Author: Dmitri Bayanov
Written by: Henry M.
This is a very well-written book, and very educational as well. The book's main focus is the Patterson/Gimlin film. There is also a backstory behind the film which is covered, as well as the Russian analysts' take on the whole matter. Bayanov writes in a style that is comfortable and full of good information. Bayanov includes personal correspondence with several prominent figures in anthropology, cryptozoology and science, including Dr. John Napier, Dr. Grover Krantz, Richard Greenwell, Bernard Heuvelmans, Rene Dahinden, Dr. Marjorie Halpin, Dr. Donald Grieve and Bob Gimlin. Bayanov highlights the work he and several of his Russian colleagues have done on the film, luminaries such as Igor Bourtsev, Dr. Boris Porschnev and Dr. Dmitri Donskoy, who have all done work on the film and found it to be authentic, although Dr. Donskoy was a little more hesitant to get involved with hominology than his Russian colleagues were. There is also coverage of the 1978 conference on monsters held at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, which Bayanov and Bourtsev submitted a paper to for reading there. The paper was, however, not included in the book based on the conference, Manlike Monsters on Trial. Bayanov and Dahinden had an apparent falling-out with each other over Dahinden's ownership of the P/G film as well. The book is illustrated with photos and illustrations, including 8 pages of photos from the film. The book is very worth-reading, and should be read by all people interested in the subject.