The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt

De: Josh Smith, William Nothdurft

Narrado por: Michael C. Hall

The date is January 11, 1911. A young German paleontologist, accompanied only by a guide, a cook, four camels, and a couple of camel drivers, reaches the lip of the vast Bahariya Depression after a long trek across the bleak plateau of the western desert of Egypt. The scientist, Ernst Freiherr Stromer von Reichenbach, hopes to find fossil evidence of early mammals. In this, he will be disappointed, for the rocks here will prove to be much older than he thinks. They are nearly a hundred million years old. Stromer is about to learn that he has walked into the age of the dinosaurs.

At the bottom of the Bahariya Depression, Stromer will find the remains of four immense and entirely new dinosaurs, along with dozens of other unique specimens. But there will be reversals—shipments delayed for years by war, fossils shattered in transit, stunning personal and professional setbacks. Then, in a single cataclysmic night, all of his work will be destroyed and Ernst Stromer will slip into history and be forgotten.

The date is January 11, 2000—eighty-nine years to the day after Stromer descended into Bahariya. Another young paleontologist, Ameri-can graduate student Josh Smith, has brought a team of fellow scientists to Egypt to find Stromer’ s dinosaur graveyard and resurrect the German pioneer’s legacy. After weeks of digging, often under appalling conditions, they fail utterly at rediscovering any of Stromer’ s dinosaur species.

Then, just when they are about to declare defeat, Smith’s team discovers a dinosaur of such staggering immensity that it will stun the world of paleontology and make headlines around the globe.

Masterfully weaving together history, science, and human drama, The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt is the gripping account of not one but two of the twentieth century’s great expeditions of discovery.©2002 Cosmos Studios; (P)2002 Random House Inc., Random House Audio, a Division of Random House Inc.

Great Book!

This paleontological adventure-mystery crafts a story in a fashion similar to "The Lost City of Z" and "Into Africa," weaving between modern day research in Egypt and the history of a 20th century German scientist who pioneered research in the same area.
A couple reviews say it is slow. Perhaps it starts slowly, but the beginning provides context for the field of research. But the beginning sets up the rest of the tale, and the story soon moves along well. Also, the narrator's voice is well suited to tell it.

Interesting Read

If you like paleontology, geology, paleobotany, or dinosaurs; or if you simply enjoy hearing about exploration and discovery, you will like this book.

A riveting look at science and history.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt?

Listening to the description of Earth's history was amazing. As a geologist, I know all the information but I have never heard it told like a science fiction story. It shows how phenomenally interesting natural history is.

Which scene was your favorite?

I enjoyed when the book described how statistically difficult it is for a fossil to form and be found in-tact enough that it can also be studied. I think people can take fossils for granted, and this book really showed how significant it is when you can look at a skeleton in a museum.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

This was a book I looked forward to listening to but was also ok with putting down when needed.

Any additional comments?

Overall, this book tells an interesting and unique story. It shows how science and history can interact and how fascinating both can be. In addition, Michael C. Hall brings the story to life with intense, but subtle drama.

informative but boring

Terribly informative and boring. The author picked an excellent event in history but fails to put adventure or any kind of excitement in it.

Science and history come alive

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to The Lost Dinosaurs of Egypt. The authors interwove the stories of two excavations in the Egyptian desert into a very interesting mystery. It?s rare to be entertained while learning a great deal about archeology, paleontology, geology, and history at the same time. Plus the narrator is terrific.