Of course dinosaurs are absolutely fascinating, and no matter how many books about them I’ve read I’m always going to read the next one when it comes out. The planetary reign of these gigantic reptiles that make both our scale and planetary timespan look beyond insignificant, and their abrupt violent disappearance — it keeps my brain in perpetual awe.

Armin Schmitt doesn’t just re-trod the familiar territory here, although he, of course, as must be done in a book about dinosaurs, revisits the infamous Bone Wars between the competing 19th century dinosaur hunters Marsh and Cope, and T. rex with its tiny arms and the fancily terrifying Triceraptors. But he keeps a fresh focus with descriptions of the digs and newer paleontological finds and careful details of the fossils and how they were discovered and dug up, and manages to not overwhelm with jargon (he’s good at defining terms casually as he goes along).

What somehow escaped my knowledge before was the idea of splitting of the same dinosaur species into different ecological niches, with Tyrannosaur juveniles trophically behaving like a different species from adults, basically replacing medium-size predators in the Cretaceous period. Ontogeny is apparently fascinating. And so is the mere fact of not just survival of the dinosaurs but their domination in the world of Triassic hell. Ichthyosaurs, Omphalosaurus, Thrinaxodon in its deathly embrace with Broomistega, Plateosaurus in its muddy grave, dwarfish Europasaurus in prehistoric Germany as an example of island dwarfing, enormous sauropods, Spinosaurus, as well as learning from amber fossils and fossilized tracks, ovaries and cloacas. And of course, birds - the last living dinosaurs.

Enjoyable, informative and interesting, although far from a quick read.

4 stars.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Written by a German paleontologist, I really enjoyed this book that captured various aspects of the reign of dinosaurs from their beginnings to the various theories and arguments over their demise. Like the author, most of my readings about dinosaurs have been by American authors and mainly cover North American fossils and some from the British Isles. In recent years, I’ve been trying to expand my knowledge about the various fields in geology and updated information since I graduated from my studies over twenty years ago and entered industry.

I enjoyed the way this book was laid out with smooth transitions through a wide range of topics in a manner that made sense rather than chaotic and jumpy. It includes overviews of many popular topics from The Bone Wars to why does T-Rex have such tiny arms, as well as information about lesser-known dinosaurs and their importance to the fossil records. I also really enjoyed some personal anecdotes and adventures in the field as the author participated in excavations and other fascinating discoveries. I loved hearing about his experiences. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in the field.

This book does have a lot of descriptions of taxonomy, anatomy, and morphology. I’m not sure I would recommend it to a non-scientific layperson unless they are extremely well acquainted with dinosaurs or those topics in general. I found it fascinating, but I do have a background in geology, a paleontologist husband, and a fascination with animals and nature in general.

Thank you to Netgalley, The Hive, and Hanover Square Press for a copy provided for an honest review.

The Lost World of the Dinosaurs: Uncovering the Secrets of the Prehistoric Age, by Armin Schmitt, offers up a mostly enjoyable and certainly informative look at dinosaurs and their successors (though mostly dinosaurs), even if it’s not as strong in some of its narrative elements as some other recent similar works.

If you’re wondering if there’s anything new to add to the topic, Schmitt immediately lets the reader know that paleontology has hardly stood still since the famed discoveries of T-Rex, Stegosaurus, and Triceratops, noting that “since 2003, about forty-five new dinosaurs have been discovered each year.” So yes, while the aforementioned always-popular dinosaurs make their appearances here (who would be crazy enough to leave out T-Rex or Triceratops, after all?), there are also a slew of new dinosaur species to be discovered. It’s also refreshing to head elsewhere in dino-land than the Hell’s Creek and Badlands areas of the western US. Or even the areas of China that have become so well-known thanks especially to their wonderfully preserved fossils of feathered dinosaurs. So we get those hot spots, but also lesser-known sites in Europe (Schmitt is German), the Middle East, and Africa, amongst others.

Of course, he also covers well-trod territory, as one must with these sorts of books. So we get explanations of the various major extinction events, such as the one at the end of the Permian (the “Great Dying”) and, naturally, the asteroid cataclysm that brought an end to the dinosaurs. Descriptions are vivid and detailed, though not overly so. And we also get excellent explanations of why certain creatures might have better weathered (or not) such events or the new worlds left in their aftermaths. Such as how after the Permian extinction, “the archosaurs, and dinosaurs in particular, were able to hold their own in the hostile world of the Triassic because their efficient lungs were better able to cope with the low levels of atmospheric oxygen, they could run faster with their long, straight legs, and their bodies were farther from the hot ground than those of other lizards and amphibians.”

