The Secret History of Bigfoot: Field Notes on a North American Monster

Written by John O'Connor

Narrated by Matt Godfrey

From the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest to off-the-wall cryptozoological conventions, one man searches high and low for the answer to the question: real or not, why do we want to believe?



Bigfoot is an instantly recognizable figure. Through the decades, this elusive primate has been featured in movies and books, and on coffee mugs, beer koozies, car polish, and CBD oil. Which begs the question: what is it about Bigfoot that's caught hold of our imaginations?



Journalist and self-diagnosed skeptic John O'Connor is fascinated by Sasquatch. Curious to learn more, he embarks on a quest through the North American wilds in search of Bigfoot, its myth and meaning. Alongside an eccentric cast of characters, he explores the zany and secretive world of "cryptozoology," tracking Bigfoot through ancient folklore to Harry and the Hendersons, while examining the forces behind our ever-widening belief in the supernatural. As O'Connor treks through the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest, listens to firsthand accounts, and attends Bigfoot conventions, he's left wondering—what happens when the lines between myth and reality blur? This heartfelt exploration of a cornerstone of American folklore unpacks why we believe in the things that we do, what that says about us, and how it shapes our world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Feb 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9798350836301

John O'Connor

John O'Connor was born in Killorglin, Co Kerry. He was a member of the staff of the National Library of Ireland for a number of years where he specialised in historical research. Later he took up appointment in the public service when he regularly represented Ireland at international meetings. He was a member of the inaugural Kilmainham Restoration Committee.

Reviews for The Secret History of Bigfoot

[danielle albrechr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although I loved the writing style, found the content interesting, and enjoyed the narration, the segments of the author’s political comments were unnecessary for the content and detracted from my overall enjoyment.

[melissarochelle_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An interesting exploration of what we (Americans) are willing to believe and not believe with a central focus on Bigfoot chasers (hunters? believers? worshippers?). We also delve into other American critters, including a chapter on the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker (is it extinct or just really good at evading birders?) and discussion of the psychology of memory (we do not remember exactly what we saw, we remember the story we tell ourselves). I especially enjoyed learning about the indigenous stories about Bigfoot-like creatures. Also lots of Thoreau and Merton references which is interesting because I plan on listening to Walden soon and maybe reading reading some Thomas Merton next year. It left me thinking about belief, spirituality, and where the two intersect.

Something about this book reminded me of Lyanda Haupt's book Rooted and that I definitely need to check out Bill Bryson's book, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail.

[stevesbookstuff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

TL/DR: O’Connor uses the world of Bigfoot believers as a starting off point for exploring the big question of why we humans have a need to believe in the first place. At times hilarious, the book is deeply intellectual and well written.

************

To say that John O’Connor’s The Secret History of Bigfoot is a metaphysical and sociological critique of belief in today’s America would make the book sound very highbrow. Highbrow it might be, but it’s also a lot of fun to read. I picked this book up not realizing that the title was both tongue-in-cheek and also just the starting point for this well written essay on our need to believe. It’s a great read, hilarious in some places, deeply philosophical in others. In fact, it’s the best book I’ve read so far this year.

O’Connor is intrigued by Bigfoot and apparently has been for a number of years. He’s a confirmed skeptic, but one who recognizes that you can’t prove a negative - there is no way to say definitively that Bigfoot doesn’t exist. O’Connor has himself participated in organized Bigfoot expeditions (with the excuse of researching a story) and sets out some of those adventures in this book.

But the book isn’t focused on proving or disproving the existence of Bigfoot. Rather, it asks the question why we humans have a need to believe in things like Bigfoot in the first place. And out of that human need, what kind of person would be so driven by that belief to act on it by participating in organized Bigfoot expeditions.

Bigfoot expeditions are just the starting point for O’Connor. He ranges far afield, looking at the question of belief from a number of angles. Much of his exploring stays based in the paranormal or psuedo-religious beliefs in Bigfoot, but it doesn’t end there.

