What good dinosaur books are available?

13rd January 2003

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Question

What books should I read to come up to speed on the current state of palaeontological wisdom, and to get the background I need in order to understand detailed technical material? Here's what I've got so far, were they good choices?

Answer

The recommendations I have had so far are as follows. Note that the links to various amazon sites are generated algorithmically from the amazon.com versions, and not all the sites feature all the books. People's comments are their own - the FAQ maintainer may agree or disagree, but takes no responsibility.

Recommendations

Since this page is loaded with links to the various Amazon stores, I figured I may as well register for the affiliates program and get a slice of any money that people spend from following these links. So - this site is brought to you in associate with Amazon!

In Association with Amazon.com In Association with Amazon.co.uk

1. The Bone Hunters: The Heroic Age of Paleontology in the American West - Lanham (1991)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``History of the Bone Rush in the American West.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

2. The Bonehunters' Revenge: Dinosaurs and Fate in the Gilded Age - David Rains Wallace (1999)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Great book about the Cope-Marsh Feud''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

3. The Compleat Cladist: A Primer of Phylogenetic Procedures - E. O. Wiley, D. R. Brooks, D. Siegel-Causey and V. A. Funk (1991)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Out of print, but is available online (free!) at www.nhm.ukans.edu/cc.html, until the new edition is printed, which is expected shortly.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

4. The Complete Dinosaur - James. O. Farlow & M. K. Brett-Surman (1997)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Very easy to read and understand for beginners, but accurate and scientific as well.''
 - Oliver Wings <oliver.wings@web.de>

5. The Complete T. Rex/How Stunning New Discoveries Are Changing Our Understanding of the World's Most Famous Dinosaur - John R. Horner & Don Lessem (1993)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``For T-Rex fans! Includes history of the T-Rex and discusses new findings on this popular dinosaur. Informative for the layman.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

6. The Crucible of Creation - Simon Conway Morris (1998)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Highly recommended. Not specific to dinosaurs, but provides good background.''
 - Ken Kinman <kinman@hotmail.com>

7. Digging Dinosaurs - John Horner (1988)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``I am tempted too take this one home from work.''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

8. Dinosaur Encyclopedia - Michael J. Benton (1984)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``If one wants a small encyclopedia (like a field guide) for both children and adults, this is highly recommended. Needs to be updated. Still useful.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

``Almost identical to Benton's Dinosaur and Other Prehistoric Animal Factfinder''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

9. Dinosaur Extinction and the End of an Era - J. David Archibald (1996)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``An another explanation regarding the K/T Boundary.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

10. The Dinosaur Heresies - Robert Bakker (1986)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``To understand the change in the study of dinosaurs in the last few decades, this is the book to read. A pioneering work.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

``(something positive, but I can't remember exactly what: I've lost the email. Oliver, contact me!)''
 - Oliver Wings <oliver.wings@web.de>

``Recommened heartily (especially with a grain of salt!)''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

