Gives a detailed account of the great mass extinction that rocked the Earth 65 million years ago, focusing on the Chicxulub impact crater in Mexico. It recounts the birth of the cosmic hypothesis, the controversy that preceded its acceptance, the search for the crater, its discovery and ongoing exploration, and the effect of the giant impact on the biosphere. Other mass extinctions in the fossil record are reviewed, as is the threat of asteroids and comets to our planet today.
1. The night of the dinosaurs
2. A detective's diary
3. A controversial idea
4. Looking for the crater
5. Chicxulub Crater
6. A Cataclysmic Event
7. Waiting for the comet
"This book is essential reading for those concerned about the survival of our civilisation far into the future."
– Spaceflight
"The book's economical, lucid style is entertaining and accessible to non-experts [...] It also handles technical concepts well, thanks to the author's training in geology and his subsequent work directing educational films."
– Robert S. McMillan, Journal of Geoscience Education
"This is a very good book if you are interested in the history of the K/T impact."
– Peter M. Sheehan