Sasquatch: Legend Meets Science

I've been interested in the subject of Bigfoot/Sasquatch since I first read about them sometime back in the early 1970s. Since that time, I have read probably more than 30 books on the subject. Of those 30, I would say that about half of them were primarily geared towards telling an exciting story, while not really delving very deeply into a discussion of the evidence. This book by Professor Meldrum is easily the best written and the most scientific and methodical of them all. Every aspect of the available evidence for the existence of Sasquatch is covered in grand detail, and in clear and concise language that is easy to follow and comprehend. That evidence includes stories of Sasquatch sightings and encounters (both modern and historical), Native American/First Nations oral histories of the creatures, examinations of Sasquatch footprints, handprints, and the "Skookum Cast" (and even a Sasquatch butt print!), photographic and video evidence, sound recordings, a possible ancient ancestor called Gigantopithecus, a statistical analysis of habitat and food availability in North America for a large primate, DNA and other psychical evidence, dermatoglyphics studies from the dermal ridges found from castings that have been made, and even a close examinations of some of the known hoaxes and the people who perpetrated them. I applaud the author for the very professional way in which he has approached this subject, while still managing to tell as exciting of a story as any of the sensationalistic tomes that I've read in the past. It is quite the achievement to be able to educate and entertain at the same time. I highly recommend this book. It will take its place at the top of the available literature on the subject of Bigfoot/Sasquatch/Forest Giants/North American Apes that live among us. Well done!

If you buy only one book on Bigfoot, this would be the one. Excellent quality, packed full of information. However, news flash; recently uncovered film from 1966 reveals that the primary subject of this film to have been a hoax, rendering much of the material obsolete. However, if you’re a fan of the subject, this is a must have.

This is a great compilation of credible evidence by credible people, and a good historical account of why there is so much controversy about a fairly simple undiscovered-animal topic.

Dr. Jeff Meldrum has written a fine book about Sasquatch, Bigfoot and the scientific case for their existence. His book covers first hand exp. of Sasquatch and Bigfoot sightings, reports, encounters, historical reports (many by Native Americans of North America) scientific evidence for the existence of these creatures including dermal ridges from footprints, handprints, body casts, video footage (such as from the famous Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin film of "Patty" from the 1960's shot in (or near) Willow Creek, California) sound analysis of recordings of these creatures, DNA evidence including suspected hairs, fecal matter, saliva and even blood. A variety of experts have been consulted on these issues, some of whom are doctors and scientists. This book also has a section on Cryptozoology. This book has 16 chapters in it and is about 300 pages long. Skeptics and their claims are also dealt with in this book to a certain extent. The book is very interesting to read though it is written in a very scientific and technical manner that sometimes may be hard to read for an average person like me who only know basic science, biology and zoology. I give Dr. Meldrum's book 4/5 stars for a well written book and very interesting to read that deals with the Sasquatch and Bigfoot phenomenon in a serious and scientific manner. On a side note a video of the same name is also available on here and youtube as well.

No confirming evidence of Bigfoot's existence has ever been found, but it seems logically impossible that all of the reported sightings are either hoaxes, delusions, or cases of mistaken identity. So, where does that leave us? People are seeing something, but what it is I have no clue. This book does not prove the existence of Sasquatch, but it does make an extremely strong case for not sarcastically dismissing the possibility. Until someone actually captures - or God forbid, kills - a Bigfoot, the burden of proof is on believers to prove that a creature we commonly call Sasquatch is real, not on skeptics to prove that it is not. And that is only fair. Indeed, how could such a large primate still exist undetected? Some say it couldn't, and that is where the discussion usually ends. This is perhaps the best of the genre in my humble view. Meldrum covers all the proverbial bases in great, painstaking detail. If you only can read one book on Bigfoot, this should be it I'd say. Author Jeff Meldrum argues - quite persuasively - that there exists ample collective anecdotal, scientific and historic evidence that people are seeing something they cannot explain. In the aggregate, it is simply too much to just laugh off, or flippantly dismiss. Who, exactly, would want to fake all of this, and why? Are we supposed to believe that a multitude of pranksters in rented gorilla suits are running all over the country in a brazen effort to scam the public? How would some lone goofball in a chimp costume with really big fake feet possibly know which isolated logging road in the middle of nowhere would be a good spot to jump out and scare the occassional weekend hiker, or camper? Is this some bizarre nationwide conspiracy created to mislead us about the existence of Bigfoot-like animals? For what possible purpose? People in academia who are bagging on Meldrum should first try to rationally explain away the mountain of evidence he has compiled here. To be sure, critics have waxed eloquently about how Meldrum is allegedly dragging legitimate science through the mud with his Quixotic quest to find Bigfoot. However, that same mud contains tracks from some unknown creature that have been discovered - again and again and again - thoughout America, for centuries, but that the naysayers claim cannot possibly exist. Yet, there they are. What are we to make of this, and why oppose Meldrum's honest effort to find out what the truth really is? How is it even mathematically possible that ALL of the sightings are frauds, fakes, or misidentifications? To borrow the line from the Arnold movie, "Predator", and this pretty much sums it up: "There is something out there waiting for us...and it ain't no man".

