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Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party: How an Eccentric Group of Victorians Discovered Prehistoric Creatures and Accidentally Upended the World
In the early 1800s the natural world was a safe and cozy place, or so people believed. But then a twelve-year-old farm boy in Massachusetts stumbled on a row of fossilized three-toed footprints the size of dinner plates—the first dinosaur tracks ever found. Soon, in England, scientists unearthed enormous bones that reached as high as a man’s head. Outside of myths and fairy tales, no one had even imagined that creatures like three-toed giants had once lumbered across the land—nor dreamed that they could all have vanished, hundreds of millions years ago.
In Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party, celebrated storyteller and historian Edward Dolnick leads us through a compelling true adventure as the paleontologists of the early 19th century puzzled their way through the fossil record to create the story of dinosaurs we know today. The tale begins with Mary Anning, a poor, uneducated woman who had a sixth sense for finding fossils buried deep inside cliffs; moves to William Buckland, an eccentric geologist who filled his home with specimens and famously pieced together a prehistoric scene from the fossil record inside a cave; and then on to the controversial Richard Owen, the era’s best-known scientist, and the one who coined the term “dinosaur.”
In Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party, celebrated storyteller and historian Edward Dolnick leads us through a compelling true adventure as the paleontologists of the early 19th century puzzled their way through the fossil record to create the story of dinosaurs we know today. The tale begins with Mary Anning, a poor, uneducated woman who had a sixth sense for finding fossils buried deep inside cliffs; moves to William Buckland, an eccentric geologist who filled his home with specimens and famously pieced together a prehistoric scene from the fossil record inside a cave; and then on to the controversial Richard Owen, the era’s best-known scientist, and the one who coined the term “dinosaur.”
352 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2024
About the author
Edward Dolnick
14 books199 followersEdward Dolnick is an American writer, formerly a science writer at the Boston Globe. He has been published in the Atlantic Monthly, the New York Times Magazine, and the Washington Post, among other publications. His books include Madness on the Couch : Blaming the Victim in the Heyday of Psychoanalysis (1998) and Down the Great Unknown : John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon (2001).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 503 reviews
October 19, 2024
When I was in the second grade, my mother let me take a summer class where you learned how to draw dinosaurs. I was the only girl in the class, but I didn't care, because DINOSAURS. Every autumn, when the maple leaves fell from our trees, I also thought about whether they would leave an imprint on our slate walkway stones and become fossils one day. I cared much more about the hall of minerals at the natural history museum than I did the famous jewels on display nearby, and I still have more fossils and minerals in my house than jewelry.
So my love of dinosaurs is deeply ingrained. I don't trust people who don't like them.
How delighted I am to come across this book that combines that one favorite subject with another favorite subject (Victorians!). The extra bonus is that it's so well-researched and well-written, and fascinating from beginning to end. I really appreciated how the author provided so much context for that point in history, explaining the religious mindset of the day and how that had an effect on how the emergence of geology/evolution was perceived, as well as the surprising origins of many things very well-known to us today, including the Shell Oil Company. The author traces various key figures who helped form our understanding of dinosaurs, and shows us how lively debates and professional rivalry shaped the course of history. Nowhere is his sympathetic view more clear than his dive into Mary Anning's contributions to paleontology: her astounding discoveries of two complete skeletons were cornerstones in the field, along with her drawings, observations, and the many other fossils she unearthed. But Mary was never fully recognized for her work in her lifetime, as she was taken advantage of or passed over again and again due to her youth and sex; it was, in fact, a hundred years after her untimely death before women were even admitted into the Geological Society of London.
Anyway, if you are at all interested in fossils or dinosaurs or interesting historical figures or the Victorian era, this is such an enjoyable read. And it makes me wish that I, like one of the enthusiasts featured in the book, was able to squander my fortune on fossils!
Audio Notes: The audiobook, read by Cassandra Campbell, is excellent.
So my love of dinosaurs is deeply ingrained. I don't trust people who don't like them.
How delighted I am to come across this book that combines that one favorite subject with another favorite subject (Victorians!). The extra bonus is that it's so well-researched and well-written, and fascinating from beginning to end. I really appreciated how the author provided so much context for that point in history, explaining the religious mindset of the day and how that had an effect on how the emergence of geology/evolution was perceived, as well as the surprising origins of many things very well-known to us today, including the Shell Oil Company. The author traces various key figures who helped form our understanding of dinosaurs, and shows us how lively debates and professional rivalry shaped the course of history. Nowhere is his sympathetic view more clear than his dive into Mary Anning's contributions to paleontology: her astounding discoveries of two complete skeletons were cornerstones in the field, along with her drawings, observations, and the many other fossils she unearthed. But Mary was never fully recognized for her work in her lifetime, as she was taken advantage of or passed over again and again due to her youth and sex; it was, in fact, a hundred years after her untimely death before women were even admitted into the Geological Society of London.
Anyway, if you are at all interested in fossils or dinosaurs or interesting historical figures or the Victorian era, this is such an enjoyable read. And it makes me wish that I, like one of the enthusiasts featured in the book, was able to squander my fortune on fossils!
Audio Notes: The audiobook, read by Cassandra Campbell, is excellent.
August 14, 2024
I thought that this book did a good job of introducing the characters involved at the beginning of the dinosaur craze. Some were quite eccentric. They had to grapple with fitting those huge bones into their strict and literal religious concepts. It resulted in some peculiar theories. Unable to accept the notion that God would create these creatures just to have them become extinct, someone proposed that God just created the old bones for us to find and scattered them about. The book ends when Darwin comes along and shakes everyone’s world.
This book was a little repetitious and not as captivating as I had hoped. I love dinosaurs and have read other books about the early days of paleontology, so this wasn’t entirely new to me. The book has illustrations, end notes and an extensive bibliography.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
This book was a little repetitious and not as captivating as I had hoped. I love dinosaurs and have read other books about the early days of paleontology, so this wasn’t entirely new to me. The book has illustrations, end notes and an extensive bibliography.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
July 31, 2024
This historical nonfiction novel follows multiple people in the Victorian era in their pursuit of finding and identifying fossils primarily dinosaurs during a time that most people could never imagine that such creatures were not myth and actually roamed the earth. I found it to be a good general overview of the topic which culminates with a famous dinner thrown on New Year’s Eve 1853 by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, a sculptor commissioned to create life size replicas of newly discovered dinosaurs, also depicted on the cover and used for the title.
