celebrity， from t-shirts to mugs and television shows to a large selection of books。The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster by journalist and self-proclaimed skeptic John O’Connor helps tackle the myths。 O’Connor provides much history and many anecdotes concerning this fascinating subject。 He travels coast to coast， interviewing scientists， researchers， and experts， and even camps in the woods to discover as much as he can about who or what Bigfoot is。 O’Connor is not trying to prove the existence of the monster。 This seems to be a passion project for O’Connor。 The fun he had researching for and writing this book shows。 It is an enjoyable read for any fan of Bigfoot or Sasquatch。 。。。more
Ryn （Crafty_Bookworm）
，
I don’t know exactly what I was expecting from this book but it just didn’t deliver for me。 As a resident of the PNW with a husband whose nickname is Sasquatch it’s fair to say I’ll pick up just about any Bigfoot book I come across。 I was excited by this title and even the first half of the book but it quickly went off the rails for me。 The conversations the “Bigfooters” were interesting to me in getting into the mindset of those who actively seek out sightings of this popular cryptid。 What detr I don’t know exactly what I was expecting from this book but it just didn’t deliver for me。 As a resident of the PNW with a husband whose nickname is Sasquatch it’s fair to say I’ll pick up just about any Bigfoot book I come across。 I was excited by this title and even the first half of the book but it quickly went off the rails for me。 The conversations the “Bigfooters” were interesting to me in getting into the mindset of those who actively seek out sightings of this popular cryptid。 What detracted for me where the long side stories about topics that felt completely unrelated， such as the story about the bird the wetlands and swamps of the South。 I also felt that the snarky comments about recent U。S。 politics while funny at first got old and added nothing to book overall。 The narrator did a fantastic job and kept me reading when the through line wondered。 Thank you NetGalley and Tantor Audio for access to this title in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Shiann
，
I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review。 This fact does not change my review。 I thought the audiobook narrator was very good。This compilation of stories to enjoy the mythos of the Bigfoot sighting as well as those who are in "the community" of hunting。 I found it interesting how the author wove in sightings of rare animals as a way to highlight them as well as a metaphor for the happenings in the woods with the 'Squatch。I only have one complaint/frustration with the book。 Wh I received a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review。 This fact does not change my review。 I thought the audiobook narrator was very good。This compilation of stories to enjoy the mythos of the Bigfoot sighting as well as those who are in "the community" of hunting。 I found it interesting how the author wove in sightings of rare animals as a way to highlight them as well as a metaphor for the happenings in the woods with the 'Squatch。I only have one complaint/frustration with the book。 While it is not surprising there would be some conspiracy talk considering the topic， the frequent shots at former President Trump were a bit excessive。 。。。more
Yamini
，
The book was a compilation of the various events the author encounters in this journey of the Bigfoot research。 From the curb that set him on this path to all the tales he heard from different people and the ones he witnessed， gets enlisted。What's notable throughout the book is that across the world we have stories of the same creatures with different words describing them in our legends。 The overall book had a great pace constantly enticing you with different versions and incidents， and most of The book was a compilation of the various events the author encounters in this journey of the Bigfoot research。 From the curb that set him on this path to all the tales he heard from different people and the ones he witnessed， gets enlisted。What's notable throughout the book is that across the world we have stories of the same creatures with different words describing them in our legends。 The overall book had a great pace constantly enticing you with different versions and incidents， and most of it was really well constructed。 A single issue I encountered was when the stories shifted to other topics which felt to me that somewhere in the second half the book was off track for a while and then it reclaimed the topic back towards the end。 Thank you @netgalley @tantoraudio @centerforhighenergymetaphysics for the Digital ARC Genre: #nonfiction #research #myths #legends Rating: 3/5 star 。。。more
Samantha （rain。books。and。tea）
，
