My interest in fossils started with an interest in dinosaurs. I still have more books about dinosaurs than about any other fossil animals. They take up a good three shelves of my science collection. They also run the gamut from books that anyone can read to esoteric academic papers that only a real enthusiast would like. After some thought, I decided to break them down into four groups for listing here:
| General dinosaur books | Popular-science dinosaur books | Detailed books for dinophiles | Journal-quality books and papers |
These are generalized books about all dinosaurs, which are suitable for just about anyone who's interested in learning about dinosaurs. They don't use lots of scientific terminology, and they do include lots of the sense-of-wonder that attracts so many people to studying dinosaurs.
AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY BOOK OF DINOSAURS AND OTHER ANCIENT CREATURES
Wallace, Joseph
c.1994, Multimedia
ISBN: 1-85375-142-1
This is a review of the history of fossil-hunting expeditions from the American Museum of Natural History, followed by a guide to some of the more important fossils in the revised vertebrate-paleontology halls. The AMNH has some of the best dinosaur fossils in the world, and the book's text and photos match the collection's quality.
DINOSAUR AND OTHER PREHISTORIC ANIMAL FACT FINDER
Benton, Dr. Michael
c.1989, Kingfisher Books
ISBN: 1-85697-802-8
A basic illustrated guide to over 200 prehistoric animals, mainly dinosaurs but also including some fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Each entry includes the animal's name, when and where it lived, its size and mass, and some basic facts about it. As an introduction to the basics it works, but for anything more in-depth you'll have to look somewhere else.
THE DINOSAUR HERESIES
Bakker, Robert T.
c.1986, Wm. Morrow & Co.
ISBN: 0-688-04287-2
Robert Bakker is something of a rogue among dinosaur palaeontologists. He was one of the leaders of the "dinosaur renaissance" of the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the orthodox ideas of dinosaurs as sluggish, swamp-dwelling reptilians were overturned and replaced with pictures of dinosaurs as fast, smart, highly evolved dry-land dwellers. This book is a thorough exposition of Bakker's theories about dinosaurs: how they lived and died, how they evolved, whether they were warm- or cold-clooded, etc. Lots of good information, but lots of speculation too. Beware of getting confused between them; Bakker is very good at making speculation sound like solid theory.
DINOSAUR!
Norman, David
c.1991, MacMillan Publishing
ISBN: 0-02-860434-2
The companion book to the A&E series DINOSAUR!. A general look at the Dinosauria, their world. their evolution and their extinction. Many good illustrations.
DINOSAURS PAST AND PRESENT, Volume I and Volume II
Czerkas and Olsen
c.1987, LACMNH
ISBN: 0-938644-24-6
This two-volume set mixes nonfiction about dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals with richly science-based fiction stories. Some of the stories are quite good in various ways.
DISCOVERING DINOSAURS IN THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
Norell, Gaffney, Dingus
c.1995, Knopf
ISBN: 0-679-43386-4
A detailed loook at the major species of dinosaurs which are included in the American Museum of Natural History's new dinosaur exhibit halls. This includes many extremely good photographs of dinosaur fossils.
THE FLYING DINOSAURS
Currie, Philip J.
c.1991, Discovery Books
ISBN: 0-88995-078-4
Under current theory, birds are literally flying dinosaurs: small dinosaurs that evolved feathers and wings and then took to the air. This book discusses both birds and those close cousins of the dinosaurs, the pterosaurs. The book consists of paintings and capsule descriptions of various kinds of pterosaurs and birds, arranged in a way that reviews the evolution of both groups.
THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DINOSAURS
Lambert, David
c.1990, Bloomsbury Books
ISBN: 1-85471-450-3
Another book of information about dinosaurs. Includes a list of all known genera, descriptions of dinosaur families, where and when dinosaur fossils have been found, and more. This is the British edition. The same book was published in the USA as THE DINOSAUR DATA BOOK.
THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DINOSAURS
Norman, David
c.1985, Crescent Books
ISBN: 0-517-46890-5
A comprehensive look at all the known species of dinosaurs as of 1985, including morphology, taxonomy, evolutionary relationships, and a list of genera. The text is good, though a little bit sparse. Unfortunately, some of the artwork leaves something to be desired. Companion volume to THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PTEROSAURS.
THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PTEROSAURS*
Wellnhofer, Peter
c.1992, Salamander
ISBN: 0-86101-566-5
A detailed, comprehensive examination of the known groups of pterosaurs: their morphology, habits, classification, and evolution. A rare and special book, far more interesting than its companion volume THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DINOSAURS. There are lots of books about dinosaurs, but very few about pterosaurs, and none as good as this one.
THE RIDDLE OF THE DINOSAUR*
Wilford, John Noble
c.1985, Vintage Books
ISBN: 0-394-74392-X
An overview of the history of knowledge about dinosaurs, beginning with Dr. Gideon Mantell (discoverer of the very first recognized dinosaur) and finishing with the state of the art in dino-science as of 1984 or so. Though it's now old and much of the material is out of date, this is still an excellent general introduction to the history of dinosaurology. I recommend it highly. John Noble Wilford is an extremely skilled and experienced science reporter and writer, and this book represents some of his best work.
THE ULTIMATE DINOSAUR BOOK
Lambert, David
c.1993, Dorling Kindersley
ISBN: 1-56458-304-X
Extensive collection of data about dinosaurs and relatives, including taxonomic trees and detailed reconstructions of over 50 dinosaurs representative of the major subgroups.
Popular-science books about dinosaurs
These are books which go a little deeper into the science of dinosaurs, whiel still being suitable for most readers. Most of them deal with specific groups of dinosaurs, or specific areas or finds. Many of the most enjoyable dinosaur books I've read fall into this group.
THE COMPLETE T. REX
Horner, Jack
c.1993, Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0-671-74185-3
This is a detailed profile of Tyrannosaurus rex, the greatest of all dinosaurs. It's mixed with information on the world that T. rex moved through, and further intertwined with an account of the discovery and excavation of a very good T. rex skeleton from Montana. It also discusses T. rex's relatives, the other tyrannosaurs, and their range and physiology.
DIGGING DINOSAURS
Horner, Jack
c.1988, Workman Publishing
ISBN: 0-89480-220-8
Jack Horner's detailed account of the Maiasaura and Orodromeus digs at the Willow Creek anticline. This eight-year-long series of digs established Horner's reputation and revealed much new information about how dinosaurs lived. Maiasaura is among the most important dinosaur finds ever made, simply because of the scale of the find: Horner found thousands of them, in such detail that he was able to make some tries at reconstructing detailed dinosaur behavior. My personal opinion is that the Willow Creek dig is among the most important dinosaur discoveries of the last half century, precisely because it revealed so much we didn't know before.
DINOSAUR LIVES: UNEARTHING AN EVOLUTIONARY SAGA
Horner, Jack
c.1997, Harper Collins
ISBN: 0-06-017486-2
A sequel to Horner's first book DIGGING DINOSAURS. In this one, Horner describes his digs and discoveries between 1985 and 1995. A little more complex than DIGGING DINOSAURS, just as well written and just as interesting. Horner describes finds of horned dinosaurs, a mosasaur, other small dinosaurs, and more.
DINOSAURS OF THE FLAMING CLIFFS
Novacek, Michael
c.1996, Doubleday
ISBN: 0-385-47774-0
This is a field journal of the American Museum of Natural History's 1990-94 expeditions to the Gobi Desert. These expeditions followed in the footsteps of the legendary AMNH expedition leader Roy Chapman Andrews. Novacek describes how the new expeditions repeated many of Andrews's finds, and found other fossil beds even more dazzling in their extent and richness. These field studies are intermixed with a lot of well-written general information about dinosaurs, geology, paleontology, and field techniques.
THE HORNED DINOSAURS
Dodson, Peter
c.1996, Princeton Univ. Press
ISBN: 0-691-02882-6
A very easy-to-read excursion into the realm of the horned dinosaurs (ceratopsids). Dodson thoroughly covers their morphology, taxonomy, and evolution. In particular, there's a very well-written chapter about how to assemble the parts of a centrosaur skeleton that serves as a good basic introduction to anatomy and the names of bones.
KINGS OF CREATION*
Lessem, Don
c.1992, Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 0-671-73491-1
A look at the "renaissance" in dinosaur paleontology of the 1960s, 70s, and 80s. The same book is available under another title, DINOSAURS REDISCOVERED.