The beginning of the book primarily focuses on the fossil collector Mary Anning, known for early findings and identification of ichthyosaur and plesiosaur skeletons, though men were often attributed with these discoveries as well as many of her other accomplishments. I first became intrigued by Anning when I read the historical fiction novel Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier and was pleased to read about this fascinating primarily self-educated woman making fascinating discoveries in a world where only men are recognized. Other notable figures followed and recognized for contributions over the course of the story include William Buckland, Gideon Mantell, Richard Owen and many more.
I found the story of the discovery and realization of dinosaur bones to be an interesting read. This was a lot for the common man to process, but especially for the actual scientists as most educated scientists of the time were also theologians. The mere existence of these creatures, much less the idea of extinction, went against most of their beliefs in the creation of the world. Reconciling their existence along with the other huge discoveries in science and technology at the time made for some intriguing theories.
Recommended for a general overview of the fossil collector craze of Victorian times and the interesting historical theories presented for their existence.
Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for a copy provided for an honest review.
The beginning of the book primarily focuses on the fossil collector Mary Anning, known for early findings and identification of ichthyosaur and plesiosaur skeletons, though men were often attributed with these discoveries as well as many of her other accomplishments. I first became intrigued by Anning when I read the historical fiction novel Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier and was pleased to read about this fascinating primarily self-educated woman making fascinating discoveries in a world where only men are recognized. Other notable figures followed and recognized for contributions over the course of the story include William Buckland, Gideon Mantell, Richard Owen and many more.
I found the story of the discovery and realization of dinosaur bones to be an interesting read. This was a lot for the common man to process, but especially for the actual scientists as most educated scientists of the time were also theologians. The mere existence of these creatures, much less the idea of extinction, went against most of their beliefs in the creation of the world. Reconciling their existence along with the other huge discoveries in science and technology at the time made for some intriguing theories.
Recommended for a general overview of the fossil collector craze of Victorian times and the interesting historical theories presented for their existence.
Thank you to Netgalley and Scribner for a copy provided for an honest review.
November 5, 2024
The title of this book is so bombastic that it begged to be requested [and will beg to be bought off the shelves in stores] and for someone who 1. knows little [almost nothing and most of it was from Jurassic Park LOL] about dinosaurs in general, 2. loves history [especially ones featuring those crazy Victorians], and 3. loves an excellent bombastic nonfiction book more than most things, it was really a no-brainer for me and I couldn't wait to dive in.
Yeah. Sigh.
Did I learn anything? Yes [though not nearly as much as I wanted NOR not what I thought I was going to learn]. Was the book engaging? Welllll...mostly. There were moments when I was not engaged, close to bored [there seemed to be a lot of repetition and that got old after awhile], and I did find that I thought I had missed something as the chapter/story would abruptly end and then move on to something else in the next chapter [this became really problematic for me and I finally had to stop rewinding the audiobook to see if I missed something and just became resigned to this odd writing trait of the author's. FYI, I am not a fan. At all. ]; it disrupted the flow of the book and left me wondering just what the rest of the story was [spoiler, we never find out].
While this was deeply researched [and I acknowledge the author's work here], and the writing is mostly [for me] engaging [minus the problems I had with it stated it above], it was just not enough for me and I wanted so much more.
If you do not mind repetition and a somewhat chaotic read, and as long as you aren't expecting a deep-dive into the Victorian love of fossils/dinosaurs, then this is the book for you. For me, I am truly disappointed in this book that just never lives up to its truly bombastic title.
Thank you to NetGalley, Edward Dolnick, and Scribner for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Yeah. Sigh.
Did I learn anything? Yes [though not nearly as much as I wanted NOR not what I thought I was going to learn]. Was the book engaging? Welllll...mostly. There were moments when I was not engaged, close to bored [there seemed to be a lot of repetition and that got old after awhile], and I did find that I thought I had missed something as the chapter/story would abruptly end and then move on to something else in the next chapter [this became really problematic for me and I finally had to stop rewinding the audiobook to see if I missed something and just became resigned to this odd writing trait of the author's. FYI, I am not a fan. At all. ]; it disrupted the flow of the book and left me wondering just what the rest of the story was [spoiler, we never find out].
While this was deeply researched [and I acknowledge the author's work here], and the writing is mostly [for me] engaging [minus the problems I had with it stated it above], it was just not enough for me and I wanted so much more.
If you do not mind repetition and a somewhat chaotic read, and as long as you aren't expecting a deep-dive into the Victorian love of fossils/dinosaurs, then this is the book for you. For me, I am truly disappointed in this book that just never lives up to its truly bombastic title.
Thank you to NetGalley, Edward Dolnick, and Scribner for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
October 10, 2024
Honestly, I am really disappointed. It's not that the book is bad - it's quite well written and easy to read. It's that I went into the book expecting a detailed dive into the history of early paleontology, and instead got a series of standalone articles or stories on little anecdotes without a coherent narrative or in depth look at the facts.
The author provides none of the characters the depth of attention they deserve - barring perhaps Mary Anning who is the focus of the first quarter or so of the book. It's also clear that the author isn't familiar with paleontology or biology in a professional context - going so far as to call Lamarck "mostly forgotten" which is laughable.
The only coherent overarching narrative seems to be the effect paleontology had on religiosity and Christianity at the time. Seemingly to make the point that there was a permanent separation of Christianity and science caused by the rise of paleontology. But the author never really commits to that narrative either - switching back to the original intent with every new chapter.
Overall I think it's well written, easy to digest, and provides lots of colorful little details about various characters from history. If you know little to nothing about paleontology or Victorian era science - it's a great and easy introduction to the subject. If you're looking for in depth information and discussion, look elsewhere.