2⭐️ DNF @ 30% I am not someone who believes in Bigfoot but as someone with a casual interest in cryptozoology and who grew up in the PNW， Bigfoot stuff is everywhere so I thought this could be a fun change of pace from my regular reads。 But I’m not really sure what this author was going for。 I didn’t learn anything new。 I really disliked the tone of the writing。 It was incredibly condescending and the author clearly felt himself to be superior to those who have dedicated their lives to the searc 2⭐️ DNF @ 30% I am not someone who believes in Bigfoot but as someone with a casual interest in cryptozoology and who grew up in the PNW， Bigfoot stuff is everywhere so I thought this could be a fun change of pace from my regular reads。 But I’m not really sure what this author was going for。 I didn’t learn anything new。 I really disliked the tone of the writing。 It was incredibly condescending and the author clearly felt himself to be superior to those who have dedicated their lives to the search for Bigfoot。 The lack of respect and outright insults towards people he was trying to learn from really bothered me。 I’m someone who probably shares similar political and social beliefs but I felt like they didn’t have any place in this book。 So once again I’m not sure who this book’s intended audience is because he isn’t going to find a receptive audience among existing Bigfooters after he said they have “mental maladies” and I think the information presented was too scattered and politically charged to be enticing to those new to Bigfoot。 。。。more
Elysa
，
"The Secret History of Bigfoot" was an okay read for me。 I really liked where he focused on Bigfoot， especially where he brought older American stories including legends from Native Americans。 He did get pretty far off track sometimes though （that woodpecker chapter？）。 It was a more personal research history than I was expecting。 It's one to read if you're interested in Bigfoot research。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 "The Secret History of Bigfoot" was an okay read for me。 I really liked where he focused on Bigfoot， especially where he brought older American stories including legends from Native Americans。 He did get pretty far off track sometimes though （that woodpecker chapter？）。 It was a more personal research history than I was expecting。 It's one to read if you're interested in Bigfoot research。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Dalton
，
This book is definitely very well written and I did like the adventure that it catalogues throughout。 The only problem I ended up having is that for a book that says it's about Bigfoot I felt like he was more of a side character to everything。 Still very much worth reading。 This book is definitely very well written and I did like the adventure that it catalogues throughout。 The only problem I ended up having is that for a book that says it's about Bigfoot I felt like he was more of a side character to everything。 Still very much worth reading。 。。。more
Calista Wielgos
，
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC of this book。O’Connor is definitely a great storyteller。 I liked getting to hear about his conquests and meeting Bigfoot believers。 A lot of his commentary was good， but some of it could probably have been cut out because it didn’t feel as necessary。 I found myself wanting to hear more about cryptids and their histories。
Jamie Park
，
This isn't just a book about Bigfoot。 This is a book about nature， the environment， history， and animals in general。 It is funny and so interesting I couldn't stop reading once I started。 I felt this in my soul。 Yes it can be male centric but bigfooting is kind of a man's sport。 Protect our wild spaces！ I loved every single word。 This isn't just a book about Bigfoot。 This is a book about nature， the environment， history， and animals in general。 It is funny and so interesting I couldn't stop reading once I started。 I felt this in my soul。 Yes it can be male centric but bigfooting is kind of a man's sport。 Protect our wild spaces！ I loved every single word。 。。。more
Madison ✨ （mad。lyreading）
，
I just do not understand what the author was going for here。 A commentary on how cryptid seekers relate to the general public？ The history of Bigfoot？ The history of Bigfoot seekers？ There were a lot of directions this began to head and it never truly committed。 The author also wrote in such a nonchalant way that it felt like he didn't take his own work seriously。 Quite a disappointment for me。Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review。 I just do not understand what the author was going for here。 A commentary on how cryptid seekers relate to the general public？ The history of Bigfoot？ The history of Bigfoot seekers？ There were a lot of directions this began to head and it never truly committed。 The author also wrote in such a nonchalant way that it felt like he didn't take his own work seriously。 Quite a disappointment for me。Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Danielle Bush
，
I enjoyed all the parts that specifically had to do with Bigfoot， however， the author did go off on many side tangents that made it less interesting to me。 I sometimes skimmed to get back to the actual Bigfoot stuff。 I did enjoy the added bits of humor， and the facts and history he added surrounding Bigfoot。