11. The Dinosaur Society's Dinosaur Encyclopedia - Don Lessem, Donald F. Glut, Tracy Ford & Brian Franczak

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``I find this book very helpful. However, it lists and explains the dinosaur groups in the text, when a graphic illustration could have been included for better understanding. Still the best encyclopedia for individual dinosaurs. I wish it could be updated.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

````even with its caveats'', whatever they may be!''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

12. Dinosaur and Other Prehistoric Animal Factfinder - Michael J. Benton (1992)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Almost identical to Benton's Dinosaur Encyclopedia''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

13. Dinosaur! - David Norman

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Excellent book for any layman. Good introduction to dinosaurs.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

``A good tie-in with the four-part miniseries from a few years ago.''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

14. The Dinosauria - David B. Weishampel, Peter Dodson & Halszka Osmolska (1992)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``This is a ``must-have'' for advanced laymen. The book is very technical, but very informative. A companion volume to the Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

``A bit outdated and some chapters could be quite complicated for starters, but nevertheless an important reference book! And a new edition is in process''
 - Oliver Wings <oliver.wings@web.de>

15. Dinosaurs Alive! The Dinosaur-Bird Connection - Dennis Shealy, illustrated by Michael Skrepnick (2001)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Dinosaurs Alive! The Dinosaur-Bird Connection is the first kids' book I've seen that makes an honest attempt to explain cladistics: that's a tall order in a book of only forty-eight pages, including front and back matter, especially when about half of the pages are taken up by pictures, and large print is used throughout.

You have to admire Dennis Shealy for making the attempt. In seven short chapters he skims over subjects like evolution, extinction, natural selection, Linnaean and cladistic classification and the dinosaurian ancestry of birds. Unfortunately, in covering so much material so cursorily, something has to give: and what gives is the definition of cladistics, which is described as grouping animals ``based just on traits they have in common'', without emphasising the importance of shared derived characters. It's not exactly a fatal flaw in a book aimed at seven-year-olds, but it should have been easy enough to catch.

There are other minor oversights too: page 26 tells us that the bones of Deinonychus and of modern birds share 22 common traits; then on page 30, that there are twenty-three shared traits.

Still, let's not be picky: this is fine attempt at teaching some complex stuff to kids, and it doesn't do a bad job. It's enhanced by Michael Skrepnick's characteristically fine illustrations: not just beautiful restorations, but helpful skeletal diagrams too, including a complete Velociraptor, a modern bird, and detail of their arms.

It's a good attempt at a very difficult book. The Jurassic Park institute is to commended for its ambition.''
 - Mike Taylor <mike@miketaylor.org.uk>

16. Dinosaurs Rediscovered: New Findings which are Revolutionizing Dinosaur Science - Don Lessem (1992)

``This book picks up where Colbert's The Great Dinosaur Hunters left off. A narrative of recent events in paleontology. Also profiles current paleontologists. Helpful. Original title: Kings of Creation''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

17. Dinosaurs of the East Coast - David B. Weishampel & Luther Young (1996)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``For those of us who live on the east coast of the USA and think it was a dinosaur free zone.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

18. Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs - Michael Novacek (1997)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``This book not only provided me with good reading, but introduced me to a whole new realm of dinosaurs!''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

19. Dinosaurs, Spitfires & Sea Dragons - Christopher McGowan (1992)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``I loved that book! It covered so many questions that I was curious about that I went out and FOUND a copy (not an easy proposition - Central Ohio, USA, is not the hotbed of paleontology, and the book was slightly out-of-date when I finally found it) to purchase, and make it a permanent part of my paleo book collection.''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

20. Discovering Dinosaurs in the Old West: The Field Journals of Arthur Lakes - Michael F. Kohl, John S. McIntosh & John H. Ostrom (1997)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``You are there at Morrison and Como Bluff.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

21. The Dragon Seekers: How an Extraordinary Circle of Fossilists Discovered the Dinosaurs and Paved the Way for Darwin - Christopher McGowan (2001)

``If anyone wants to read a short introduction of the early days of paleontology in Great Britain, this is the book to read. Mary Anning, William Buckland, Gideon Mantell, Charles Lyell, Richard Owen and others come to life in this well-written book by noted paleontologist Christopher McGowan. The author starts his narrative with the story of Mary Anning who finds fossils and eventually what is a marine reptile, an Ichthyosaur, at her sea side home of Lyme Regis along the English Channel in 1820.

Other discoveries follow: Megalosaurus by Buckland at Stonesfield, Iguanodon teeth by Mantell in Sussex, and plesiosaurs from Lyme Regis. What is interesting is the interaction between the ``fossilists'' of Great Britain. They all had different theories about the fossils they were finding in the earth, yet at the same time, somehow, they acted as a team of ``scientists'' to begin a new ``science'' and a new word, dinosaur, coined by Richard Owen in 1842. Paleontology owes everything to these ``dragon seekers''.

