A superb read!Lavelle guides us through a loose history of our public fascination with alien life and also provides a good review, and contextualisation, of several key UFO events through history such as the Roswell incident in 1947, the Gimbal incident captured by US Navy FLIR in 2017, and the Rendlesham Forest incident in 1980. Throughout the book we are given interesting, quirky and informal insight into the spectrum of belief of key figures the author encountered in his journeying through America; from eyewitnesses to abductees, to government insiders to optimistic astrophysicists and to those ‘star children’ who truly believe they are descended from alien ancestors.Lavelle is consistently open to wanting to believe but time and time again reigns in his imagination by seeking that ultimate ‘smoking gun proof’ needed to convert ever growing ‘faith’, and it really is just that, into substantiated fact. We would all do well to be as scientifically minded and self-aware here, alas most align themselves with the legendary X Files investigator Fox Mulder: they simply want to believe. And this is what I took the most away from reading this book, the incredible and surprising willingness to believe in alien life and a real hope for extraterrestrial intervention. In an age where we are seeing increases in younger generations returning to religion, turning to philosophy to better understand themselves and the world around them, adopting alternative ways of living and thinking an increase in those blindly believing will undoubtedly rise exponentially; for better or worse. Of course, like everything, there are those that will seek to exploit those in their faith. The con artists and snake oil salesmen and Lavelle does not shy away from discussing them and the gross exploitation on their part either. It is these people that consistently muddy the waters for all and make mockery of those at SETI attempting to professionally and scientifically search for answers. I thought this a fantastic read and one I hope to highlight as much as possible going forward. Bonus points awarded for quoting the great Christopher Hitchens too! “What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence”.

A timely book that not only explores the desire to believe, but also the extremes that people will go to in order to make the world believe.Lavelle immerses himself in a subculture that takes no prisoners as he is shunned by some, but then embraced by others, from watching a play in the home of a scientist whose belief drives him to make grand claims, to meeting Starseeds, whose claims about their alien connections are absolutely wild. A few famous old cases make an appearance, with a deliberate hoax thrown in to offer an interesting perspective, and what UFO book would be complete if there wasn’t content about government cover ups and military sightings? Lavelle must have had quite the adventure whilst writing this, it’s a riveting read. Funny, troubling and revealing, with questions answered and questions raised, Chasing Aliens is a must read for anyone that loves to indulge in a bit of mystery and madness. I loved it.

As a veteran Louis Theroux enjoyer and low-key alien believer - the truth is out there, right? - I was very excited to give this one a read. I was pleasantly surprised by how well-researched and balanced this was, and that it wasn't just a case of following conspiracy theorists and "alien hunters" around so that we can laugh at their ridiculousness. I thought Lavelle had the perfect balance of scepticisim and "what if?" - he approached each topic and group or person he met with genuine interest and open-mindedness, which I found refreshing, and I agreed with his overall conclusions on has there/hasn't there been alien contact with earth, and whether or not there actually is a grand government cover-up. I particularly enjoyed Lavelle's examination of why ufology and fascination with aliens is such a uniquely American phenomenon, and how this ties into contemporary culture and politics; but also that he didn't limit himself to the USA, and interviewed alien believers in the UK as well. Finally, as a big blink-182 fan, the Tom Delonge cameo was very fun. This was a great read!

Do I believe we are alone in the universe? Absolutely not!Do I believe we are being visited, studied or possible even abducted for testing and butt probing?Absolutely not(but I wish I did!) This book really intrigued me as I do believe but how Daniel Lavelle attempts to tackle this subject with an open mind proves VERY difficult with the people he encounters whilst travelling across the USA. His journey with this story just proves we should be more concerned with the people we share this planet with as opposed to the possibility of having visitors from across other galaxies. ✌️??