Tim HainesWalking with Dinosaurs - A Natural HistoryMonika says:
Most non-fiction about dinosaurs concerns itself mostly with fossil finds. WALKING WITH DINOSAURS was written as a companion piece to the 1999 BBC series of the same name and describes the prehistoric world as if it still existed today. Other than the TV series the book also informs about the scientific findings the description of a long-gone eco-system is based on. In the beginning of every chapter the hard facts are presented on a separate page and throughout the book there are additional explanations given about the animals and plants that are described. Still the book seems at times like science fiction and reminded me of Robert Bakker's novel RAPTOR RED that describes a year in the life of a Utahraptor. Haines isn't quite as good a storyteller as Bakker, though. On the other hand he doesn't want his tale of the empire of the giants seen as fiction. Let's be honest, the book will probably be bought first of all because of the excellent pictures. The text is secondary, and there are many good books about dinosaurs that will help you assess the speculations put forward here. The illustrations are terrific, very real-looking computer graphics done with the latest available technology. They may lack the charm of paintings by artists like John Sibbick, Douglas Henderson or Dan Varner, but are fascinating nonetheless. You will return to look at the pictures long after you lost interest in the text of the book. WALKING WITH DINOSAURS goes beyond the scope of a "regular" dinosaur book and is meant for all those interested in reconstructions based on the latest findings of science. |
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Last changes: 27-04-03 Copyright 2000 Christina Gross & Monika Hübner |
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