United States
£ GBP
Tyrannosaurus is by some margin the most famous dinosaur in the world, adored by children and adults alike, and it is often the only one that many people can name. An impressive beast, it topped 10 tons, was more than 15 m long, and had the largest head and most powerful bite of any land animal, ever. Despite the hype, Tyrannosaurus and its relatives (the tyrannosaurs) are fascinating animals, and perhaps the best-studied of all dinosaur groups. They started small, just a couple of metres long, and over the course of 70 million years evolved into the giant meat-slicing bone-crushers that the world is now familiar with.
The Tyrannosaur Chronicles tracks the rise of these dinosaurs, and presents the latest research into their biology, showing off more than just their impressive statistics – tyrannosaurs had feathers, may have hunted in groups, and fought and even ate each other. This entertaining book presents the science behind this research, and tells the evolutionary story of the group though their anatomy, ecology and behaviour, exploring how they came to be the dominant terrestrial predators of the Mesozoic and, in more recent times, one of the great icons of biology.
David Hone is rapidly becoming the 'face' of dinosaur research. Based at QMW in London, where he is Lecturer in Ecology, he has published more than 50 academic papers on dinosaur biology and behaviour, with a particular interest in the tyrannosaurs, while his fieldwork has included a spell working on the famous feathered dinosaur deposits of China. He writes a regular blog for the Guardian, Lost Worlds (http://www.theguardian.com/science/lost-worlds), a major source of dino-info for the general public. David includes among his writing credits the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs. He has appeared on the Discovery Channel, BBC Radio 5Live and RTE, acted as consultant for National Geographic documentaries, and written articles for New Scientist, The Times, The Independent, The Telegraph, The New York Times, and many others.
"Gripping and wonderfully informative"
– Tom Holland, New Statesman
"Spectacular"
– Nature
"This book is a useful introduction to some of the most wonderfully terrifying animals ever to walk the Earth."
– Wall Street Journal
"In a single book Hone has been able to offer an up-to-date and exhaustive look at almost everyone's favourite dinosaur. What emerges [...] is a living breathing animal that we are really just beginning to understand."
– Spectator
" [...] Detailed and rigorous [...] David Hone's enthusiasm for his subjects shines through, whether he's explaining their social lives, their evolution or their unique pelvic anatomy."
– BBC Wildlife
"If most of what you know about Tyrannosaurs is based on old Japanese movies or the Jurassic Park franchise, there will be many surprises [...] a welcome touchstone volume for lovers of the terrible lizards."
– Natural History
"Hone provides a solid meal to feed the popular fascination with these tyrant lizards, easily digestible but made from ingredients that, at least in paleontological terms, are quite fresh."
– Publisher's Weekly
"This volume is the go-to for tyrant dinosaurs."
– Library Journal
"This book is easily read and understood. Adults will understand the information provided and [...] interested young people will get much from it as well."
– Prehistoric Times
"This is an awesome dinosaur book."
– Professor Xu Xing, Chinese Academy of Sciences
"Dinosaurs are endlessly fascinating, and the massive, blood-thirsty tyrannosaurs are most popular (and scary) of the lot! Here, renowned dinosaur expert David Hone reveals their story, and how we know what we know about these most amazing of ancient reptiles."
– Professor Mike Benton, University of Bristol
"Tyrannosaurs are probably the world's favourite dinosaurs. But what do we really know about this group? David Hone reviews the biology, history, evolution, and behaviour of the tyrant kings – an excellent read, containing the very latest in our understanding of Tyrannosaurus rex and its closest relatives."
– Dr Tom Holtz, University of Maryland
