The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World

4* good on dinosaurs, 2* bad on authors life and times. 3* seems fair.

Nice book on the rise and fall of the dinosaurs, I learned a lot and it rekindled memories of lost school boy days researching these magnificent beasts. Strong on the evolution of the group and sub groups. Clear and insightful writing on these topics. Great on the last day of the dinosaurs and what happened next too. Eye opening on birds.

However, the authors personal history hits the book hard. I don't mind his clear passion or the at times amusing stories.

But his hero worshiping starts as a mild distraction and grows into a roaring T-rex chomping into the text. Cringewothy. All his idols and friends are the most brilliant superstars to have ever graced the face of the earth, many with superhuman abilities and 'cool' side stories, like a band of X-Men Dino nerds with drinking problems (absinth apparently)

He calls a group of them the 'rat pack'. Consistently. And without irony.

I even feel it leads to a serious error or oversight. The work runs through a few Dino superstars as expected, with T-rex getting a chapter. He clearly wants to emulate one of his science hero's who wrote a pop book on dinosaurs an T-rex in particular. He is at pains to label him the king, enjoying his 'reign' as the largest purley mean eating dinosaur ever. But Google says different. And he does not mention these 'pretenders to the crown' if I may. Suspicious.

The author is more balanced and scientific on the controversy surrounding the last day of the dinosaurs, where I feel he is much closer to the truth and has little need to be. The evidence is with him.

Lost count of the number of times he tells us where he did his various degrees and what god-like superstar advised him.

Recommended 'The day the dinosaurs died' in the New Yorker for an even better story and better writing.