American military paranoia at its most extreme, insane, amusing -- and alarming Why are they blasting Iraqi prisoners-of-war with the theme tune to Barney the Purple Dinosaur? And why have 100 de-bleated goats been secretly placed inside the Special Forces command centre at Fort Bragg, North Carolina? In 1979 a secret unit was established by the most gifted minds within the US Army. Defying both military practice and the laws of physics, they believed a soldier could become invisible, pass through walls and, perhaps most chillingly, kill goats just by staring at them. With first-hand access to the leading players in the story, Ronson has traced the evolution of these bizarre activities over the past three decades, and poses questions no-one else has yet dared to ask about which of them -- and more -- are happening still.

About the Author

Jon Ronson is an award-winning writer and documentary maker. He is the author of three bestsellers: Them: Adventures with Extremists, The Men Who Stare at Goats and The Psychopath Test, and two collections, Out of the Ordinary: True Tales of Everyday Craziness and What I Do: More True Tales. He lives in London.

Reviews

Passing through walls. Killing goats with a cool gaze. Just some of the paranormal activities the U.S. Army's First Earth Battalion reputedly tried to accomplish. From the author of the equally weird but scary Them. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.