Hannah
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 *I listened to this as an ARC through NetGalley*This title immediately called to me as I am a lover of the paranormal and a cautiously optimistic believer in Bigfoot。 The first things to really jump out at me about this book were the extremely casual writing style， the research intensity， and the underlying thesis comparing bigfoot hunters and extremely radical right wing conservatives。 I was very surprised at first by how candid this book is。 It has a tendency to read as a friend casually telli *I listened to this as an ARC through NetGalley*This title immediately called to me as I am a lover of the paranormal and a cautiously optimistic believer in Bigfoot。 The first things to really jump out at me about this book were the extremely casual writing style， the research intensity， and the underlying thesis comparing bigfoot hunters and extremely radical right wing conservatives。 I was very surprised at first by how candid this book is。 It has a tendency to read as a friend casually telling you about this crazy world they stumbled into。 I could see how someone dedicated to the non fiction genre might not enjoy this， but I personally loved it。 Since the only times I hop over to the non fiction world are when the topics are things I'm passionate about I love a more candid feel， it keeps the pace moving quickly and holds my attention。I cannot say enough good things about the research done for this book。 Bigfoot as a topic diverges down many paths that range as widely as basic evolution concepts to far out alien and teleportation theories。 This book touched on everything in this range in a way that was accessible to novices and still very thorough， which is a feat I can’t imagine was easy to achieve。 The only thing I didn't love about this book were the references to the Trump presidency and the comparison between Bigfoot hunters and Trump supporters。 While the comparisons are apt and there is even a big overlap between these communties I felt it really dated the book and alienated the readers。 In 10/20 years time I don't feel that aspect of this book will connect very well with readers， there is language used referring to the COVID pandemic that even in 2024 felt dated。 Once I reached the epilogue I understood the desire to tie in Bigfoot to the pandemic world， the whole book serving as an expansion on an experience。 However， I personally would have preferred less attention dedicated to Trump， if these connections had been explored solely in section 12 （per the audiobook） with the rest of the political connections I would have appreciated it more。 My alienation comment refers to readers like me that are extremely liberal and hopefully optimistic about the existence of Bigfoot， while the author touches on our existence he focuses so much more on the Bigfooter-Trumper connection。 Overall I really enjoyed this book， great for anyone that has an interest in Bigfoot， the culture around hunting Bigfoot， and/or paranormal concepts。 The audiobook was very well narrated， I did get a smidge lost from time to time because of the amount of quotes the author included （it's not as easy to understand something is a quote from an external source rather than the author's writing in an audio book format） but it didn't happen often enough for me to say it took away from the quality of the audio book。 Just enough for me to say I would recommend the physical book a tad more。 。。。more
Maria
，
Interesting look at Bigfoot hunters and why they do what they do。 I found there were way too many political references in the book for a non-political topic。 I was hoping for more observations made by the author himself rather than rehashing sightings made by others。 Instead， this felt more like cheap shots at a segment of the population that the author doesn't agree with masquerading as a informative guide on Bigfoot and how to find him。I received a copy from #NetGalley， #RbMedia， and #Sourcebo Interesting look at Bigfoot hunters and why they do what they do。 I found there were way too many political references in the book for a non-political topic。 I was hoping for more observations made by the author himself rather than rehashing sightings made by others。 Instead， this felt more like cheap shots at a segment of the population that the author doesn't agree with masquerading as a informative guide on Bigfoot and how to find him。I received a copy from #NetGalley， #RbMedia， and #Sourcebooks for an honest review。 。。。more
Emily ♡
，