The author provides none of the characters the depth of attention they deserve - barring perhaps Mary Anning who is the focus of the first quarter or so of the book. It's also clear that the author isn't familiar with paleontology or biology in a professional context - going so far as to call Lamarck "mostly forgotten" which is laughable.
The only coherent overarching narrative seems to be the effect paleontology had on religiosity and Christianity at the time. Seemingly to make the point that there was a permanent separation of Christianity and science caused by the rise of paleontology. But the author never really commits to that narrative either - switching back to the original intent with every new chapter.
Overall I think it's well written, easy to digest, and provides lots of colorful little details about various characters from history. If you know little to nothing about paleontology or Victorian era science - it's a great and easy introduction to the subject. If you're looking for in depth information and discussion, look elsewhere.
July 13, 2024
A delightful and highly informative blend of history, paleontology, and natural history
I can’t remember the last time I read a book that was such fun to read that also taught me so much! Most people today find fossils fascinating, but Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party explores the early days of fossil discovery and interpretation when the concept was perhaps even more fascinating but also highly contentious.
Although I learned a lot about paleontology and fossil discovery, this is primarily a work of history, and it is not surprising that it has a large cast of “characters”, a term I put in quotes because so many of the people involved were, not surprisingly, rather colorful and controversial, like George Cuvier, Gideon Mantell, William Paley, and Sir Charles Lyell. It was interesting to learn that a number of highly significant early finds were made by a poor, uneducated woman named Mary Anning who lived in Lyme Regis although her gender and social class kept her from being recognized appropriately at the time; she had to sell most of her fossils to support herself and her family. There were interesting personal items about relevant people, like the sad fact that the great naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who is responsible for our modern method of classifying plants and animals, had a stroke in his old age and could no longer remember any of the names he had assigned.
There is extensive exploration of how the fossil discoveries challenged many religious beliefs and the many ways people tried to reconcile them… or simply rejected either the science or the conventional religious teaching of the day. This was especially relevant since many of the scientists were also clergymen.
There was also discussion of other areas of natural science relevant to the main paleontology theme such as the unusual configuration of elephant skulls and the shape of the elements that carry colors in today’s birds, a shape also found in fossils.
The quality of the writing in Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party was as enjoyable as the content. There was a lot of material new to me in the book, and several times I made a Kindle note wondering “how did they know that”; a paragraph or two later Dolnick would tell me! He also has a real knack for expressing his ideas : “discovering is not merely finding something; discovering is finding and understanding that you’ve found something.” I appreciated the touches of humor, such as when he describes how paleontologist Richard Owen’s theories are about to be seriously challenged and says, ”Owen was at center stage, basking in applause….He took a step forward….He didn’t see he was about to topple into the orchestra pit.” There are also many excellent quotes from a wide variety of other sources, even poetry by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Whether your interest is the history or the science or just an enjoyable read, you might want to invite some Dinosaurs to your Dinner Party!
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley and Scribner
I can’t remember the last time I read a book that was such fun to read that also taught me so much! Most people today find fossils fascinating, but Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party explores the early days of fossil discovery and interpretation when the concept was perhaps even more fascinating but also highly contentious.
Although I learned a lot about paleontology and fossil discovery, this is primarily a work of history, and it is not surprising that it has a large cast of “characters”, a term I put in quotes because so many of the people involved were, not surprisingly, rather colorful and controversial, like George Cuvier, Gideon Mantell, William Paley, and Sir Charles Lyell. It was interesting to learn that a number of highly significant early finds were made by a poor, uneducated woman named Mary Anning who lived in Lyme Regis although her gender and social class kept her from being recognized appropriately at the time; she had to sell most of her fossils to support herself and her family. There were interesting personal items about relevant people, like the sad fact that the great naturalist Carl Linnaeus, who is responsible for our modern method of classifying plants and animals, had a stroke in his old age and could no longer remember any of the names he had assigned.
There is extensive exploration of how the fossil discoveries challenged many religious beliefs and the many ways people tried to reconcile them… or simply rejected either the science or the conventional religious teaching of the day. This was especially relevant since many of the scientists were also clergymen.
There was also discussion of other areas of natural science relevant to the main paleontology theme such as the unusual configuration of elephant skulls and the shape of the elements that carry colors in today’s birds, a shape also found in fossils.
The quality of the writing in Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party was as enjoyable as the content. There was a lot of material new to me in the book, and several times I made a Kindle note wondering “how did they know that”; a paragraph or two later Dolnick would tell me! He also has a real knack for expressing his ideas : “discovering is not merely finding something; discovering is finding and understanding that you’ve found something.” I appreciated the touches of humor, such as when he describes how paleontologist Richard Owen’s theories are about to be seriously challenged and says, ”Owen was at center stage, basking in applause….He took a step forward….He didn’t see he was about to topple into the orchestra pit.” There are also many excellent quotes from a wide variety of other sources, even poetry by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Whether your interest is the history or the science or just an enjoyable read, you might want to invite some Dinosaurs to your Dinner Party!
I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley and Scribner
August 17, 2026
Super illuminante e accessibile, un saggio di archeologia che non risulta mai freddo, perché mette al centro le persone: come reagirono i vittoriani alla scoperta dei dinosauri, al ricalibrarsi del tempo e di tutte le certezze che avevano sempre avuto? Una stellina in meno perché certi capitoli sono molto ripetitivi, ma tolti quelli una lettura davvero bella.
July 3, 2024
My favorite dinosaur was stegosaurus. I had a model stegosaurus on the shelf next to my horse models. Our son’s favorite dinosaur was T-Rex. He had a hundred model dinosaurs if he had one. At age seven, he was so well read on dinosaurs that he amazed a friend who had been on digs in Montana and had amassed an impressive fossil collection. We all thought our son would grow up to become a paleontologist.
What kid hasn’t gone through a dinosaur stage? Author Edward Dolnick had a dinosaur collection, and like our son, drew imagined “epics” of dinosaur battles.
Dolnick wondered what people thought when dinosaur fossils were first being discovered. His deep research is evident in this book.
Dolnick first gives readers a firm understanding of Victorian Age society, religion, and science. His writing is entertaining and the concepts easy to grasp. Then he turns to the people who discovered, and interpreted, fossils.
