Introduction by USI
The Report On Unidentified Flying Objects is a classic non-fiction account of USAF investigations into the UFO phenomenon during the early 1950s. Written by Edward J. Ruppelt and first published in 1956, its copyright was not renewed and consequently it has become part of the public domain, thereby permitting it to be freely copied and distributed without license or restriction.
It remains one of the most important ufology books ever written and USI has presented the entire text here for online viewing. The Complete & Unabridged version ( pictured left ) was expanded in 1960 to accommodate three additional chapters ( 18-20 ). These chapters have generated some controversy among ufologists. USI has provided Commentary On the Abridged Version on the following page. On some pages USI has also inserted footnotes and/or links to add context. The page numbers also differ from the printed version. This was necessary to improve the online layout. Apart from these features, no changes have been made and the original content remains intact.

Navigating

Your browser needs to be a full version browser ( not an iPad or mobile phone ) and must be JavaScript enabled, or most of the navigation and search features will not work. The book is divided into its original chapters, each accessible via drop-down links located under the book's entry in the main index under the Articles tab. You can open or close the drop-down menu by clicking on its main index link.
On a widescreen monitor pages are displayed side by side like a normal book. However on the old standard 4:3 ratio monitors, pages will be stacked vertically, and the bottom line of some pages will be formatted with wide spaces between each word. This is due to the way that web browsers adapt to various monitor sizes and nothing practical can be done to make sure that the last line always fits as well as it would in a printed publication. Each page has a header and footer navigation panel that facilitates forward or backward movement by page or chapter.
As part of the USI TRUFO eBook Project, links are also being added to better illuminate the content, particularly within the context of what has been learned since. Linked articles are created as time and resources permit, and volunteers are encouraged to submit relevant information.
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The ebook is free for anyone to view and no USI membership is required. However USI will graciously accept donations and if you are not already a USI member, you can get your free lifetime membership here.

Adding Bookmarks

The bookmarking commands that are built into your browser will only save the USI home page location. However you can create bookmarks to specific pages by selecting the bookmark icon between the forward and back arrows in the navigation panels. In MSIE and Firefox the link opens your "Add a Favorite" or "Add Bookmark" dialog window and automatically inserts the current page location and name. Less capable browsers, it will open a page with instructions on how to save the location using another method. Your browser must be JavaScript enabled or the bookmarking feature will not work.

Commentary on the Abridged Version

The abridged version has been the subject of much speculation and debate because in the added material, Ruppelt seems to make an about-face by downplaying UFOs, going so far as to call them a "Space Age Myth". Ruppelt's detractors simply dismiss this as perfectly normal, suggesting that Ruppelt was far more skeptical than advertised. More than a few ufologists think otherwise and believe he was pressured by officialdom play down UFOs. Depending on how one interprets the situation, both points of view can be seen as true. How is that possible?
One of the reasons detractors say that Ruppelt was never pressured is because his wife never said he was. However this is not surprising. Military families accept the military lifestyle and what would be considered pressure for a civilian reporter would simply be following protocol in the military. Additionally, Ruppelt had a Top Secret clearance, so it is more than likely that he never discussed all the details of his work with his wife. But even if his wife knew all the details, given the sociopolitical climate of the times ( The Cold War & Vietnam War ), a simple request to tone down any additions to his book would seem relatively inconsequential. From a wife's perspective, she had it pretty good compared to other wives whose husbands were on active duty.
Another point to consider is that Ruppelt died when he was only 39 years old from heart failure. So even if his wife did know something, it is doubtful she would have risked losing any benefits she may have been entitled to by disclosing anything.
As for official pressure on Ruppelt to do things differently, the Robertson Panel recommendations on how Project Blue Book should be run were something Ruppelt took issue with and felt so strongly about that it led to him being reassigned. The manuscript for his book also had to be cleared by the USAF prior to publication.
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