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review。 As a lover of podcasts and documentaries on conspiracy theories and cryptozoology， I was excited to receive this ARC as I haven’t read a book like this before。 That being said， maybe I just was not the target audience for this one in particular。 I found parts of it interesting- hearing about the myth and mystery behind Bigfoot， as well as some insight into what it is like to be an actual “Big Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review。 As a lover of podcasts and documentaries on conspiracy theories and cryptozoology， I was excited to receive this ARC as I haven’t read a book like this before。 That being said， maybe I just was not the target audience for this one in particular。 I found parts of it interesting- hearing about the myth and mystery behind Bigfoot， as well as some insight into what it is like to be an actual “Bigfooter。” However， I felt as if that only made up for about half of the book。 The other half being a lot of information on other things like birds， insects， geographic locations， etc。 There was also far too much talk of the political climate surrounding Covid and Trump’s presidency for my liking。 While I understand that this is field notes of a search for Bigfoot during that time and may be interesting to some， it just wasn’t what I was looking for， nor what I was expecting， and every time I thought we had gotten past it， it would somehow be brought up again。 I felt as if this book was cut in half and was only the parts about Bigfoot， it would have been much better。 Overall， it is not necessarily a bad read， just a bit unmemorable and not seeming to add a whole lot to the conversation， and certainly not the fun， of Bigfoot。 I think for the average person looking into Bigfoot， it’s best to search elsewhere。 。。。more
Carla （Carla's Book Bits）
，
This was good。 John O'Connor's writing style goes back and forth between being wryly funny and beautifully insightful。 It's amazing how much he really opened his heart to this subject matter and gave it a chance。This book isn't really about Bigfoot himself。 It's more about the people who seek him out， why and how they do so。 And while this group of people might not be the kind I would get along with on the street， I felt their sense of longing all the same。 O'Connor did such a great job， really This was good。 John O'Connor's writing style goes back and forth between being wryly funny and beautifully insightful。 It's amazing how much he really opened his heart to this subject matter and gave it a chance。This book isn't really about Bigfoot himself。 It's more about the people who seek him out， why and how they do so。 And while this group of people might not be the kind I would get along with on the street， I felt their sense of longing all the same。 O'Connor did such a great job， really felt like reading something akin to A Walk in the Woods （but way less creepy， if anyone can remember my gigantic distaste for Bill Blegh-son） but with a whole lot of heart。I received a free e-copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Rea
，
This book is good， but not memorable。 It's well written， and I appreciate that it didn't shy away from racial and social commentary and talked about how the history of colonialism and xenophobia affects the Bigfoot myth。 He also acknowledged how the hobby of bigfoot hunting is mostly done by white men， including himself。 He's a skeptic but not a disbeliever， which is a refreshing perspective to read from。Yet， this book is somewhat forgettable。 I don't feel like I learned anything new or interest This book is good， but not memorable。 It's well written， and I appreciate that it didn't shy away from racial and social commentary and talked about how the history of colonialism and xenophobia affects the Bigfoot myth。 He also acknowledged how the hobby of bigfoot hunting is mostly done by white men， including himself。 He's a skeptic but not a disbeliever， which is a refreshing perspective to read from。Yet， this book is somewhat forgettable。 I don't feel like I learned anything new or interesting。 I can't imagine I'm going to remember a single detail about this in a week。 Which is sad considering how much time the author put into this。Overall， this book would be good for someone completely new to the subject or someone really into bigfoot。 For someone with a casual interest like me， I don't think it was worth my time。The audiobook narrator is easy to understand and fits the tone of the book; no notes on that。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Lydia
，
A delightful romp of a journey through Bigfoot's history and the links that belief in the unexplainable create in the long story of humanity。 O'Connor crafts both a wistful travelogue through Bigfoot's territories and navel-gazing examination of why people believe。 Rather than a linear examination of the historical record of Bigfoot stories， O'Connor meanders from topic to topic seeking not the capital T Truth about Bigfoot， but the individual truths of Bigfoot hunters。 Highly recommend。 A delightful romp of a journey through Bigfoot's history and the links that belief in the unexplainable create in the long story of humanity。 O'Connor crafts both a wistful travelogue through Bigfoot's territories and navel-gazing examination of why people believe。 Rather than a linear examination of the historical record of Bigfoot stories， O'Connor meanders from topic to topic seeking not the capital T Truth about Bigfoot， but the individual truths of Bigfoot hunters。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Cara Norris