O’Connor spends much of a chapter telling the story of the “rediscovery” of the extinct ivory-billed woodpecker by an experienced ornithologist who believed he saw the extinct bird on a visit to an Arkansas swamp. He pulled together a team of ornithologists who documented further sightings and published a paper heralding the non-extinction of this extinct species. Unfortunately, no one else ever sights an ivory-billed woodpecker, and after much searching, they are once again declared extinct. The parallels to Bigfoot are obvious.

O’Connor also digs into Native American tales of Bigfoot-like creatures, and speaks with Native Americans, some of whom claim these creatures still exist and appear to their people to this day. All of them draw a distinction between their tribal beliefs and the creature they believe in, and the notion of Bigfoot they attribute to the White Man.

And that idea reinforces a pattern O’Connor notes in his participation in organized Bigfoot expeditions and conferences. Most of those in attendance are male. Almost all of them are white. Most are working-class or lower middle class. Many have military backgrounds.

Among the men who O’Connor talks with are some who believe they’ve seen Bigfoot themselves. Others are intrigued enough to want to experience a Bigfoot sighting but have (so far) not encountered the creature. Whatever it is that brings them into the Bigfoot world, one thing that keeps them coming back is the camaraderie that comes along with the sense of a common belief among the group — a sense of belonging.

The parallels with Trumpism, and with QAnon and other right wing conspiracy theories, floats around mostly unspoken, but O’Connor does comment on it more than once, and as the book draws to its conclusion makes some explicit connections.

"The working-class white man feels trapped and, even worse, in a society that purports to be democratic, ignored. The tax burden is crushing him, and the quality of his life does not seem to justify his exertions." Hamill presciently warned that the white working class "is beginning to look for someone to blame. That someone is almost certainly going to be the black man," and "if the stereotyped black man is becoming the working-class white man's enemy, the eventual enemy might be the democratic process itself." - Pete Hammill, writing in 1969 (yet sounding as if he could have written this today), as quoted by John O’Connor in The Secret History of Bigfoot

I should point out that the humor in this book is, like all good humor, self-effacing — pointed directly at the author himself, and not at the expense of his fellow Bigfoot hunters. O’Connor is a Michigander by birth, born in Kalamazoo. A good part of the humor comes from his acknowledgment of his self-conscious Michigan-ness. As a Michigan boy myself I found that refreshing and revealing.

[jamesmikealhill · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyed this less for the personal ramblings and more for the psychological insight about "witness accounts" and how bad first-person accounts are. Quick read.

[nvblue · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

My thanks to NetGalley for the Advance Reader Copy

Rating: 2 out of 5
The thrill, needless to say, is in the hunt. But it’s also in wilderness’s capacity to exceed your imagination, literally and metaphorically. A world that “displays itself in hiding,” to borrow John Berger’s phrase, contains immensities.
I’m not a Bigfooter. I haven’t looked into cryptozoological related things since I was an early teenager (A lot of die-hard Young Earth Creationists are obsessed with those things). I’ll admit that I consumed a lot of Nessie related material during that stretch, but have since come to terms with ‘reality’. I’ve been reading a delightful novel, The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon, which features a trio of young kids who are fascinated by ‘monsters’. The novel reminded me of my own fondish memories of growing up wondering about strange creatures. So when I saw this book I thought that I might as well give it a try.

This book fits into the ever growing category of books-who’s-title-doesn’t-match-their-subject-matter. This is neither a history of Bigfoot (secrecy is also utterly irrelevant), nor does the book really fit with its subtitle evoking field notes. Rather, this is a book with long sections of surface-level psychology and Instagram worthy (read non-nuanced here) racial/social commentary peppered with some camping trips. Oh, and we mustn’t forget politics. I couldn’t tell you how many times Trump, MAGA, and other related figures popped up. Pinkie promise, I am not reading a book on Bigfoot to be regaled with the stupidity of American politics. That being said, I will be adding ‘Tangerine Tornado’ to my list of epithets for the Mango Man.

