An Evolutionary History of the Dinosaurs That Live Among Us
Steve Brusatte
Steve Brusatte knows a great deal about dinosaurs, fossils and evolutionary history, but also has an uncanny ability to communicate what he does know to those who, like me, know very little. It was very much evident in his previous two books – The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs and The Rise and Reign of the Mammals (both cracking reads – get them!) – and it remains very much evident here.
The Story of Birds does not disappoint: taking in tens of millions of years (and more besides), giant penguins, terror birds, the inevitably bleak aside about dodos, the development of flight and its subsequent abandonment by numerous species, a lost continent, abundant nuggets of surprising facts (pun almost intended), it is a remarkable story – in parts revelatory, always logical, and underpinned by the author’s unashamed enthusiasm. And while not wanting to over-egg the praise (pun even less intended), it pulls off the trick that all great nonfiction should aspire to: fundamentally changing how I perceive a part of the world I experience. I cannot ask for more than that, so it’s a genuine bonus Brusatte can deliver it all so well.