，
My dirty little secret has always been my love of cryptids and the unexplained。 I love cryptozoology and am an avid follower of sightings around the United States， both of Bigfoot and the others。 So when I was approved to read this I immediately dived in and was glad I did。 John O’Connor’s humor throughout made it fun to read and overall was very informative。 I would recommend this book to all of my fellow paranormal junkies！
Beppie
，
After the hot mess that 2023 proved to be， I thought what better way to close it out than to read a book about BIGFOOT！As I read this book， it became clear that， as John O'Connor pointed out， there are two basic types of folks。 There are those who live in the world of facts， evidence， and the verification of the aforementioned facts and evidence。 Then there are those folks who have， shall we say， less affinity for facts and lean far heavier on the mythic， the folklore， and non-verified but belie After the hot mess that 2023 proved to be， I thought what better way to close it out than to read a book about BIGFOOT！As I read this book， it became clear that， as John O'Connor pointed out， there are two basic types of folks。 There are those who live in the world of facts， evidence， and the verification of the aforementioned facts and evidence。 Then there are those folks who have， shall we say， less affinity for facts and lean far heavier on the mythic， the folklore， and non-verified but believed *facts* in their known world。 And whether we apply the above to the search for say BIGFOOT， SASQUATCH， YETI， UFOs， and other assorted things that add mystery and wonder to our world， we can absolutely apply the same dynamic to other aspects of our lives。 It is fair to say that America is a land of contradictions， strongly held beliefs （and opinions）， and an ever burgeoning quest to understand our world and our place within it。 As O'Connor posits， perhaps it is both divergent positions that have always informed human nature。 By embracing both， we might be better equipped to understand ourselves better; and through that knowledge bring more clarity （and unity） to our shared world。 Thanks to the author， his publisher， and NetGalley for the advanced copy of "The Secret History of Bigfoot。"This book has an anticipated publish date of February 6，2024。#thesecrethistoryofbigfoot#johnoconnor#netgalley#bigfoot#mysteries of our naturalworld 。。。more
Randee Green
，
In THE SECRET HISTORY OF BIGFOOT: FIELD NOTES ON A NORTH AMERICAN MONSTER， John O’Connor recounts some of his adventures on bigfoot hunts and at conventions。 He speaks with both believes and naysayers throughout his adventures。I’ve never had an encounter， but I’m a believer in Bigfoot。 That being said， I didn’t really learn anything new about Bigfoot from reading this book。 The author is neither a believer or a disbeliever， and he makes it clear that none of his experiences will sway him either In THE SECRET HISTORY OF BIGFOOT: FIELD NOTES ON A NORTH AMERICAN MONSTER， John O’Connor recounts some of his adventures on bigfoot hunts and at conventions。 He speaks with both believes and naysayers throughout his adventures。I’ve never had an encounter， but I’m a believer in Bigfoot。 That being said， I didn’t really learn anything new about Bigfoot from reading this book。 The author is neither a believer or a disbeliever， and he makes it clear that none of his experiences will sway him either way。 The title is also misleading—there are no secrets revealed and it doesn’t really go into too much of the history of Bigfoot。 There were also a lot of unflattering comparisons between Bigfoot believers and Trump supporters。 In the end， there are some interesting sections in the book that are worthy of checking out。Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC。 。。。more
jeremy
，
there may be no more sacred expression of american exceptionalism than faith in a monster we’ve adapted to fit our peculiar view of history， unfalsifiable by facts proffered by science or qualified experts， and suggesting a medieval belief in the raw and violent power of nature。 john o’connor’s the secret history of bigfoot: field notes on a north american monster is less about the legendary cryptid itself and more about the culture of belief it has spawned。 crisscrossing the continent from t there may be no more sacred expression of american exceptionalism than faith in a monster we’ve adapted to fit our peculiar view of history， unfalsifiable by facts proffered by science or qualified experts， and suggesting a medieval belief in the raw and violent power of nature。 john o’connor’s the secret history of bigfoot: field notes on a north american monster is less about the legendary cryptid itself and more about the culture of belief it has spawned。 crisscrossing the continent from the pacific northwest to new england to the south， o’connor tags along with so-called bigfooters in their search for sasquatch。 