Dolnick begins with Mary Anning, an impoverished girl who scoured the cliffs of Lyme for fossils to sell to tourists. It was dangerous work. Mary became an expert on her finds. Sadly, as a woman with no influence or class rank, she was sidelined.
Natural History was a Victorian fad. They loved to collect everything, including plants, shells, butterflies, and fossils. Any man with a few dollars in his pocket and social rank became a fossil hunter.
Geologist William Buckland discovered Megalosaurus. He also proposed that fossilized animals were killed in the biblical flood until a find made him reject his own theory and he embraced Louis Agassiz’s theory of ice ages. It was glaciers, not floods, that had killed these animals off. Cuvier also thought that catastrophes had killed these animals.
The Victorians contorted scientific discoveries to fit into their Christian worldview. The discovery of dinosaur bones had people scrambling to conform science to faith. They imagined the fossils had been unicorns, Goliaths, and dragons. Fossils were not really old, they just looked it, “like pre-distressed jeans.” Mammoths were not a separate creature, they were just big elephants. Thomas Jefferson, who had a huge collection of fossils, was sure that the wilds of America would reveal that these animals were not extinct, but alive and still living in America. Jefferson believed that creation was a perfect machine and if one cog or link disappeared, it would all fall apart. (We were priviledged to view Jefferson’s personal collection at the Franklin Institute!)
But new discoveries challenged the old paradigm. The “possibility that a species could go extinct was to suggest that God’s creation was flawed,” that God made imperfect creatures, and that perhaps the world was not made for mankind.
These colorful characters and the rivalry between them make for great reading. Buckland was a strange gourmand, trying out every creature at the dinner table. (His guests were not always amused.) Gideon Mantell went into the field and amassed a huge fossil collection, but economics forced him to sell, while Richard Owen, who never put spade to rock to find a single fossil, claimed the spotlight as the foremost dinosaur expert. Dolnick compares Owen to Uriah Heep in appearance, and as “brilliant, backstabbing, charming and manipulative.” It was Owen who came up with the name ‘dinosaur.’
The book closes with a famous dinner in the Crystal Palace where diners sat inside a replica of a dinosaur. Those crazy Victorians.
When Darwin published his Origin of Species in 1859, he started a revolution in science, proving that species did change and die off. Owen was ‘banished to history’s attic.”
It is an immensely entertaining book while also informative.
I previously read the author’s book The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
What kid hasn’t gone through a dinosaur stage? Author Edward Dolnick had a dinosaur collection, and like our son, drew imagined “epics” of dinosaur battles.
Dolnick wondered what people thought when dinosaur fossils were first being discovered. His deep research is evident in this book.
Dolnick first gives readers a firm understanding of Victorian Age society, religion, and science. His writing is entertaining and the concepts easy to grasp. Then he turns to the people who discovered, and interpreted, fossils.
Dolnick begins with Mary Anning, an impoverished girl who scoured the cliffs of Lyme for fossils to sell to tourists. It was dangerous work. Mary became an expert on her finds. Sadly, as a woman with no influence or class rank, she was sidelined.
Natural History was a Victorian fad. They loved to collect everything, including plants, shells, butterflies, and fossils. Any man with a few dollars in his pocket and social rank became a fossil hunter.
Geologist William Buckland discovered Megalosaurus. He also proposed that fossilized animals were killed in the biblical flood until a find made him reject his own theory and he embraced Louis Agassiz’s theory of ice ages. It was glaciers, not floods, that had killed these animals off. Cuvier also thought that catastrophes had killed these animals.
The Victorians contorted scientific discoveries to fit into their Christian worldview. The discovery of dinosaur bones had people scrambling to conform science to faith. They imagined the fossils had been unicorns, Goliaths, and dragons. Fossils were not really old, they just looked it, “like pre-distressed jeans.” Mammoths were not a separate creature, they were just big elephants. Thomas Jefferson, who had a huge collection of fossils, was sure that the wilds of America would reveal that these animals were not extinct, but alive and still living in America. Jefferson believed that creation was a perfect machine and if one cog or link disappeared, it would all fall apart. (We were priviledged to view Jefferson’s personal collection at the Franklin Institute!)
But new discoveries challenged the old paradigm. The “possibility that a species could go extinct was to suggest that God’s creation was flawed,” that God made imperfect creatures, and that perhaps the world was not made for mankind.
These colorful characters and the rivalry between them make for great reading. Buckland was a strange gourmand, trying out every creature at the dinner table. (His guests were not always amused.) Gideon Mantell went into the field and amassed a huge fossil collection, but economics forced him to sell, while Richard Owen, who never put spade to rock to find a single fossil, claimed the spotlight as the foremost dinosaur expert. Dolnick compares Owen to Uriah Heep in appearance, and as “brilliant, backstabbing, charming and manipulative.” It was Owen who came up with the name ‘dinosaur.’
The book closes with a famous dinner in the Crystal Palace where diners sat inside a replica of a dinosaur. Those crazy Victorians.
When Darwin published his Origin of Species in 1859, he started a revolution in science, proving that species did change and die off. Owen was ‘banished to history’s attic.”
It is an immensely entertaining book while also informative.
I previously read the author’s book The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone.
Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.
December 10, 2024
Publisher's excerpt: https://lithub.com/giants-bones-fossi...
Ca. 1763: "What we had here was plainly a pair of enormous testicles from a bygone human giant. Brookes bestowed an imposing Latin name on the fossil, Scrotum humanum."
Off to a great start. A wonderful story of this forced paradigm shift.
A sample: Elizabeth Philpot, a fossil-collector colleague of Mary Anning, devised a technique for reviving fossil squid-ink. The book reproduces Philpot's drawing of an ichtyosaur head, made with fossil ink. Both are 200 million years old!
Prints of this 1830 watercolor, depicting life in ancient Dorset based on fossils found by Mary Anning , were sold as a benefit for her. She was perpetually short of money. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi... Whoa. Wonderful early paleoart!