THE LITTLE DINOSAURS OF GHOST RANCH
Colbert, Edwin
c.1995, Columbia University Press
ISBN: 0-231-08236-3
Edwin Colbert is one of the grand masters of American paleontology, and the Ghost Ranch dig is one of the ones that made his reputation. This book is his personal, detailed reminiscence about the dig itself and the dinosaur that it revealed, the small, fast theropod Coelophysis. The Ghost Ranch Coelophysis quarry was an early and excellent example of a "species trap," a fossil bed that contains many individuals of the same species, thus giving a good chance to study many specimens of the same species which all died under the same conditions. Colbert isn't quite as good a writer as Jack Horner or Michael Novacek, but he's still more than good enough to make his memories come alive for me.
QUEST FOR THE AFRICAN DINOSAURS*
Jacobs, Louis
c.1993, Villard Books
ISBN: 0-679-41270-0
Field-journal type account of Jacobs's digs in African dinosaur fossil deposits. Reviews many of the exotic types of dinosaurs that he found there.
More detailed books about the science of dinosaurs
These are medium-difficult books for the seriously interested. They assume the reader is familiar with basic paleontological and dinosaur terminology, so they use such jargon without any attempt to define or explain it.
THE COMPLETE DINOSAUR
Farlow & Brett-Surman
c.1997, Indiana Univ. Press
ISBN: 0-253-33349-0
A sort of encyclopedia of current dinosaurology. Big, thick, heavy, and expensive -- but very thorough. However, as all the authors are scientists, they tend to assume a somewhat higher level of knowledge than general books like the ones listed above.
DINOSAURS, SPITFIRES, AND SEA DRAGONS
McGowan, Christopher
c.1991, Harvard Univ. Press
ISBN: 0-674-20770-X
A look at dinosaurs and other Mesozoic life from an engineering point of view. McGowan has quite a bit of fun showing how the anatomy of these Mesozoic monsters embodied engineering principles that humans have only discovered in the past hundred years or so.
DRAGONS OF THE AIR
Seely, Harry
c.1967, Dover Books
ISBN:
The definitive work on pterosaurs ("flying reptiles") as of 1911, when it was first published. Nothing better has been published since; even THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PTEROSAURS doesn't get close to the kind of detail Seeley had to work with.
DYNAMICS OF DINOSAURS & OTHER EXTINCT GIANTS*
Alexander, R. McNeill
c.1989, Columbia Univ. Press
ISBN: 0-231-06667-8
An examination of the structural dynamics of dinosaurs from a physics and engineering point of view.
THE HOT-BLOODED DINOSAURS*
Desmond, Adrian
c.1977, Warner Books
ISBN: 0-446-81359-1
A review of the renaissance that swept dinosaur paleontology in the 1960s and early 1970s. I recommend this only for the enthusiast because it's really a bit outdated, and of interest mainly to historians of dinosaurology.
TRACKING DINOSAURS: A NEW LOOK AT AN ANCIENT WORLD
Lockley, Martin
c.1991, Cambridge Univ. Press
ISBN: 0-521-42598-0
Lockley is an expert on dinosaur trackways. This is his semi-technical guide to viewing and interpreting dinosaur tracks.
Journal-quality books and papers, only for the real enthusiast
These are the high end of dinosaur literature: articles and books with the same kind of writing you find in scientific journals. I don't recommend any of these for the casual reader; only a professional or very dedicated amateur is likely to be able to read these (not to mention have the money to afford them). They require a detailed background in paleontology, taxonomy, and geology.
ALLOSAURUS FRAGILIS: A REVISED OSTEOLOGY
Madsen Jr., James H.
c.1976, Utah Geo Survey
ISBN:
Only for the seriously interested, this is a detailed monograph on the large theropod dinosaur Allosaurus fragilis. Madsen examines every element of A. fragilis's skeleton, individually and in total, using the enormous number of bones recovered from the Cleveland-Lloyd Quarry in northeastern Utah. I rather like this item, because I think Allosaurus doesn't get the attention it deserves.
DINOSAUR EGGS AND BABIES
Carpenter, Hirsch, Horner
c.1994, Cambridge Univ. Press
ISBN: 0-521-56723-8
A collection of journal-quality articles about dinosaur eggs and babies.
THE DINOSAURIA
Weishampel, Dodson, Osmolska
c.1990, Univ. of California
ISBN: 0-520-06727-4
This is a detailed look at the entire group Dinosauria as of 1990. The individual chapters are journal-quality articles on different aspects of the Dinosauria. Some involve the whole group, others focus on specific subgroups. Now somewhat outdated, but still an invaluable resource for the serious dinosaur lover. If you're thinking about getting it, be forewarned that it assumes the reader has a substantial knowledge of anatomy and taxonomy. This is not a book for a casual reader.
