For years, scientists and researchers have studied, speculated about, and searched for an enigmatic creature that is legendary in the annals of American folklore. Now, learn the truth about...

BIGFOOT!

In this fascinating and comprehensive look at the fact, fiction, and fable of the North American "Sasquatch," award-winning author Loren Coleman takes readers on a journey into America's biggest mystery -- could an unrecognized "ape" be living in our midst? Drawing on over forty years of investigations, interviews, and fieldwork on these incredible beasts, Coleman explores the modern debates about these powerful, ape-like creatures, why they have remained a mystery for so long, and what we can learn about ourselves from these animals, our nearest cousins!

From reports of Bigfoot's existence found in ancient Native American traditions, to the controversial Patterson-Gimlin film of a Bigfoot in the wild, to today's Internet sites that record the sightings almost as soon as they occur, Coleman uncovers the past, explains the present, and considers the future of one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in the natural world.

The ultimate quest for the world's most mysterious creatures

The Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman -- these are the names of the elusive beasts that have caught the eye and captured the imaginations of people around the world for centuries. Recently, tales of these "monsters" have been corroborated by an increase in sightings, and out of these legends a new science has been born: cryptozoology -- the study of hidden animals.

Cryptozoology A to Z, the first encyclopedia of its kind, contains nearly two hundred entries, including cryptids (the name given to these unusual beasts), new animal finds, and the explorers and scientists who search for them. Loren Coleman, one of the world's leading cryptozoologists, teams up with Jerome Clark, editor and author of several encyclopedias, to provide these definitive descriptions and many never-before-published drawings and photographs from eyewitnesses' detailed accounts. Full of insights into the methods of these scientists, exciting tales of discovery, and the history and evolution of this field, Cryptozoology A to Z is the most complete reference ever of the newest zoological science.

Scottish zoologist IVAN TERRANCE SANDERSON (1911-1973) coined the word cryptozoology and first used it in print in this hard-to-find 1961 work, the story of "hairy hominids" across the planet from the very beginnings of human civilization until the mid 20th century. With its scientific, anthropological approach, this is one of the first books to treat the phenomenon of "Bigfoot" seriously, and introduced a groundbreaking classification system for the spectrum of subhumanoids. "I am happy that a whole new generation of cryptozoologists-in-training will be able to read Ivan T. Sanderson's classic book," says cryptozoologist Loren Coleman in his new introduction. "This book opened the minds of many to the vastness of the hominoid reports. and spotlighted for people that Bigfoot/Sasquatch research was the next area for exploration in North America." This new edition, complete with the original illustrations and maps, is part of Cosimo's Loren Coleman Presents series. LOREN COLEMAN is author of numerous books of cryptozoology, including Bigfoot!: The True Story of Apes in America and Mothman and Other Curious Encounters.

Mysterious and strange are the ocean depths, but pioneering cyptozoologist ANTOON CORNELIS OUDEMANS (1858-1943) attempted to bring some order to the realm with this 1892 survey of the reports of monsters of the sea, the first of its kind. Gathering sightings from around the globe and across the centuries, Oudemans eliminates the obvious hoaxes or honest mistakes and then, from dozens of legitimate sighting, draws conclusions about sea-serpent physiology, geographic distribution, and more. This astonishing book "still influences thoughts and theories about the great unknowns in the oceans," says cryptozoologist Loren Coleman in his new introduction in this edition, part of Cosimo's Loren Coleman Presents series.

Back in print for the first time in decades THE UNIDENTIFIED and CREATURES OF THE OUTER EDGE, the classic early works of Jerome Clark and Loren Coleman, now in a special double edition with a new introduction by the authors. "The Unidentified" finds the links that connect supernatural folklore, religious visions, cryptozoology, and modern-day UFO stories. It documents episodes from the fringes of human experience and exposes what they may tell us about ourselves and the strange world we live in, where things - whether fairies, ghosts, divine apparitions, or ostensible extraterrestrials - may be even more mysterious than they seem. "Creatures of the Outer Edge" surveys the cryptozoologically bountiful decade of the 1970s (and more) with accounts of Mothman, Owlmen, Thunderbirds, Phantom Panthers, Devil Dogs, Texas Big Birds, and, yes, of course, Bigfoot. Some of the individually "named" local Bigfoot creatures first appeared in this book, including Momo (Missouri Monster), Lake Worth Monster, Murphysboro Mud Monster, the Enfield Thing, El Reno Chicken Man, Noxie Monster, Navajo's Skinwalkers, and Yukon's Bushman. The book also introduced the now-iconic Dover Demon for the first time to the general public. Jerome Clark is a longtime ufologist and anomalist, who has appeared on NBC, ABC, the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, and A&E. He has written nearly 20 books, including two Book of the Month Club selections and the award-winning, multi-volume The UFO Encyclopedia, as well as songs recorded by Emmylou Harris, Tom T. Hall, and other country, folk, and bluegrass artists. His most recent book is Unnatural Phenomena. He lives in southwestern Minnesota with his wife, writer and editor Helene Henderson. Loren Coleman is the world's most popular living cryptozoologist. He appears frequently on television and radio, and has even been turned into a fictional character in novels and comic books. He is the author of more than two dozen books, including Bigfoot ; Mysterious America; and Cryptozoology A to Z (with Jerome Clark). His fieldwork has taken him from Scotland's Loch Ness to the rainforests of Mexico, from the Everglades to the Pacific Northwest's Bigfoot country. He lives in Portland, Maine, with his sons.