The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs Audiobook By Steve Brusatte cover art

The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

A New History of a Lost World

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The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

By: Steve Brusatte
Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor
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About this listen

A sweeping and groundbreaking history of the age of dinosaurs, from one of our finest young scientists.

The dinosaurs. 66 million years ago, the Earth's most fearsome and spectacular creatures vanished. Today their extraordinary true story remains one of our planet's great mysteries.

In this stunning narrative spanning more than 200 million years, Steve Brusatte, a young American paleontologist who has emerged as one of the foremost stars of the field - discovering 10 new species and leading groundbreaking scientific studies and fieldwork - masterfully tells the complete, surprising, and new history of the dinosaurs, drawing on cutting-edge science to dramatically bring to life their lost world and illuminate their enigmatic origins, spectacular flourishing, astonishing diversity, cataclysmic extinction, and startling living legacy. Captivating and revelatory, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is a book for the ages.

Brusatte traces the evolution of dinosaurs from their inauspicious start as small shadow dwellers - themselves the beneficiaries of a mass extinction caused by volcanic eruptions at the beginning of the Triassic period - into the dominant array of species every wide-eyed child memorizes today, T. rex, Triceratops, Brontosaurus, and more. This gifted scientist and writer re-creates the dinosaurs' peak during the Jurassic and Cretaceous, when thousands of species thrived, and winged and feathered dinosaurs, the prehistoric ancestors of modern birds, emerged. The story continues to the end of the Cretaceous period, when a giant asteroid or comet struck the planet and nearly every dinosaur species (but not all) died out, in the most extraordinary extinction event in earth's history, one full of lessons for today as we confront a "sixth extinction".

Brusatte also recalls compelling stories from his globe-trotting expeditions during one of the most exciting eras in dinosaur research - which he calls "a new golden age of discovery" - and offers thrilling accounts of some of the remarkable findings he and his colleagues have made, including primitive human-sized tyrannosaurs; monstrous carnivores even larger than T. rex; and paradigm-shifting feathered raptors from China.

An electrifying scientific history that unearths the dinosaurs' epic saga, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs will be a definitive and treasured account for decades to come.

©2018 Stephen Brusatte (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers
Animals Biological Sciences Earth Sciences Evolution Evolution & Genetics Outdoors & Nature Paleontology Science World Suspenseful
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Critic reviews

"Patrick Lawlor's narration injects Brusatte's enthusiasm into the informative writing.... Listeners who love dinosaurs will thrill to the latest developments in their history." (AudioFile)

Featured Article: Book vs. Movie—Jurassic Park


Michael Crichton's 1990 sci-fi best seller became a cultural phenomenon with Steven Spielberg's 1993 blockbuster film adaptation. But what are the key differences between the novel and the movie? One of the most beloved sci-fi adventure films ever made, Spielberg's juggernaut Jurassic Park is a feat of animatronic work, impeccable casting, and wildly perfect pacing. No less incredible, still, is the novel on which it's based, Crichton's masterpiece. But just how similar are the two? If you're looking for the major differences between Jurassic Park the book and the movie, we've got you covered.

Editor's Pick

Sure to inform and delight!
"Dinosaur facts will never not be fascinating. I learned so much from this title and had a blast listening! If you’re looking for fun facts about the evolution of dinosaurs, their ancestors, and the fascinating people who study them and bring them to life, all narrated in a friendly and accessible way, this listen will win you over."
Catherine H., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs

Highly rated for:

Engaging Storytelling Captivating Narrative Vivid Descriptions Compelling History Fascinating Tales
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

what a great book!

loved this book. the author's writing style is informal, fun, and energetic and the narrator translates it like a pro.

the book is a nice blend of personal annecdote and intro to paleontology. should satisfy those who love layman's history and science plus the adventure book crowd.

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25 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

The best dinosaur book I've read.

Steve knows his stuff, he goes into deep detail about who these creatures were and how they lived their lives. I especially enjoyed the section concerning the extinction of the dinosaurs. He goes into great detail speculating on the meteor impact and the immediate effects on the dinosaurs. He then writes about the days, decades centuries and millennia after the extinction.

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4 people found this helpful

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Excellent

Very interesting and informative. I know I will listen to this book several times. Thanks.

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

wowzers

Bruatte tells am amazing story. it all flowed so we. I learned so much, and enjoyed the entire read.

steve does an excellent job at reading through the novel with a gentle flow and excitement

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Great book

I really enjoyed listening to this book . It was full of descriptions of the earth and animals that once lived here. It was also full of stories of a young person interested in dinosaurs and that interest turned into a career . Very well done .

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An absolutely gripping, visually compelling, wonderful book.

Listening to this book was an extraordinary journey back eons in time into another world. The book is powerfully visual, a wonderful mix of dinosaur science and personal paleontologist story. It calls into question all the arrogant assumptions of humans as being primary on the planet and associated religious beliefs. This book is a must read. Bravo.

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Fantastic and Engaging

I loved it! I’m an active listener and I loved the journey this took me on. There were many times where I had to rewind to listen to a part again because it boggled my mind, and then times where I had to pause it to just take in what was being said. Big time numbers, like millions of years and billions of years, is almost inconceivable, so listening through this whole book blew my mind in the best way possible

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Great Listen!

This book is written for anyone who wants to learn more about dinosaurs! No deep understanding of dinosaurs is needed to enjoy this read. He did an amazing job of simplifying the subject so any layman can follow. Excellent read!

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Really Enjoyed the Telling of this History

I enjoyed this listen from beginning to end. The dinosaur names are difficult at best to keep straight, and pictures would obviously be beneficial, but I listened to this book and stayed fully connected throughout. If you have any interest in dinosaur history, this is a must read. I was also fascinated with the discussion of early earth history that involved the mass extinction of plants and animals before the rise of the Dinosaurs. I can't say enough about how interesting this listen was. Also a special shout-out to the narrator. Patrick Lawlor was a perfect choice for this read.

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Fossil Highway Revisited

Living in the desert mountain west puts us face to face with earth history. I’ve hiked along Wingate sandstone cliffs over 350,000,000 years old. 65,000,000 years seems recent from that perspective. I had to listen to this almost straight through.

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