S8 Ep23: The Secret History of Area 51 with Peter Merlin

On today’s episode, Matt speaks with aerospace historian Peter Merlin, whose new book, “Dreamland: The Secret History of Area 51,” is the first authoritative, scholarly history ever published on the infamous top-secret base located deep in the Nevada desert. This isn’t a book about UFOs or conspiracy theories, but instead offers a sweeping, comprehensive study of the REAL Area 51, where for seventy years the US Air Force has developed and tested classified military aircraft like the U-2 and SR-71 spy planes, the F-117 stealth fighter, and numerous other projects that will remain a secret for decades to come.Purchase Dreamland through Schiffer Publishing: https://schifferbooks.com/products/dreamland.Find Dreamland and Peter’s other books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?i=stripbooks&rh=p_27%3APeter+W.+Merlin&s=relevancerank&text=Peter+W.+Merlin&ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1.If you enjoyed the podcast, please support the show and get access to our new Patreon-only show, "Extra Shot." Go to the Secrets & Spies Patreon page and subscribe there to get access: www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpiesFor more information about the podcast, check out our website: https://secretsandspiespodcast.com/ Support Secrets and Spies:  * Subscribe to our Youtube page: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDVB23lrHr3KFeXq4VU36dg* Become a “Friend of the podcast”  on Patreon for £3 www.patreon.com/SecretsAndSpies* You can buy merchandise from our shop: https://www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/60934996?asc=uConnect with us on social media. BLUE SKY https://bsky.app/profile/secretsandspies.bsky.socialTWITTER twitter.com/SecretsAndSpiesFACEBOOK www.facebook.com/secretsandspiesINSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/secretsandspies/SPOUTIBLE   https://spoutible.com/SecretsAndSpies Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.