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Review
This volume is thought-provoking and attractive, and anyone (of any age) interested in dinosaurs will enjoy looking at it. (Darren Naish, Fortean Times )
Peter Schouten's wonderful artwork is the focus of the book...Schouten's attention to detail is impressive. (Darren Naish, Fortean Times )
This work would serve to fire the imagination of even the most recalcitrant of students. This book would not be out of place in the front room of any home. (British Ornithologists' Union )
Peter Schouten's wonderful artwork is the focus of the book...Schouten's attention to detail is impressive. (Darren Naish, Fortean Times )
This work would serve to fire the imagination of even the most recalcitrant of students. This book would not be out of place in the front room of any home. (British Ornithologists' Union )
Product Description
Scientists have recovered more than a billion fossils, but no discovery has been more breath-taking than the fossils recently found in northern China, findings which prove that several families of dinosaurs had feathers, or feathery hair-like coverings, adorning their bodies. Now in the beautifully designed Feathered Dinosaurs, paleontologist John Long and illustrator Peter Schouten provide a stunning visual record of these extraordinary prehistoric creatures, illuminating the evolutionary march from primitive, feathered dinosaurs through to the first true flying birds. Schouten, an acclaimed natural history artist, has created 80 full-colour paintings that capture the striking physical traits of these feathered dinosaurs. Drawing on his extensive knowledge of the lifestyles of modern birds and mammals, plus the extant scientific data regarding how these dinosaurs might have looked and behaved, Schouten has produced not only the most beautiful but also the most accurate visual representations of these animals in print. Equally important, John Long, a noted paleontologist and widely published science author (with some 24 books to his credit), provides an engaging companion text that places these feathered dinosaurs within the larger family of dinosaurs--for instance, outlining their relationship to T. Rex and Velociraptor, species well known to Jurassic Park fans. He discusses the factual information that can be deduced from their fossil remains, in effect providing an insightful natural history of this remarkable group. A true marriage of art and science, Feathered Dinosaurs presents an unprecedented visual record of one of the most significant breakthroughs in the history of vertebrate paleontology--the discovery that many predatory dinosaurs were cloaked with feathers, perhaps just as colorful and fanciful as those of their living relatives.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It is quite an opulent edition. Big book format, good quality paper and an abundance of colorful dinosaur illustrations. But on close inspection, some irritating flaws emerge.
First of all there is the "generalist" part of the book, laying the foundation for the species profiles. It discusses various carnivorous dinosaur families and how these seem to lead, by careful evolutionary steps, to the first birds. The text is interesting but the "dinosaurs-birds" connection comes through somewhat weakly. The arguments are there all right, but I have read much stronger propositions on the subject, "Dino-Birds" and "Glorified Dinosaurs" for instance. And there is virtually nothing on the most crucial question of the origin of flight
Then we come to the main part of the book, the profiles themselves. Well, there is a very good representation from all relevant dinosaur and bird families, with many obscure and / or recently discovered species, mainly form the current paleontologist's paradise, the Liaoning Province in China. The emphasis, of course, is on the feathered dinosaur species, but it seems to me that the author and artist take the opportunity to put feathers in as many reptiles as possible, even on scant paleontological evidence. Perhaps they thought this way it would be easier for the general public to understand the continuum between the two animal groups, but poetic and artistic license may go just a bit too far. Finally, the artist's comments on why he chose animal postures and colors were a nice documentation touch, but his arguments are not always convincing and the images themselves sometimes verge, to my opinion, on the kitsch.
Overall it is a good try on the subject, one of the most controversial in modern paleontology, but it could have done with less flamboyance and more quality and substance.