Dr. Jeff Meldrum has done a wonderful job at introducing his audience to the need for an honest, scientific, and open-minded examination of the plethora of evidence already gathered. Though the subject is being taken more seriously with each passing year, the unwavering support of the citizenship of Sasquatchery and the same from the scientific community is even more important now. There will always be hard skeptics who cannot be convinced, even with all the current evidence. Our job is not to convert skeptics. It is simply to enjoy the journey and meet some great people along the way like Dr. Meldrum, Don Keating, Marc Dewerth, Cliff Barackman, Matt Pruitt, James Fay, Lyle Blackburn, and so many others. Once the species is cataloged and accepted, our focus can shift to protection of the species and further study. Dr. Meldrum has his fingers on the pulse of the Sasquatch phenomena and what a great learning experience this has been. Such a great read! Mark McClure

Well researched and well written. Very convincing arguments and logic. Recommended for anyone with an interest in the reality of Bigfoot.

Dr. Meldrum has deftly woven a fast-paced work of popular science that neatly summarizes--occasionally from a detailed zoological perspective--what we know about sasquatch. Now, I didn't notice all that much difference from Dr. Krantz's work of a few years back, "Big Footprints" (except that Meldrum's opus is copiously and, moreover, supportively illustrated) but that is no surprise, given that Krantz almost literally "passed the baton" to Meldrum as the leading sasquatch researcher of the current generation. It still troubles me that a living sample has yet to be collected. It would help tremendously to kill and dissect a living animal. (The characterization of "monster" vice "animal" is unquestionably what causes the public to scoff at the whole quest. No, sasquatch may be a remarkable animal, but he is just an animal: he eats, sleeps, defecates, copulates, and dies. O.K., perhaps he's a sasquanimal.) I frankly disbelieve those hunters who claim to have rifle-scoped a sasquatch but declined to shoot because of some vague empathic vibes. They're just flat liars. But, if you think about it, there hasn't actually been that much effort directed at bagging an animal: certainly, reputable scientists must scrimp and scrape to self-fund expeditions, and they still risk their reputations on this quondam taboo pursuit. I laud Dr. Meldrum for two important tenets of the book: first, his reluctance to rely solely upon the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film, which--though logically demonstrable to be authentic--still raises hackles among some scholars; and second, his exhaustive forensic analysis of the Skookum body cast. I, for one, had believed that the body cast was utter nonsense: surely, how can you claim that a few scrapes in the mud are evidence of an eight-hundred-pound bipedal ape stalking the forests of Washington? When I read--slowly, carefully--mulled, and digested the cooperative analyses of Meldrum and his scholarly buddies, I was utterly floored at the criticality and incontrovertibility of the artifact. All in all, it is most unfortunate that diehard unbelievers will remain unconvinced, while diehard believers need no more convincing. The important question is whether those folks who yet "ride the fence" will be prodded in the believers' direction through Dr. Meldrum's engaging prose. I believe the answer is resoundingly affirmative. Yack 'em and sack 'em, sasquatchman!

Love this book. Big fan of Jeff Meldrum. He brings a very balanced approach to the subject. To sceptics I would say: ‘Not everyone can be wrong about the existence and their experience of Sasquatch.’ There have been too many encounters.

El difunto Jeff Meldrum le dio un enfoque científico a este tema y te dejará boquiabierto. Es una lectura convincente y cautivadora.

Vakkundig geschreven en uitgewerkt, er wordt aandacht besteed aan de hoaxes én de (mogelijke) echte gevallen omtrent Sasquatch/Bigfoot.

A well written and eminently readable book where the science is made crystal clear and many myths and false claims that confuse the issue are debunked and laid to rest With all the evidence presented in this book I am at a loss to know why the scientific establishment is so reluctant to identify this secretive next of kin cousin of ours.

Perfect for the person I got this for. He really loved it. Very scientific based information. Not just personal "sightings" that can't be authenticated.