For decades, the story of Roswell has stood as the world’s most famous UFO incident. But what if it’s just one of more than a hundred similar events scattered across history—each pointing to a deeper, long-running program of retrieval and secrecy? That is the central premise explored in Magic Eyes Only, a landmark book by veteran UFO researcher Ryan S. Wood.

In a recent interview with historian Richard Dolan, Wood discussed the newly expanded edition of his book, the meticulous research behind it, and what decades of documentation suggest about humanity’s covert encounters with unidentified craft.

A Data-Driven Look at UFO Crash Retrievals

Ryan Wood has spent years cataloging and analyzing alleged UFO crash incidents from around the world. His approach, he explains, is not speculative but evidence-based.
Originally released in 2005, Magic Eyes Only compiled 74 crash-retrieval cases supported by documents, eyewitness testimony, and sometimes even physical evidence. The new edition expands the number to 104, reflecting newly uncovered material and updates from other investigators.

Each case in the book is assigned an authenticity rating, ranging from low to high credibility. The rating considers multiple factors—provenance of documents, witness consistency, forensic paper analysis, and corroborating reports. Most entries fall in a neutral zone, meaning that further research could move them toward or away from authenticity. The system gives readers a transparent framework to evaluate claims rather than demanding belief.

From Roswell to Cape Girardeau: A Broader Pattern

While Roswell remains the most publicized case, Wood’s research suggests that recovered craft and non-human bodies have been reported repeatedly since at least 1941, starting with the alleged Cape Girardeau, Missouri crash, which he personally investigated. Other cases span continents and decades, forming what he calls a long-term pattern of retrieval and cover-up activities managed by shadowy intelligence channels within the U.S. and allied governments.

Many of the reports connect to references found in a trove of mysterious papers known as the Majestic Documents—leaked government records that detail crash recoveries, special handling of extraterrestrial technology, and operations involving “biological entities.” Although controversial, Wood and other researchers have subjected these papers to forensic testing of ink, paper, and typewriter age, finding indications that at least some are authentically historical.

The Majestic Documents and the “Special Operations Manual”

A key element in Wood’s investigation is a classified-looking booklet titled “Extraterrestrial Entities and Technology Recovery and Disposal.” This so-called Special Operations Manual outlines procedures for securing crashed non-human craft and remains. Bearing the classification Top Secret/Magic, it is one of several documents that leaked between the 1980s and 1990s from multiple independent sources.

In total, the Majestic Documents collection exceeds 3,500 pages, originating from seven different sources over two decades. Some were negatives mailed anonymously to researchers; others are printed originals written in ink. Wood argues that this diversity makes a coordinated disinformation effort unlikely. Instead, the documents may represent fragments of a genuine, compartmentalized retrieval program that operated under the codename Majestic-12.

One recurring theme in the files is the mention of the Interplanetary Phenomenon Unit (IPU)—a real U.S. Army intelligence division acknowledged by the National Archives to have existed during the 1940s, although official records are said to be missing. The IPU’s alleged role was to investigate aerial phenomena that could not be explained by conventional aircraft.

Disinformation, Debate, and Ongoing Investigation

Wood acknowledges that not every case withstands scrutiny. Some well-known stories, such as the José Padilla “Trinity” event, have lost credibility after deeper research. Yet this process of reevaluation, he says, strengthens the field rather than weakening it. Each claim is treated as an open hypothesis subject to change as evidence evolves.

Dolan notes that Magic Eyes Only serves as both an archive and a research tool—offering future investigators a structured map of historical incidents. Even skeptics admit that if just one of these reported recoveries is genuine, it would represent the most significant discovery in human history.

Why Do They Crash?

A common question is how an advanced extraterrestrial technology could fail at all. Wood suggests several possibilities: powerful lightning discharges, radar interference, military engagement, or even biological limitations of the entities operating the craft. Some cases, he believes, may involve biological robots—engineered beings sent on one-way exploration missions.

In his view, these incidents may reflect technological trial-and-error from civilizations far older than ours. “There’s a certain number of sorties that end in mission failure,” he explains, echoing testimony by whistleblower David Grusch before the U.S. Congress in 2023.

The Larger Implications

The re-emergence of Magic Eyes Only comes at a pivotal moment. For the first time in decades, governments are publicly acknowledging that Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP) are real and under investigation. What was once fringe is now discussed in official hearings.

Wood’s updated compendium situates these current revelations within a 75-year historical continuum, arguing that crash-retrieval operations have quietly shaped defense policy, technological advancement, and public secrecy since World War II.

Ryan Wood’s Magic Eyes Only is more than a catalog of strange stories; it is a meticulous attempt to document a hidden chapter of modern history. Supported by declassified files, forensic analysis, and a transparent methodology, the book challenges readers to confront the possibility that humanity has been studying non-human technology for generations.

As Richard Dolan summarized in their discussion, if even one of these accounts proves authentic, “it will change the world.”