Last updated: June 27, 2026
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| Author | Leslie Kean |
| Publisher | Harmony Books |
| Published | 2010 |
| Rating | ★★★★★ |
The book that changed mainstream coverage
When journalist Leslie Kean’s UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record was published in 2010, it did something no previous UAP book had managed: it placed the subject on the front page of The New York Times and made it genuinely difficult for serious journalists to dismiss. The reason was simple. Kean had assembled a group of contributors — retired military generals, commercial airline pilots, government officials — whose credibility was beyond question, and she had persuaded them to go on record with their experiences and conclusions. The result is the most important piece of UAP journalism published in the modern era.What it covers
The book is structured around first-person contributions from senior officials across multiple countries: a retired USAF general, a Belgian Air Force general, senior pilots from commercial and military aviation, a former governor of Arizona, and others. Each account describes UAP encounters or investigations from the perspective of someone with no professional incentive to fabricate or exaggerate. Kean’s own chapters frame the contributions, provide historical context, and make the case for a serious national and international investigative program. She is measured, analytical, and careful not to overstate what the evidence supports — qualities that distinguish her work from most in the field.Why it matters
This book directly preceded the modern disclosure era. It established professional relationships between Kean and the intelligence and military sources whose documents she later helped bring to The New York Times — the December 2017 story that broke AATIP to the public and launched the current disclosure movement. Without this book, that story may not have happened. It also remains the single best introduction to UAP for skeptical readers, because its contributors are exactly the kind of people skeptics typically invoke as the standard of credibility.Caveats
The book was published before the AATIP revelations and the Nimitz footage release, so it predates the most significant evidentiary developments of the last decade. Some of the cases it discusses have since received more rigorous analysis. But as a document of credible witness testimony, it holds up entirely.Who it’s for
The ideal first book for skeptics, newcomers, and anyone who finds the subject difficult to take seriously. Also essential for journalists covering the UAP beat.Where to get it
Frequently Asked Questions
What is UFOs: Generals, Pilots, and Government Officials Go on the Record about?
Published in 2010 by journalist Leslie Kean, this book compiles firsthand accounts from credentialed government officials, military pilots, and senior figures worldwide who witnessed UAP. Kean limits the book strictly to the most credible, documented cases and argues the evidence demands a formal government investigation.
Who is Leslie Kean?
Leslie Kean is an investigative journalist who co-authored the 2017 New York Times article that broke the story of the Pentagon’s secret UAP program (AATIP), helping spark the modern disclosure movement. Her 2010 book was among the most rigorous journalistic treatments of UAP evidence available at the time.
What makes the sources in this book credible?
Kean applied a strict editorial standard: only witnesses with professional credentials — military pilots, government officials, aerospace scientists — who reported incidents through official channels and were willing to attach their names were included. The book excludes anecdotal or anonymous claims entirely.
How does this book relate to current UAP disclosure efforts?
Several individuals featured or cited in the book went on to become central figures in the formal disclosure movement — including Lou Elizondo and Christopher Mellon. The book’s documented cases overlap significantly with those now being investigated by AARO.