This is a ``must have'' book for anyone interested in dinosaurs and paleontology. It is recommended for the non-specialist and specialist alike.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

22. The Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs - David Lambert

``I find this encyclopedia originally published in Great Britain very useful. It contains great graphics that go with the text. It explains the dinosaurs by families, not individually. With each family is a timeline where a layman can see when they lived during the Mesozoic. Also encapsulates the ``greats'' of dinosaur paleontology. Recommended.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

23. Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs - Philip J. Currie & Kevin Padian (1997)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``A companion volume to The Dinosauria. Should be on every laymen's bookshelf.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

``Expensive, but well worth the money!''
 - Oliver Wings <oliver.wings@web.de>

24. The Evolution and Extinction of the Dinosaurs - David E. Fastovsky & David B. Weishampel (1996)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``In my opinion, for any layman this is the book to start with to get the paleontologist's point of view. It is a good introduction to dinosaurs from the paleontologist's viewpoint. The authors use technical words for the reader to learn, but the text is written in a non-technical way (the reader will know the definition of the words ``scapula'' or ``maxilla'' after reading the text). I am reading the book right now and I find it fascinating. Your friend will learn the basics of cladistics, and other information he needs to know regarding the different families of dinosaurs. The book also discusses (and I am using the author's words) ``avian dinosaurs'' (birds), the extinction theories, and the endothermy of the dinosaurs. The distribution of the dinosaurs is also covered. The book was published in 1996, so some of the more current discoveries are not covered and some information might be out of date. The book is a complete survey, however.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

``I have found this to be a good introductory text. It's set up very much like a textbook and the terms and concepts are usually well explained, plus there are plenty of pictures and diagrams.''
 - Christopher Robert Noto <crnoto@midway.uchicago.edu>

``This is a textbook written for low-level students and is absolutely wonderful. Written with real humor (``The Creataceous Extinctions - The Frill is Gone''), balance, and readability, this gives a group by group introduction to major dino groups. Cladistics is explained and extensively used to frame an evolutionary understanding of the relationships between the dinosaurs. It is quite good, and is an excellent introduction to cladistics and dinosaurs both. I highly recommend it.''
 - Michael A. Turton <turton@ev1.net>

25. Gilded Dinosaur: The Fossil War Between E.D. Cope and O.C. Marsh and the Rise of American Science - Mark Jaffe (2000)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``The most recent book (2000) about the Cope-Marsh Fossil Feud. Written in an easy narrative style (the author writes for the Philadelphia Inquirer in Philadelphia, PA, USA). Recommended for anyone who is interested in the history of paleontology.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

26. The Great Dinosaur Hunters and their Discoveries - Edwin Harris Colbert (1984)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Outdated, but good historical background. I recommend this book to get to know the past history.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

27. The Illustrated Directory of Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Creatures - edited by Ingrid Cranfield (2002)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``It sounds a bit naff but the content is quite good scientifically wise, I think the section on pterosaurs is especially good.''
 - Jenya Lipatov <jenyalipatov@hotmail.com>

28. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs - David Norman & Wellnhofer (2000)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Another treasure! This encyclopedia is a must for any layman. In this one we have an added bonus: pterosaurs (making the title of the book a misnomer, but who cares? If the authors/publishers had titled the book The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ornithodira the public would have looked at the title, shrugged their shoulders, and walked away!)

Again, as in Lambert's Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs, the dinosaurs are described by families (formal and informal). Each section includes a cladogram, and what I like best, skeletal artwork for each family. The section on pterosaurs, written by Wellnhofer, is illuminating as well. The author describes his subject in general and then sections on the pterosaurs of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous.

Birds and the extinction theories are treated in the section ``Controversies''. Rounding out the book are sections on reptiles, lizards, mammals, and mammal-like reptiles.

Illustrated throughout. Highly recommended.

The year-2000 edition of this book appears to be the combination of the 1985 edition with Wellnhofer's 1991 Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs. This means that some information is more out of date than the year-2000 publication would suggest.

Why is it that the best encyclopedias on dinosaurs (excluding Currie & Padian's Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs) come from Great Britain? I am referring to the above encyclopedia, Lambert's Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Benton's Dinosaur Encyclopedia. Every layman should have all three!''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

``Very easy to read and understand for beginners, but accurate and scientific as well.''
 - Oliver Wings <oliver.wings@web.de>

