Written with verve and ebullience, this book - by British palaeontologists - tells twelve stories of expeditions to remote parts of the world in search of diverse fossils such as dinosaurs and human ancestors. They relate the problems and curiosities encountered whilst working in extreme conditions, from the deserts of the Sahara and Yemen to the frozen wastes of Antarctica, from the mountains of India to the forests of Latvia. Also describes the palaeontology and geology of the countries visited and the scientific reasons for the expeditions. Copiously illustrated with spectacular colour photographs.
Foreword Sir David Attenbourgh; Introduction Richard Fortey; 1. Across Tibet by jeep, pony and foot Andrew Smith; 2. Fishing - and some dinosaurs - in the Sahara Alison Longbottom and Angela Milner; 3. Digging the rock Chris Stringer; 4. A summer in Latvia Per Erik Ahlberg; 5. Brains in Abu Dhabi's desert Peter J. Whybrow; 6. Thomas Hardy, Driver ants and some West African fossils Steve Culver; 7. Two passages to India Paul D. Taylor; 8. Digging for dragons in China Angela Milner; 9. Close encounterrs in Pakistan Peter J. Whybrow; 10. The day of a thousand fossils Peter Andrews; 11. Ancient bones in the frozen continent Jerry Hooker; 12. Arabia Felix, fossilised fruits and the price of frogs Peter J. Whybrow; Postscript; Index.
"[...] a collection of well written entertaining accounts [...] a good-humoured and enlightening read!"
- Bulletin of the British Ecological Society
"[...] the modern counterpart of Shackleton's South or Humboldt's earlier travels in South America. [...] The fossil hunters here are ordinary palaeontologists from the Natural History Museum in London, and this book documents their travels to every corner of the globe. And, while some imagine the next find as potentially turning the science upside down, the discoveries charted here are personal and concern people and cultures as much as fossils [...]"
- Times Literary Supplement
"[...] a fun book to read, and will be of interest to professionals and amateurs alike."
- Palaeontologia Electronica
"This is a beautiful book. At first glance it looks like a rather glossy coffee table book, but when you stop looking at the numerous spectacular colour photographs and start to read the fascinating accounts of twelve British palaeontologists working in remote areas of the globe, you realise that it is much more than that! Armchair travellers will delight in the glimpses of other cultures and far flung places."
- Mary Howie, OUGS Journal