Well. Sadly, this book ended up as something of a hot mess. Here's the review to read: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"If you do not mind repetition and a somewhat chaotic read, and as long as you aren't expecting a deep-dive into the Victorian love of fossils/dinosaurs, then this is the book for you." Um. I liked it a bit more than she did. About 2.5 stars worth, and I'm undecided as to rounding up or down. I don't usually give a 2-star if the book has substantial merit . . . But I can't really recommend this book. Rounding down.
So. What I'm going to do is point you to my review of a near-great short bio of Darwin:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This earned 4.5 stars from me and I've now read it 3 times. Short book, and it summarizes Darwin's entire career, warts and all. A brilliant scientist but a man of his time. High marks!
And I just finished Origin Story; the Trials of Charles Darwin by Howard Markel, which directly addresses the time and place of Dolnick's book. Markel is a far better writer, and better informed on this topic. But it may be more than you want to know. I've definitely been skimming. But a great overview of English science and culture, ca. 1859, when Darwin dropped his bombshell. Good stuff. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... This was a strong 3-star read for me.
Ca. 1763: "What we had here was plainly a pair of enormous testicles from a bygone human giant. Brookes bestowed an imposing Latin name on the fossil, Scrotum humanum."
Off to a great start. A wonderful story of this forced paradigm shift.
A sample: Elizabeth Philpot, a fossil-collector colleague of Mary Anning, devised a technique for reviving fossil squid-ink. The book reproduces Philpot's drawing of an ichtyosaur head, made with fossil ink. Both are 200 million years old!
Prints of this 1830 watercolor, depicting life in ancient Dorset based on fossils found by Mary Anning , were sold as a benefit for her. She was perpetually short of money. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi... Whoa. Wonderful early paleoart!
Well. Sadly, this book ended up as something of a hot mess. Here's the review to read: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"If you do not mind repetition and a somewhat chaotic read, and as long as you aren't expecting a deep-dive into the Victorian love of fossils/dinosaurs, then this is the book for you." Um. I liked it a bit more than she did. About 2.5 stars worth, and I'm undecided as to rounding up or down. I don't usually give a 2-star if the book has substantial merit . . . But I can't really recommend this book. Rounding down.
So. What I'm going to do is point you to my review of a near-great short bio of Darwin:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This earned 4.5 stars from me and I've now read it 3 times. Short book, and it summarizes Darwin's entire career, warts and all. A brilliant scientist but a man of his time. High marks!
And I just finished Origin Story; the Trials of Charles Darwin by Howard Markel, which directly addresses the time and place of Dolnick's book. Markel is a far better writer, and better informed on this topic. But it may be more than you want to know. I've definitely been skimming. But a great overview of English science and culture, ca. 1859, when Darwin dropped his bombshell. Good stuff. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... This was a strong 3-star read for me.
December 29, 2024
Interesting. You feel like you're smack in the middle of the Victorian Age.
This is a book not just for those, who like me at an advanced age, still LOVES dinosaurs. I might have become a paleontologist - seriously - had I not needed a JOB to support me and my husband who was still in college. Seriously, but Biology was my major - and my degree - and I taught science, which was almost as good as digging up dinosaurs as I got to expose thousands of children to what I liked best: science, and dinosaurs.
Enough about me. This book is also great for those who are interested in the Victorians - their beliefs, way of life, their solid stake in progress - and religion! These were people - highly-educated or not - who believed in God, but also loved progress! Trains! A delight, a miracle, a way to move about so quickly. OMG, we can go 40 mph! And electricity. And astronomy. And natural history. They were HUGE natural history buffs. Old and young, girls and boys, men and women, they collected nuts and feathers and eggs and kept notebooks with drawings of birds and ferns and flowers! They were curious and they were fascinated by the world around them - and then 'kerplunk' come these things, these fossils-as if from another world. What the heck are these giant lizards? These long-necked creatures with flippers? How are they possible? How old is the Earth, really? No, you can't be right! The Bible says...
So this is a different kind of 'science read,' in that it explores how people felt, how their thinking radically changed, how something new - and exciting, and almost 'irreligous' popped into their lives. There's really no comparison today. They were not prepared; they did not expect anything remotely like this. From their POV, the world was static, unchanged since the time God created it. All the animals, plants - God put them in their places and there they were. Even highly-educated persons thought this way - with very, very few exceptions.
The author notes that were we contemporary folk to suddenly confront, say, aliens from another planet - they just come down in their ships and said hello or whatever, we would not be as surprised, as startled, and as shocked as the Victorians when it came to fossils and dinosaurs! And that is because: We have been prepared. We talk about the possibility of UFOS, etc. We read about them in science as see them in our entertainment. (Goodness, the government even sets up a study panel to talk about the possibility of UFOS, etc.!) Upset and shocked, yes we'd certainly be. But we wouldn't go around saying, 'Where the heck did these aliens come from? I've never even imagined such a thing!'
This book is also an historical read as it recounts the various discoveries of the first dinosaur fossils, which actually began in the late 1700's, early 1800's. People were finding, or digging up, or pulling out the side of a cliff - fossils! Well, must be remnants from the big flood and Noah, many religious figures claimed. Then came the struggle to fit them all in the ark. Demons and dragon-like creatures which the Devil scattered over the Earth, others suggested. No, that idea quickly fell apart. But when people were forced to rethink, to re-evaluate the Earth, its history, geology and biology, and finally say yes, maybe this is an old, old place, and yes, maybe in previous, very ancient times, other living things walked and swam and flew on the planet, well...
This can be read in so many ways. History. Religion and science - how they clash. (And still are clashing almost 200 years later.) But these issues can also be reconciled. The Victorians, they just had a hell of a time doing so.
Entertaining and enlightening read.
Five stars.
This is a book not just for those, who like me at an advanced age, still LOVES dinosaurs. I might have become a paleontologist - seriously - had I not needed a JOB to support me and my husband who was still in college. Seriously, but Biology was my major - and my degree - and I taught science, which was almost as good as digging up dinosaurs as I got to expose thousands of children to what I liked best: science, and dinosaurs.