``In spite of its being very out of date (1985!) I have yet to see any other beginners book on the subject to compare with it in terms of its comprehensive wealth of information, fossil and skeletal documentation (vivid color photos), and full color restorations. The cool thing about this book is that it has recently been reissued bound together with Wellnhofer's The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Pterosaurs, which has the same rich format as Norman's book. Put together like this, it's quite an immersion into the Mesozoic, even though its dinosaurs aren't quite as much fun, as manic, as feathery, or as cladistically correct as the more recent interpretations.''
 - Ralph W. Miller III <ralph.miller@alumni.usc.edu>

29. In Search of Deep Time - Henry Gee (1999)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``An introductory book on cladistics (phylogenetic systematics), which is changing comparative biology and biology (dinosaur paleontology in particular). Using examples from the world of nature, the author explains how cladistics is making the Linnaean system obsolete.

The system, devised in the 1960s by Willi Hennig, an East German scientist, is now used to determine the relationships between organisms (dinosaurs, birds, fish, bacteria, hominoids, etc.). Through shared characteristics ``cousins'' can be established. The most famous example is the lungfish, salmon, and the cow. Through cladistics, scientists have determined that the lungfish shares more characteristics with the cow than it does with the salmon. Hence the cow and lungfish are ``cousins'' and share a common ancestor. The author includes a chapter on how cladistics is changing our perception of the relationship between birds and dinosaurs.

It is indeed a revolutionary concept and I rate the book four out of five for the layman. It is must reading for anyone who has not kept up with the world of biology.

The book could have used illustrations of the organisms the author was discussing. The author does include cladograms (diagrams of relationships) to illustrate his points.

One personal aside: after being away from the world of hominoid paleontology for quite awhile and remembering the articles on the Leakeys in National Geographic (and their TV specials) from my youth, I find most of the names of the hominoids have been changed. Most unsettling!''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

30. Joseph Leidy: The Last Man Who Knew Everything - Leonard Warren (1998)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Biography of the Father of American Paleontology.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

31. The Jurassic Park Institute Dinosaur Field Guide - Dr. Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. and Dr. Michael Brett-Surman. Illustrated by Robert Walters (2001)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``This book is for the ``kid'' in all of us. The book, published in conjunction with the release of Jurassic Park III is intended for children ages 8 and up. The book, however, can be used by anyone interested in dinosaurs.

The book is fascinating because it does not talk down to kids. The authors describe the earth's time scale, especially the Mesozoic Era. There is a section on how dinosaurs are classified, using cladistic principles with note in the test advising the readers that new discoveries may alter the diagram (cladogram). Also included in the book is a section on finding dinosaurs, and how they are prepared in a museum. There is also a section by the book's illustrator, Robert Walters on how he illustrates dinosaurs. At the end of the book are sections on where to see dinosaurs in museums and in the field, a bibliography for kids and adults, a listing of dinosaur web sites and a glossary for anyone to look up those big words.

The main body of the text is a surprise also. There are 100 entries not just of dinosaurs (Mesozoic birds are included with the dinosaurs), but the authors have included sections on marine reptiles, archosaurs and related kin, and pterosaurs. Each entry is listed alphabetically within their own section, illustrated superbly by Robert Walters. An entry receives one to two pages of text depending on the entry. The authors state some basic information on the entry: where it was found, what the entry ate, who its enemies were, fun facts and trivia, and some explanation of the facts. Also included is the correct pronunciation and the year the entry was named. There are two diagrams for each entry: a diagram showing where the entry lived during the Mesozoic Era and a diagram showing the size of the entry and comparing it to a 4-foot child.

The authors also use a device called ``Take Two'' where paleontologists have taken exception to the dinosaurs or scenes portrayed in the Jurassic Park movies. They also just use ``Take Two'' just to elaborate on a scene in the JP movies. Two examples are the frill of the Dilophosaurus and the meeting of Tyrannosaurus rex and Spinosaurus in JP III. In a short paragraph, the authors relate to the reader why the ``Take Two'' examples can be misleading. Not every entry gets a ``Take Two''.

This book comes highly recommended for anyone: kids or adults, specialist or non-specialist. It is a great book to have in one's library.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

32. Life - Richard Fortey (1997)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Very good. Not specific to dinosaurs, but provides good background.''
 - Ken Kinman <kinman@hotmail.com>

33. Marsh's Dinosaurs: The Collections from Como Bluff - Ostrom & McIntosh (2000)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Great book if one wants to see reproductions of the drawings of the first bones excavated from Colorado and Como Bluff. A ``Must Have'' for interested laymen.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

34. The Mistaken Extinction: Dinosaur Evolution and the Origin of Birds - Lowell Dingus & Timothy Rowe (1998)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``The Academic Version includes an instructional CD-ROM called The Age of Dinosaurs that even allows the user to quiz oneself on the topic. The book is available more cheaply without the CD-ROM, but trust me, you'll want the full package. Although the book proper focuses more on the cladistics relevant to bird origins, the CD-ROM covers all dinosaur groups, and it is copyrighted 1998, so it is more up to date than most published sources. And lots of graphics, for the visually demanding readers (like moi). But don't take my word for it - Dr. Tom gives this package a thumbs up, too.''