I really enjoyed the first chapter or so, I thought that the wittyish commentary was engaging (A favorite: “we each have our peculiar talents and that is mine: complaining”). Its also nice to read about small league modern American adventures; the extended camping trip; the quasi-wilderness; the getting away from society’s bustle but still having a home to return to. Alas, this first chapter raised my hopes up way too high. The witty commentary becomes repetitive and degrades into cheap shots being lobbed at long-dead people (yeah Herodotus and Co. weren’t experts on geography, but then again nobody was/is).

The world does not need another summary of Joseph Campbell, Jung, or anyone of that nature. If I wanted to read a Wikipedia article I would go and read a Wikipedia article. O’Connor tried to tie Bigfoot into myth stereotype, attempting to explain that the mind needs monsters and mystery etc. but the whole dialogue felt very topical, forced, and inexpert.

I’m really confused as to what the purpose of this book was. As a person who’s uninitiated into Bigfoot lore I didn’t learn hardly anything about the phenomena. The same could be said for the commentary on psychology and delusion. I also don’t think this book is designed with Bigfoot enthusiasts in mind (nobody wants to be casually shrunk and mocked), or skeptics, who wouldn’t have much to take away from this book. I also don’t really get why O’Conner was doing this for himself. When he was working with a film crew trying to understand the infamous Patterson-Gilmin film, O’Connor writes: “I’ll be perfectly frank. To get a grip on whether this is actually possible would be to truly understand things I don’t care to understand.” While he was just referring to filming jargon, in my mind, that quote applies to the entire book.

All in all, I found the section on the ivory-billed woodpecker the most interesting.

[kalliegrace · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

2.5 stars. I probably should have listened to the reviews on this one, as they are largely accurate. This is less a history of Bigfoot, and more accurately a look at one conspiracy in the midst of a lot of other cultural conspiracies. It's hard to say who this book is for, as he points out most Bigfoot believers are right wing nuts, but he disparages Trump and antivaxxers about as often as he brings up Bigfoot here. Don't get me wrong, our politics are very similar on those counts, but that's not the book I was trying to read. I was hoping Grover Krantz would have made an appearance here as well, being a world class anthropologist who turned to the "dark side" of Bigfoot belief. Not a mention. Apparently a good Bigfoot history is still as elusive as the myth itself.

[othemts · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When my son was younger, he began an interest in cryptozoology by watching the cable TV show "Finding Bigfoot."  The show was both entertaining and absurd, as they never actually found a Sasquatch despite the title.  I created my own conspiracy theory that the cast were actually people who just really loved backwoods camping and scammed Animal Planet to pay for all their equipment.


Of course, there are lots of people who believe Bigfoot is real and the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization exists to support their attempts to find evidence to prove the existence of this species.  Author John O'Connor spends time with this people on Squatching expeditions and notes that they are generally good and companionable people despite their unorthodox beliefs.  In fact, O'Connor does a good job of making sure that his book does not tease or exploit the Bigfoot believers.


Instead O'Connor focuses on various issues that contribute to the belief in Bigfoot.  He relates the history of the Bigfoot phenomenon and how it relates to other benign obsessions like UFOs and more dangerous conspiracy theories that have gained currency with the supporters of Donald Trump and Qanon.  Psychological studies that show the flaws of crime witness reports and memory shed some light on why people may believe they've spotted a Bigfoot.  O'Connor researches legends of Native Americans regarding Bigfoot-like creatures, but also notes that the Bigfoot phenomenon reflects the fears that white Americans have of nature.  The ideas of leaving civilization behind for the wilderness and solitude are reflected upon by the likes of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Thomas Merton.  O'Connor also tells the parallel story of the birding community of how some people who look for the ivory-billed woodpecker, believed to be extinct since the 1940s, are met with ridicule but persist in their search.


I like how O'Connor approaches the topic from so many different angles.  I also like that O'Connor makes his dislike for IPAs and the Yankees known, and just how he integrates his personality into the book.  We may never find Bigfoot, but you can find out a lot about humanity and the enduring popularity of myth by reading this book.