Enough about me. This book is also great for those who are interested in the Victorians - their beliefs, way of life, their solid stake in progress - and religion! These were people - highly-educated or not - who believed in God, but also loved progress! Trains! A delight, a miracle, a way to move about so quickly. OMG, we can go 40 mph! And electricity. And astronomy. And natural history. They were HUGE natural history buffs. Old and young, girls and boys, men and women, they collected nuts and feathers and eggs and kept notebooks with drawings of birds and ferns and flowers! They were curious and they were fascinated by the world around them - and then 'kerplunk' come these things, these fossils-as if from another world. What the heck are these giant lizards? These long-necked creatures with flippers? How are they possible? How old is the Earth, really? No, you can't be right! The Bible says...
So this is a different kind of 'science read,' in that it explores how people felt, how their thinking radically changed, how something new - and exciting, and almost 'irreligous' popped into their lives. There's really no comparison today. They were not prepared; they did not expect anything remotely like this. From their POV, the world was static, unchanged since the time God created it. All the animals, plants - God put them in their places and there they were. Even highly-educated persons thought this way - with very, very few exceptions.
The author notes that were we contemporary folk to suddenly confront, say, aliens from another planet - they just come down in their ships and said hello or whatever, we would not be as surprised, as startled, and as shocked as the Victorians when it came to fossils and dinosaurs! And that is because: We have been prepared. We talk about the possibility of UFOS, etc. We read about them in science as see them in our entertainment. (Goodness, the government even sets up a study panel to talk about the possibility of UFOS, etc.!) Upset and shocked, yes we'd certainly be. But we wouldn't go around saying, 'Where the heck did these aliens come from? I've never even imagined such a thing!'
This book is also an historical read as it recounts the various discoveries of the first dinosaur fossils, which actually began in the late 1700's, early 1800's. People were finding, or digging up, or pulling out the side of a cliff - fossils! Well, must be remnants from the big flood and Noah, many religious figures claimed. Then came the struggle to fit them all in the ark. Demons and dragon-like creatures which the Devil scattered over the Earth, others suggested. No, that idea quickly fell apart. But when people were forced to rethink, to re-evaluate the Earth, its history, geology and biology, and finally say yes, maybe this is an old, old place, and yes, maybe in previous, very ancient times, other living things walked and swam and flew on the planet, well...
This can be read in so many ways. History. Religion and science - how they clash. (And still are clashing almost 200 years later.) But these issues can also be reconciled. The Victorians, they just had a hell of a time doing so.
Entertaining and enlightening read.
Five stars.
July 4, 2025
Absolutely brilliantly written, the author pokes jabs at all of these historical figures, yet giving them the credit they earned. Really easy to follow while we walk through the "discovery" of dinosaurs in the Victorian period and their chaotic relationships and lives.
April 5, 2026
This is a look at the discovery of fossils in the 1800s, which really took off with the industrial revolution, which led to digging deeper in the earth than had previously been done. Up to this point, people assumed fossils had come from giants or dragons or other things from Greek mythology.
The book kind of rambles a bit, jumping between people and time periods and places. I think a full third of the book is the author stating over and over and over that the Victorians were really upset by the discovery of an earth older than they thought. Up to then, they had viewed religion and science as being in perfect harmony and all nature of proof of God. Poor disillusioned Victorians! The author restates this point over and over and over in every single chapter, often several times in a chapter.
[The thing that irks me is that I don’t think this was an unreasonable assumption. If religion and science are both the honest pursuit of truth, then they ARE the same thing and will lead to the same conclusions. If they’re in conflict, one of them is wrong and more information is needed. There will always be things in both we won’t know, though. Maybe the Victorians did forget the world is in a fallen state (which means it is subject to randomness, chaos, decay, and unfairness and that plenty of things DON’T happen for a reason. Only in heaven does everything make sense, happen for a reason, and be totally fair.) Like, Genesis says the sun and moon and stars don’t appear until after plant life is present. That totally gels with science’s understanding: the atmosphere was opaque until the plant life made it clear.]
This author thinks he is somehow smarter than people who lived before because he’s been educated in scientific discoveries they didn’t have. That doesn’t make you smart. Go back in time and try to extract pure aluminum or make a ballpoint pen. You can’t because you’re a dummy, like everyone else.
It has a conversational style that is easy to read, if you can get past the chaotic style, repetition, condescension, and lack of dinosaurs in it—very few of them are actually mentioned.
Clean content
*Reader’s Choice Nominee Spring 2026*
The book kind of rambles a bit, jumping between people and time periods and places. I think a full third of the book is the author stating over and over and over that the Victorians were really upset by the discovery of an earth older than they thought. Up to then, they had viewed religion and science as being in perfect harmony and all nature of proof of God. Poor disillusioned Victorians! The author restates this point over and over and over in every single chapter, often several times in a chapter.
[The thing that irks me is that I don’t think this was an unreasonable assumption. If religion and science are both the honest pursuit of truth, then they ARE the same thing and will lead to the same conclusions. If they’re in conflict, one of them is wrong and more information is needed. There will always be things in both we won’t know, though. Maybe the Victorians did forget the world is in a fallen state (which means it is subject to randomness, chaos, decay, and unfairness and that plenty of things DON’T happen for a reason. Only in heaven does everything make sense, happen for a reason, and be totally fair.) Like, Genesis says the sun and moon and stars don’t appear until after plant life is present. That totally gels with science’s understanding: the atmosphere was opaque until the plant life made it clear.]
This author thinks he is somehow smarter than people who lived before because he’s been educated in scientific discoveries they didn’t have. That doesn’t make you smart. Go back in time and try to extract pure aluminum or make a ballpoint pen. You can’t because you’re a dummy, like everyone else.
It has a conversational style that is easy to read, if you can get past the chaotic style, repetition, condescension, and lack of dinosaurs in it—very few of them are actually mentioned.
Clean content
*Reader’s Choice Nominee Spring 2026*
August 15, 2024
What a delight! While the story of the discovery of dinosaurs and the first fossil hunters may be fairly well known, the author of this book takes a fresh and novel approach to the subject. His focus is not on paleontology itself, or even on the historical events, but on the mindset of the scientists who made these discoveries and the general public who marveled at them. For me, it was an eye-opening experience.