First of all there is the "generalist" part of the book, laying the foundation for the species profiles. It discusses various carnivorous dinosaur families and how these seem to lead, by careful evolutionary steps, to the first birds. The text is interesting but the "dinosaurs-birds" connection comes through somewhat weakly. The arguments are there all right, but I have read much stronger propositions on the subject, "Dino-Birds" and "Glorified Dinosaurs" for instance. And there is virtually nothing on the most crucial question of the origin of flight
Then we come to the main part of the book, the profiles themselves. Well, there is a very good representation from all relevant dinosaur and bird families, with many obscure and / or recently discovered species, mainly form the current paleontologist's paradise, the Liaoning Province in China. The emphasis, of course, is on the feathered dinosaur species, but it seems to me that the author and artist take the opportunity to put feathers in as many reptiles as possible, even on scant paleontological evidence. Perhaps they thought this way it would be easier for the general public to understand the continuum between the two animal groups, but poetic and artistic license may go just a bit too far. Finally, the artist's comments on why he chose animal postures and colors were a nice documentation touch, but his arguments are not always convincing and the images themselves sometimes verge, to my opinion, on the kitsch.
Overall it is a good try on the subject, one of the most controversial in modern paleontology, but it could have done with less flamboyance and more quality and substance.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The artwork in the book is excellant, but I feel that it lacks indepth information - as I found it in the academic zoology/evolution section, rather than the general natural history section of the shop I got it from, I expected it to be more academic than it was, which is why I gave it four stars instead of five. I don't think it addresses the balance between children's books and academic books at all, which sadly, appears to happen a lot with books concerning Natural History these days. I would like a book to actually read, as well as have good images to look at.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is aimed at people with more than a passing interest in dinosaurs,who want a bit more info,up to date theories,and pictures of what feathered dinosaurs may have looked like.In short it is neither for kids,or academics,as it tries to balance science [mainly in the beginning of the book],and colouful pictures.
The book concentrates on the theropods[two legged dinosaurs],explaining the differant groups,[some well known like the tyrannosaurs,and raptors]some of which are not well known like therizinosaurs,dromaeosaurs,and troodontids amongst others.The book follows the journey from large meat eaters to small feathered dinsaurs,and ultimatley small birds.There are number of differant species at each stage of the process,makeing it a more in depth look into this particular part of natural history[as oppossed to more general over veiw offered by most books].
The pictures themselves are painted in almost an old fashioned way[no digital photo realistic pictures here],giving them a alternative reality quality,as if feathered dinosaurs were discovered much earlier.These images push the feathered dinosaur too the max,and are ahead of the curve in terms of mainstream perception.Some people will be put off by this,but I find it rather exciting,after all it's open to interpretation.The painter's notes on each animal try to explain the markings and there uses,display,camouflage and so on.I find this a useful and interesting insight,which you wouldn't get in other books.
Overall I found this book to be an interesting read,that adds to the books,magazine articles I already have.I find that no one veiw is definitive,and therefore should not judge the more fancieful aspects of this book too harshly.
The book concentrates on the theropods[two legged dinosaurs],explaining the differant groups,[some well known like the tyrannosaurs,and raptors]some of which are not well known like therizinosaurs,dromaeosaurs,and troodontids amongst others.The book follows the journey from large meat eaters to small feathered dinsaurs,and ultimatley small birds.There are number of differant species at each stage of the process,makeing it a more in depth look into this particular part of natural history[as oppossed to more general over veiw offered by most books].
The pictures themselves are painted in almost an old fashioned way[no digital photo realistic pictures here],giving them a alternative reality quality,as if feathered dinosaurs were discovered much earlier.These images push the feathered dinosaur too the max,and are ahead of the curve in terms of mainstream perception.Some people will be put off by this,but I find it rather exciting,after all it's open to interpretation.The painter's notes on each animal try to explain the markings and there uses,display,camouflage and so on.I find this a useful and interesting insight,which you wouldn't get in other books.
Overall I found this book to be an interesting read,that adds to the books,magazine articles I already have.I find that no one veiw is definitive,and therefore should not judge the more fancieful aspects of this book too harshly.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Much More Than a Coffee Table Book.
Beautiful And Informative
This is another of the new breed of prehistoric life books that concentrate on one type of animal. Read more
This is another of the new breed of prehistoric life books that concentrate on one type of animal. Read more
Published 2 months ago by RL Cloherty
feathered dinosaurs
This is a fantastic beautifully illustrated book, full of information, a must for all Dinosaur enthusiasts.
Published on 29 Aug 2009 by Barry Taylor
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