The Book That "Killed British Ufology"?

 Many years ago, around 1977, I was told that Arthur Shuttlewood's UFOs Key To The New Age was "the book that killed off interest in Warminster and damaged British Ufology".

Last week I was on Ebay and up popped a copy for £12 post free. I ordered it before even thinking.

The book arrived this morning and I have read it.

The book is a huge pile of crap from start to finish. Shuttlewood desperately tried to pull in the New Agers" but failed. I have never read so much 'scientific' material that was so badly researched or understood by Shuttlewood and even back in 1971 the contents of the book were easily proven to be utter drivel. I can understand now why so many in British Ufology distanced themselves from him.

Shuttlewood was either a gullible fool who took anything told him as a solid 100% fact or he was devious and trying to pull in visitors to Warminster and fill his own pocket by using the old newspaperman's excuse of "Someone said it so we published it".

After The Warminster Mystery and More UFOs Over Warminster I believe that he saw how bored people were getting with stories of lights flying about and so Warnings From Flying Friends was dippiong his toes in the New Age water -hey, "counter Culture" was big news back then (although over exaggerated by press and media).

His contact with the Aenstrian left me wondering at the time whether he had some sort of breakdown. I don't think he did. I think he knew exactly what he was doing especially "you may disagree?" and "if this is true?".

The first two books were a good record of a series of incidents around a Wiltshire town that no one had heard of and the furore that attracted TV personalities and Ufologists.

I did wonder whether, like many, with no open UFO landings and contact he followed that lost path to everything being psychic etc. No. That does not wash.

I hate saying it as he appeared to be a charming man but my opinion of him has changed but, unlike many in 1977, I am not throwing out the first two books which should remain of social and Ufological interest.