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Title: The Making of Bigfoot: The Inside Story by Greg Long, Kal K. Korff ISBN: 1-59102-139-1 Publisher: Prometheus Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 2004 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 2.81 (58 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: Mixed emotions about this book
Comment: After reading the vehemently critical reviews of Greg Long's book I wondered what to expect. Would it be an utter piece of trash as some reviewers claimed, or would it be a thorough investigation of a famous film? I found it to fall somewhere between the two.
This book is not a hard-hitting piece of investigative journalism. It's the overly personal tale of a man whose curiosity about Roger Patterson grew into an obsession. The story follows his journey investigating the Patterson-Gimlin bigfoot film over a period of several years. During that time we learn about Greg's fondness for carbonated beverages and about the ease with which he is moved to tears. Personally, I would have preferred a more analytical approach to this folksy, rambling journey with Greg and Pat Long. I also did not appreciate the constant disparaging descriptions of what Greg obviously perceived to be physical, emotional or mental imperfections in his interviewees.
However, Greg does present a very compelling case that Roger Patterson was ethically-challenged at best, and a consummate conman at worst. Greg presents the case that Patterson had the motivation, ability and total lack of moral integrity required to foist a bigfoot hoax. Greg did a very thorough job interviewing those connected with Roger Patterson, at least those who were willing to talk to him. Whether a person agrees or disagrees with Greg's conclusions, it's clear that he accomplished what no one else has done -- he gathered and compiled the statements of those in a position to know the principals in this story.
Some things about Greg's investigation trouble me. It appears that he spent little, if any, time considering, let alone answering the arguments of the proponents of the film and their "experts". I would've liked to have seen clear and credible answers to the claims of the cryptozoologists. (Even if cryptozoology is not a credible science in itself. I checked, and there are no accredited universities anywhere in the world offering degrees in cryptozoology.)
Apparently Greg either did not anticipate the criticisms of his book, or he didn't care about them. I think his reliance on anecdotal evidence is inadequate. The pictures Greg provided of Morris' costumes only add fuel to the outrage and ridicule by his critics. I don't understand why he didn't handle that issue more convincingly.
Is this book worth reading? I think it is. Greg raises some issues which the proponents of the film have not been able to answer. He clearly paints a picture of Roger Patterson as a brilliant, talented conman and passionate bigfoot enthusiast who bragged that he would make a millin dollars off of bigfoot. Those who unquestioningly accept the veracity of the film consider Patterson's pattern of unethical behavior to be totally irrelevant. They feel that Greg has raised no questions worth consideration. In this regard they are as short-sighted as Greg's refusal to address their "evidence". Instead they rant, engage in name calling and outright character assasination.
The book leaves me with one last question: Why has Patterson's "Indian Guide", Bob Gimlin, not yet sued either Bob Heronimus for slander or Greg Long for libel? (...)Gimlin's silence in this regard adds weight to the argument that Greg might actually have uncovered the truth. If Gimlin remains silent, then perhaps he does so primarily because Greg Long has stumbled onto the truth. Perhaps the book uncovers too many inconsistencies in Gimlin and Patterson's stories and Mr. Gimlin knows his charges of libel would not stand up in a court of law.
Rating: 4
Summary: very convincing
Comment: The author does an excellent job at interviewing all the witnesses of bigfoot. He is very careful to re-check anybody's story. The book is filled with so many details it can take a while to read. The only criticism I would have is I don't think he is a very interesting writer. When ever he starts to become reflective about his life or tries to make an analogy or metaphor, he isen't a very literary writer. But since his intention is to be an investigative journalist, his weaknesses as a writer dosen't matter as much. The investigative interviews are what make the book worth reading.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Knockout Punch! Adios, Bigfoot Hoax
Comment: I honestly wasn't expecting a whole lot from this book. I knew from the reviews I'd read that the author had no "smoking gun" to prove his thesis that the famous Roger Patterson film of "Bigfoot" is a hoax -- and I'm a stickler for hard evidence.
Well, Greg Long had me hooked from the get-go. As the testimony of one witness follows another and then another, a picture emerges that is as definitive as it is damning. In fact, I quickly found I COULD NOT PUT THE BOOK DOWN -- it's that captivating, that compelling, and that convincing.
Make no mistake, this is not just a book about "Bigfoot." It's a cautionary tale about how ridiculously easy it is to fool people, and how many people there are who so desperately want -- or perhaps need -- to be fooled.
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Title: The Locals: A Contemporary Investigation of the Bigfoot/Sasquatch Phenomenon by Thom Powell ISBN: 0888395523 Publisher: Hancock House Pub Ltd Pub. Date: 01 November, 2003 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Bigfoot! : The True Story of Apes in America by Loren Coleman ISBN: 0743469755 Publisher: Paraview Pocket Books Pub. Date: 08 April, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Raincoast Sasquatch: Bigfoot, Sasquatch Evidence from Indian Lore by Robert Alley ISBN: 0888395086 Publisher: Hancock House Pub Ltd Pub. Date: 01 July, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Cryptozoology: Science & Speculation by Chad Arment ISBN: 1930585152 Publisher: Coachwhip Publications Pub. Date: February, 2004 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Manlike Monsters on Trial: Early Records and Modern Evidence by Marjorie M. Halpin ISBN: 077480288X Publisher: University of British Columbia Press Pub. Date: 01 November, 1987 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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