 - Ralph W. Miller III <ralph.miller@alumni.usc.edu>

35. Night Comes to the Cretaceous: Comets, Craters, Controversy, and the Last Days of the Dinosaurs - James Lawrence Powell (1998)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``History of K/T Boundary and the theories put forward by Luis and Walter Alvarez.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

36. Predatory Dinosaurs of the World - Gregory S. Paul

``Fascinating volume that deals only with the theropod dinosaur. Great illustrations. Recommended.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

37. The Prehistory of the Far Side - Gary Larson (1989)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Shows how many bits of ``pseudosicence'' have become accepted.''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

38. Raptor Pack - Dr. Robert T. ``Bob'' Bakker, illustrated by Michael Skrepnick (2003)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Raptor Pack is a kids' book, aimed at grades 2-4. It aims very high: the goal is to demonstrate how the science of palaeontology actually works. And it achieves that goal admirably.

The approach is a very strong one: after a brief introduction in which Bob Bakker tells us who he is and what he does, chapter one is a ``day in the life'' story of a pack of Deinonychus (the eponymous raptors). They track, kill and eat a Tenontosaurus, climb a tree to avoid an Acrocanthosaurus and drive it away by vomiting bone fragments over it. All good stuff for kids! The remaining four chapters explain the science behind the story, showing how scientists form hypotheses from evidence. (It doesn't say much about argument and proof, but hey, what do you expect in 48 pages?)

Chapter two briefly discusses the exhumation and reconstruction of Deinonychus. Chapter three looks at its weaponry: the ``killer claw'', hind-leg muscle attachment sites, agility from the stiffened tail and suchlike. Chapter four looks at lifestyle inferences: raptors' ability to climb trees and evidence for pack-hunting. Chapter five identifies the raptors' victims by considering what else lived at the time and looking for ``smoking gun'' tooth crowns found with various corpses. It also considers how raptors likely expelled unwanted matter (by analogy with birds), and discusses parental care.

The effect of the whole is compelling; it's a real window into the way science can work for kids who are more often just presented with conclusions. If I were being picky, I'd say that the boundary between chapters 4 and 5 doesn't make much sense, but that hardly spoiled the book to the five-year-old I read it to - he loved it. And so do I.

Finally, as well as being written by Bakker, this book had input from Tom Holtz and Phil Currie, so those are big guns firing. Highly recommended.''
 - Mike Taylor <mike@miketaylor.org.uk>

39. The Riddle of the Dinosaur - John Noble Wilford (1987)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Good introduction to the history and science of dinosaur paleontology. Discusses the recent (1985) debates in the science. Written for the layman.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

``How the history of paleontology has inspired scientists to this day.''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

40. The Scientific American Book of Dinosaurs - Gregory S. Paul (Editor) (2000)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Because it's a collection of SA articles, it's easy to read bit by bit and one can skip around. The illustrations are excellent also.''
 - Dan Varner <Danvarner@aol.com>

41. Seismosaurus: the Earth Shaker - David D. Gillette (1999)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``I personally like Gillette's detailed description of the use of new methods in field work very much!''
 - Oliver Wings <oliver.wings@web.de>

42. Tyrannosaurus Sue: The Extraordinary Saga of the Largest, Most Fought over T-Rex Ever Found - Steve Fiffer & Robert T. Bakker (2000)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Informative book about the sad, but true story of Sue, the T-Rex now in the Field Museum in Chicago. Recommended.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

43. The Ultimate Dinosaur Book - David Lambert (1993)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``Covering basic ground but getting into more detail about the genera.''
 - Brent Jones <bjones@mail.cosi.org>

44. Vertebrate Palaeontology - Michael J. Benton (1997)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``If a layman wants to see how dinosaurs fit in the bigger framework of the vertebrates, I recommend this book. Also discusses birds and their relationship to the dinosaurs. Very Helpful.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

45. When Dinosaurs Roamed New Jersey - William B. Gallagher (1997)

Details from amazon in [US] [UK] [France] [Germany]

``This book is for anyone who think the American West gets all the glory. The author takes the reader on a tour of the Mesozoic in New Jersey, USA. He describes the dinosaurs that have been discovered in that state, especially Hadrosaurus foulkii, the first dinosaur skeleton found in North America. Recommended.''
 - James E. Hower, Jr. <jimaytch@onemain.com>

Forthcoming

In addition to these books, list member Thom Holmes <tholmes@thedailydeal.com> has told me about a series of six books he's just finished writing for Enslow Publishers on various groups of dinosaurs. Peter Dodson was the scientific consultant and Mike Skrepnick the illustrator. The books are aimed at middle- and high-school age, but go into a great deal more detail than the typical high-school book, judging from the short except that I've seen. The titles are Theropods; Sauropods and Prosauropods; Ornithopods; Horned Dinosaurs; Armored, Plated, and Bone-Headed Dinosaurs; and Feathered Dinosaurs - The Dinosaur Bird Link. I expect to recommend these once I've seen them!

This question awaits more answers from people in the know, but if you're at all interested in my own opinions on some of the books listed above, you might care to view my personal Dinosaur Books page.

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