o’connor， a skeptic， relates his adventurous tale meeting colorful characters and joining these faithful followers on their backcountry expeditions。 the secret history of bigfoot finds the very witty author waxing philosophical， psychological， and even political in his attempt to understand the whys of belief。 o’connor writes impressively well and his use of language is as entertaining his tale itself。 the secret history of bigfoot is a fun romp into the enduring bigfoot folklore — and a surprisingly thoughtful， sincere look at what makes us believe what we do （or don’t）。 perhaps he means how we’re unable or unwilling to reshape our narratives about the world， even when the evidence suggests those narratives are little more than figments。 mired in nostalgia for the past， we lose sight of the present。 so that even in this most remarkable landscape， awesome beyond belief， a scrim falls over our eyes， preventing us from seeing it as we might， if only we were more clear-sighted。 。。。more
Dan
，
My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Sourcebooks for an advanced copy of this history and study of the Bigfoot phenomena， the people involved， and what the effect that the nature and the woods have on people， the mysteries and truths that people seem to be always looking for。 My first introduction of Bigfoot was television。 I would like to act all smarter than my age and say it was from watching the Leonard Nimoy hosted In Search of show， but I know it was the Bigfoot episodes of Six Mi My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Sourcebooks for an advanced copy of this history and study of the Bigfoot phenomena， the people involved， and what the effect that the nature and the woods have on people， the mysteries and truths that people seem to be always looking for。 My first introduction of Bigfoot was television。 I would like to act all smarter than my age and say it was from watching the Leonard Nimoy hosted In Search of show， but I know it was the Bigfoot episodes of Six Million Dollar Man that made me a fan。 Watching Steve Austin， played by Lee Majors and Bigfoot， played by Andre the Giant which probably made me love professional wrestling later， start as enemies， and become friends fighting for justice， I was in。 Later finding books in the library about Sasquatch stories， and even better Yeti stories， made me look at the woods behind me house with a little bit more trepidation。 And a bit of longing。 The same feeling seems to have infected a lot of other people， people braver than I。 While I was content to look out my window， sip coffee and think about Big Foot， hundreds if not thousands were hitting the woods， dealing with cold， mechanical injuries， strange woos at night， and the sometimes eerie feeling that nature gives us。 Bigfoot has become big money， with specials， movies， tourist trap events， and wilderness tours。 And few answers。 Journalist John O'Connor in The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster has written a guide and history not just to the Bigfoot Phenomena， but to the people who have tried to find the truth， stay skeptical， or make money， while showing the beauty and draw that nature holds on us。 John O'Connor first became interested in Bigfoot as a fan of the writer， Peter Matthiessen。 Famed nature and fiction writer， co-founder of the Paris Review and employee of the CIA Matthiessen was introduced to the idea of Bigfoot while encountering a strange creature in Tibet。 That encounter stirred something in the writer， sending him out in the woods of the Pacific Northwest， looking for Yeti clues and evidence， even writing a book that was never finished。 From here O'Connor hits the woods， where even without Bigfoot O'Connor finds that th woods are not only dark and deep， but dangerous， with many people going missing， strange noises， sometimes human related， sometimes not and more。 O'Connor spends nights camping in tornado weather in New England， meeting strange people deep in the woods， and attending tourist festivals for Bigfoot。 Readers meet believers， sceptics， professors， and professional trail hikers， all with their own take about Bigfoot， nature， and what lies in the woods。 The book is both a history of Bigfoot， the idea of creatures like Bigfoot， and how people come to believe these kind of things。 This is not a paranormal， cryptozoology book， but a book about why people believe things， with a lot of nature discussion。 O'Connor is a very good writer， able to capture moments be it factual， or historical， or almost Gonzo style living in the story moments。 There might be a little too much humor for a lot of people， and also readers who tend to do their own research and vote for red hats will not like some of the comments， but that is their problem。 There are a lot of weird people in the woods， and I am glad I don't spend much time there。 No answers are given， only lots of questions asked， just as many about humans and our behavior as about Yeti， and Sasquatchs。For people just starting in the world or cryptids or even in the world of fringe thinking and why believe what they believe。 Also for nature fans， because even with all the weird that seems to exist beyond the tree line， O'Connor has a way of making the outdoors sound fun， and worth caring for。 。。。more