As Edward Dolnick writes, “We would perk up if someone showed up with incontrovertible proof that aliens had traveled from one of those stars and paid us a visit. A video of an alien army or a bit of alien corpse that matched nothing on Earth would be hard to dismiss. For our forebears in the nineteenth century, bones and skeletons from fierce, extinct creatures served as that sort of impossible-to-explain-away evidence”.
The challenge was that "in the early 1800s, science and religion were merged in a way that scarcely exists today, and religion was the dominant partner in that union”. As the mounting scientific evidence became less and less consistent with the teachings of the Bible, it caused a dramatic shift that created our modern secular world.
This is no ordinary history book. The author skillfully jumps around the timeline, diving into different topics and showing people’s approach to them from antiquity to the present day. He does this with such panache and wit that I laughed constantly. Even when he recalls familiar events and personalities, he presents them in a new light, peppering his account with a variety of surprising facts (did you know that Leibniz proudly displayed a unicorn skeleton? Or that Thomas Jefferson was "obsessed" with incognitum, as mastodons were called at the time?)
It is also worth noting that there is another interesting forthcoming book (“Impossible Monsters: Dinosaurs, Darwin, and the Battle Between Science and Religion” by Michael Taylor – my review here!) that focuses on similar issues, but since it takes a different approach and covers a longer period, it is complementary rather than redundant.
Thanks to the publisher, Scribner, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
As Edward Dolnick writes, “We would perk up if someone showed up with incontrovertible proof that aliens had traveled from one of those stars and paid us a visit. A video of an alien army or a bit of alien corpse that matched nothing on Earth would be hard to dismiss. For our forebears in the nineteenth century, bones and skeletons from fierce, extinct creatures served as that sort of impossible-to-explain-away evidence”.
The challenge was that "in the early 1800s, science and religion were merged in a way that scarcely exists today, and religion was the dominant partner in that union”. As the mounting scientific evidence became less and less consistent with the teachings of the Bible, it caused a dramatic shift that created our modern secular world.
This is no ordinary history book. The author skillfully jumps around the timeline, diving into different topics and showing people’s approach to them from antiquity to the present day. He does this with such panache and wit that I laughed constantly. Even when he recalls familiar events and personalities, he presents them in a new light, peppering his account with a variety of surprising facts (did you know that Leibniz proudly displayed a unicorn skeleton? Or that Thomas Jefferson was "obsessed" with incognitum, as mastodons were called at the time?)
It is also worth noting that there is another interesting forthcoming book (“Impossible Monsters: Dinosaurs, Darwin, and the Battle Between Science and Religion” by Michael Taylor – my review here!) that focuses on similar issues, but since it takes a different approach and covers a longer period, it is complementary rather than redundant.
Thanks to the publisher, Scribner, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
September 6, 2024
A blend of history, paleontology, and biography, this book is a fun and lively account of the early discoveries of dinosaur bones in Great Britain. It starts with Mary Anning’s discoveries of Ichthyosaurs and Plesiosaurs, and how she played a major role but got little credit due to gender and class prejudice. It moves to the contributions of a variety of others, including minibiographies that highlight some of the lesser-known people involved. It also touches on Charles Darwin and his ground-breaking theories of evolution.
Though I knew much of the history covered in this book, the author approaches it from a slightly different angle. He looks at the impact on society of the time, how the Victorians tried to reconcile their views of religion (and the prevailing interpretations of the Bible) with these large creatures that obviously existed at some point in the past. There are quite a few humorous passages, especially the convoluted ways they tried to reconcile what “everyone knew” (at the time) with this new evidence.
But the heart of this book is helping the reader understand the culture of the era. Victorians lined up to view exhibits, attend lectures, and learn about our world. The discovery of dinosaurs started a change in thinking, and the author conveys their excitement and awe at new discoveries. I enjoyed the writing style, which is both educational and entertaining. I look forward to reading more of Dolnick’s work.
Though I knew much of the history covered in this book, the author approaches it from a slightly different angle. He looks at the impact on society of the time, how the Victorians tried to reconcile their views of religion (and the prevailing interpretations of the Bible) with these large creatures that obviously existed at some point in the past. There are quite a few humorous passages, especially the convoluted ways they tried to reconcile what “everyone knew” (at the time) with this new evidence.
But the heart of this book is helping the reader understand the culture of the era. Victorians lined up to view exhibits, attend lectures, and learn about our world. The discovery of dinosaurs started a change in thinking, and the author conveys their excitement and awe at new discoveries. I enjoyed the writing style, which is both educational and entertaining. I look forward to reading more of Dolnick’s work.
June 20, 2026
I saggi di divulgazione scientifica sono sempre un toccasana quando si tratta di variare la tbr e lasciare riposare in neuroni con qualcosa di diverso dalle letture mainstream.
E poi… chi non ama i dinosauri?
Ok che la mia generazione è cresciuta con Jurassic Park, ma è inutile negarlo: queste creature preistoriche hanno da sempre stuzzicato la nostra immaginazione fin dai libri illustrati per la prima infanzia.
Ma quest’opera vuole fare qualcosa di diverso dai soliti saggi: più che parlare di dinosauri, spiega al lettore tutte le rivoluzioni sociali e culturali che hanno cambiato completamente il mondo dopo il ritrovamento dei primi fossili completi. Noi ormai diamo tutto per scontato, ma all’epoca pensavano che la Terra avesse 2000 anni e che non ci fosse nessun’altra verità al di fuori Creazione da parte di Dio. Pensare il contrario era pura eresia.
Cambiare l’opinione pubblica è stato un processo difficoltoso e imprevedibile? Sì. Nel mentre il nome delle donne che hanno collaborato a plasmare la storia sono stati cancellati e dimenticati? Ovvio.
Ma alla fine, come cita il libro, il vero lieto fine l’hanno avuto proprio i dinosauri.
Non sto scherzando. Il 90% delle menti illustri qui citate hanno fatto una fine poco piacevole.
