AUDIO

Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party: How an Eccentric Group of Victorians Discovered Prehistoric Creatures and Accidentally Upended the World

S. & S. Audio. Aug. 2024. 8:51 hrs. ISBN 9781797179247. $24.99. HIST
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In the early 1800s, as the Industrial Revolution brought epic innovations to the world, the digging and development that came with it would turn up an immense discovery: dinosaurs. Decades before the word “dinosaur” existed, the safety of the known world was turned on its head, and scientists were faced with reconciling the fossils and footprints of heretofore unimaginable creatures with the religious tenets that were the previous basis for scientific belief. Dolnick (The Writing of the Gods) presents a fun, fast-paced story about the early days of paleontology. An accompanying PDF includes additional material and is referenced frequently throughout the audio. Narrator Cassandra Campbell gives an unembellished but engaging performance of this nonfiction narrative. With so many events taking place in Great Britain, using a British narrator may have made for a more immersive experience, but Campbell’s delivery is clear and pleasant.
VERDICT This audio will appeal to listeners seeking thorough, thought-provoking science writing about eclectic Victorian-era paleontologists. Recommended for fans of richly detailed natural-history nonfiction, such as Roy Plotnick’s Explorers of Deep Time.
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