Samantha
，
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！ The Secret History of Bigfoot is a pretty interesting read for anyone drawn to cryptozoology！ I'll be honest， it's not a topic that has truly ever really drawn me in before， but I thought this book was well done！ John O'Connor does a good job， especially as he shares his experiences with people who are involved in the world of Bigfoot， a world I'm very removed from！ I don't think anything in this book will real Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review！ The Secret History of Bigfoot is a pretty interesting read for anyone drawn to cryptozoology！ I'll be honest， it's not a topic that has truly ever really drawn me in before， but I thought this book was well done！ John O'Connor does a good job， especially as he shares his experiences with people who are involved in the world of Bigfoot， a world I'm very removed from！ I don't think anything in this book will really change your mind on Bigfoot， whatever you believe- but maybe it'll help you understand why you do believe as you do。 For the most part I found O'Connor a witty and engaging narrator of this Bigfoot adventure， though I could easily see how this work might not be for everyone。 That being said if you have a love for this topic， or even a passing interest， I think this book is worth a read！ 。。。more
Paperwitches ♡
，
I love cryptozoology， and me and my father have always had an interest in bigfoot stemming from his own experience in the mountains around Yosemite in the 80s-90s。 We have met Robert "Bob" Gimlin fro0m the Patterson-Gimlin film plenty of times， and as a result my interest has grown over the years。 So I simply HAD to pickup this book， although I will say this is my first book by John O'Connor so I was surprised by the witty commentary - but it did help me get through a lot of the technical aspect I love cryptozoology， and me and my father have always had an interest in bigfoot stemming from his own experience in the mountains around Yosemite in the 80s-90s。 We have met Robert "Bob" Gimlin fro0m the Patterson-Gimlin film plenty of times， and as a result my interest has grown over the years。 So I simply HAD to pickup this book， although I will say this is my first book by John O'Connor so I was surprised by the witty commentary - but it did help me get through a lot of the technical aspects of the book without being bored。However， I learned nothing new about Bigfoot or experiences with the creature within this book that I couldn't' have learned anywhere else （or already had）。 I normally love a skeptical eye， but this felt skeptical and allegorical。 More so entirely commentary on the state of the human mind， society， and political events， This definitely felt like it was making fun of cryptozoology enthusiasts， bigfoot believers， while also not satisfying any skeptic。 This is however， a fun read， if you're okay with the blatant disregard by the author for the pursuit of truth that he 'doesn't care to understand。' If I had removed those parts， I might have enjoyed it IF I wasn't looking forward to the topic of bigfoot so much。 However on it's own， it's all buzzwords and half thought out philosophy with some thrown in humor that couldn't stand on it's own。 Bigfoot couldn't change that。 。。。more
Jack Phoenix
，
Read my full review of this book in LIBRARY JOURNAL。
Janalyn Prude
，
Although the history of Bigfoot is packed with humor John O’Conner in no way makes fun of those who believe in those who don’t and if he does it’s all in good fun。 He not only tells a well balanced tale of our obsession with Sasquatch and the yeti he talks about credible sightings in those hoaxes that became popular in those that are not so popular I guess what I’m trying to say is John O’Connor has done a wonderful job telling the history of Bigfoot from every aspect he even discusses what type Although the history of Bigfoot is packed with humor John O’Conner in no way makes fun of those who believe in those who don’t and if he does it’s all in good fun。 He not only tells a well balanced tale of our obsession with Sasquatch and the yeti he talks about credible sightings in those hoaxes that became popular in those that are not so popular I guess what I’m trying to say is John O’Connor has done a wonderful job telling the history of Bigfoot from every aspect he even discusses what type of people are obsessed with the bipedal international monster we all have an opinion on。 Needless to say I so enjoyed this book and read it all in one day it is humorous educational informational and most especially entertaining what a great read！ I want to thank the author the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review。 。。。more
Tag
-
the secret history of bigfoot the secret history of bigfoot field notes on a north american monster by john o’connor