Schmitt spends a good among of time delving into various specific dinosaurs and their time periods, often bringing us on site to the digs they were discovered, usually as well bringing in his own experience at these sites, ranging from when he was just starting out in the field doing the grunt work (carrying heavy sheathing plaster up mountains) to when he was higher up in echelon of scientists working on site, doing his own research. The personal element was a nice touch throughout the book, whether he was conveying the joy of making a discovery or the “heavy heart” pain of having to re-bury a new find due to lack of time and funds to fully excavate and transport it (bad enough to re-bury a find, even worse the anxiety of it being stolen by fossil poachers before someone has the chance to excavate it for science).

The science is another fascinating element of the book, as we get detailed explanations not just of the dinosaurs physical traits or details of excavations, but also of the process by which we’ve learned dinosaur behavior and anatomy from more than just bones, but also from trace fossilizations, track sites, genetics, advanced microscopy, and comparisons to modern-day creatures. And it is a process Schmitt makes clear, full of mistakes and half-steps and rethinking and recategorization. One that is ongoing, as he details several current debates in the field over species categories and creature behavior. The Lost World of the Dinosaurs is without a doubt good, and if it’s not “great”, well, that’s a pretty high bar, making this an easy recommendation for anyone interested in the topic.

As noted, the content is almost always fascinating and always informative, whether it’s familiar material such as a digression into the famous “Bone Wars” in the late 1800s between paleontologists Marsh and Cope or entirely new finds. And Schmitt’s language is clear and precise throughout, and he mostly shows a good sense of just how much detail to give, always a tough question with popular science. I’d be lying if I didn’t say there were a few times I could have done with a little less, but they were rare, and other readers mileage may vary on that. If I had one quibble it would be that the book felt a bit random in its organization, more a collection of disparate descriptions of aspects of the field that held loosely together, certainly to an adequate extent, but lacked that sense of narrative that often separates “good” popular science from “great” popular science. But

Very interesting if you are into dinosaurs. Detailed discription and discovery of recently discovered animals, not just the stadard triceratops and TRex. It is more than a superficial coverage, and will appealto hard core dinosaurs conniseurs. Reading ability is high school level.

This book presents a unique look at dinosaurs, incorporating the latest research and discoveries from the author’s global excavations. The book answers key questions about dinosaur life and paleontological advancements. It’s not a comprehensive narrative but is, rather, idiosyncratic to the author’s experience. The book contains interesting information I haven’t encountered elsewhere.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I didn't find this book as interesting as I hoped it would be. Sometimes, I found myself wishing I were reading something else but I pleaded on and did like the book overall.

I picked this one up as my wife's favorite animal is dinosaurs - yes, even though they are extinct! I learned some new things about dinosaurs but also got a better understanding for the climate impacts that caused us to lose these magnificent animals as well! This reads very much like an academic textbook but I still found it to be enjoyable. It might be a harder read if you don't have an underlying interest in dinosaurs. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.

As a fan of dinosaurs who's read a number of the more recent non-fiction books on them (as well as some of the good and bad fiction; see my "dinosaurs" shelf), I had to wonder what this one might bring to the table. Is there really so much new information since the books which came out in the last few years that can be shared? Is it possible to tell it in a different way, or that makes sense to those of us who aren't paleontologists but still love to read about them and wish to understand them better?

Armin Schmitt actually does a very good job on all accounts. Yes, it still covers a lot of the same territory as some of my favorite books, but he does so in a way that felt new to me. He discusses the mass extinctions that lead to the dinosaurs dominance for so many millions of years. He the goes through the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous and highlights some of the species from each period. And he frequently does so by focusing specifically on the fossils and how they were found and excavated. But it's not all dry and dusty paleontological history - although he has a very entertaining section on "The Bone Wars" between Marsh and Cope - but he manages to bring it all alive and tell what is known (or believed) about how the animals existed and their environment.

Also, Schmitt is from Germany, whereas I believe most of the books I've previously read were by American and British writers. Because of this I think he brings a slightly different perspective to his narrative, and I noticed more information on "international" finds. And he also interjects just enough personal stories into the writing to make it interesting but not take away the focus from the dinosaurs.

So I was very pleasantly surprised with not only how readable the book is but also how it didn't feel like I was just reading a rehash of what others have already said. I think this one is a very worthy addition to the literature about dinosaurs. (I received an advance electronic copy of the book from the publisher and NetGalley.)

While dinosaurs interest me, I requested this book because of my friend. We read it together and it was truly an experience. To learn more about their history and see the excitement of my friend as we read was truly worth it

Thought this was going to be an in-depth look at dinosaurs and how they came to prominence and then ultimately their demise. What I got was just a giant lecture about climate change and its effects. It's a shame because I really love reading about this subject but the author did little to shed any more light other than tell us we are ruining the planet. I am by no means a climate denier but when I pick up a book about dinosaurs, that's what I want it to be about. I came away from this thoroughly disappointed unfortunately.

This is well researched and reads like a textbook. I was expecting something lighter, but nonetheless very informative. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.