A ogni modo si è rivelata una lettura davvero piacevole. Il testo è pieno di aneddoti divertenti e collegamenti, lo stile colloquiale lo rende alla portata di tutti ed è stato interessante scoprire nuovi nomi e rivalità nel settore. Mary Anning non ha bisogno di presentazioni, ma poi abbiamo il medico Gideon Mantell, l’eccentrico William Buckland, il geniale Georges Cuvier, l’oscuro Richard Owen e i noti Edmund Halley e Charles Darwin. Menzione d’onore per Adrianne Mayor.
Insomma, un gruppo di tutto rispetto.
L’unico appunto che mi sento di fare è che molti argomenti a lungo andare suonano un po’ ridondanti (tipo il ruolo della religione ribadito in quasi ogni capitolo), ma i capitoli brevi e lo stile esuberante hanno aiutato a mitigare ciò.
Ideale per tutti gli appassionati dei dinosauri e storia.
E poi… chi non ama i dinosauri?
Ok che la mia generazione è cresciuta con Jurassic Park, ma è inutile negarlo: queste creature preistoriche hanno da sempre stuzzicato la nostra immaginazione fin dai libri illustrati per la prima infanzia.
Ma quest’opera vuole fare qualcosa di diverso dai soliti saggi: più che parlare di dinosauri, spiega al lettore tutte le rivoluzioni sociali e culturali che hanno cambiato completamente il mondo dopo il ritrovamento dei primi fossili completi. Noi ormai diamo tutto per scontato, ma all’epoca pensavano che la Terra avesse 2000 anni e che non ci fosse nessun’altra verità al di fuori Creazione da parte di Dio. Pensare il contrario era pura eresia.
Cambiare l’opinione pubblica è stato un processo difficoltoso e imprevedibile? Sì. Nel mentre il nome delle donne che hanno collaborato a plasmare la storia sono stati cancellati e dimenticati? Ovvio.
Ma alla fine, come cita il libro, il vero lieto fine l’hanno avuto proprio i dinosauri.
Non sto scherzando. Il 90% delle menti illustri qui citate hanno fatto una fine poco piacevole.
A ogni modo si è rivelata una lettura davvero piacevole. Il testo è pieno di aneddoti divertenti e collegamenti, lo stile colloquiale lo rende alla portata di tutti ed è stato interessante scoprire nuovi nomi e rivalità nel settore. Mary Anning non ha bisogno di presentazioni, ma poi abbiamo il medico Gideon Mantell, l’eccentrico William Buckland, il geniale Georges Cuvier, l’oscuro Richard Owen e i noti Edmund Halley e Charles Darwin. Menzione d’onore per Adrianne Mayor.
Insomma, un gruppo di tutto rispetto.
L’unico appunto che mi sento di fare è che molti argomenti a lungo andare suonano un po’ ridondanti (tipo il ruolo della religione ribadito in quasi ogni capitolo), ma i capitoli brevi e lo stile esuberante hanno aiutato a mitigare ciò.
Ideale per tutti gli appassionati dei dinosauri e storia.
July 4, 2025
An interesting and very pleasantly written ride through the world of Victorian natural history in the era leading up to On The Origin of Species. In some ways a standard biography of the movement’s leading figures, but elevated by a consistent return to the existential threat posed by their own discoveries. Nothing fundamentally game changing, but this work makes the extraordinarily reluctant shift from a nature beautiful and ordered, a window onto the divine benevolence of a loving creator, to a nature red in tooth and claw, very compelling.
March 2, 2024
At one point in the book, the author uses an analogy of a teenagers bedroom to explain stratigraphy, likening the layers of discarded clothing to that of the Earth's strata, but noting that geologic forces may make the specific progression of time unclear, analogizing that in particular to the resulting chaos created by a happy golden retriever chasing a tennis ball thrown into the room.
This analogy works both as an illustration of the book, Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party, but also an analogy for the book. The author writes as thought there was a non-fiction Bulwer-Lytton award, and I am here for it. It is excitable, bombastic, and more florid than an adulterer's apology to his wife. But it feels authentic. The author is that excited about dinosaurs and dinosaur history, and so are you. Yes, you, reading this, trying to be all cool and detached. You know this speaks to your inner teenager, if not your inner Golden. It is infectious.
It is also chaotic. The title of the book refers to the party given by Benjamin Hawkins that took place inside an iguanadon model created for the occasion, as Hawkins was the artist creating what we now know as the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs and this was his shop. The party is described in soaring detail as the conclusion, not climax, of the book. The subtitle of the book "how an eccentric group of Victorians discovered prehistoric creatures and accidentally upended the world," is in contrast to the stated original question of the book in its acknowledgements, which describes it as a history of science of the discovery of dinosaurs, where the book itself is neither, or possibly both. It is interested in the Victorian greats like Anning and Owen, but stops short of a biographic history, and includes a long discussion on earlier scientific research, such as with ancient (usually not dinosaur) bones in France and the United States, but also Mayor's theories on Ancient Greek interpretations of ancient bones (again, usually not dinosaur, and also criticized). For a book about the realization of Deep Time, it is adverse to chronology.
It is a mess, but it works, as each (short) chapter tends to work as a stand-alone document. Frustratingly, for me at any rate, the most interesting parts are those related most clearly with the subtitle, and the question of what as a matter of ideology set the Victorians apart in their relationship with scientific examination, the impulse towards collection, and the bifurcated interest in God and the natural world as either in opposition or in concert. I am suspect about this as an idea, but admittedly that is why it is the most attractive to contemplate. Here that I find the most to criticize about the author's style. I know that as of early 2024, proper citation is become an idée fixe within the commentator class and a culture war issue without. I am absolutely not accusing Dolnick of any misdoing. But the book has a sort of inconsistency in its methodology of citations and quotes where, in these chapters, where I am working on putting together a reading list to dive deeper, that lead to frustration and confusion on my part.
And while Darwin does not show up - he is in again the author's memorable method of description the bomb under the table Hitchcock-style at the titular dinner party - I know that the descriptions of some of these figure's problems with what would be Darwinism are reductive. This is the simplified view of a lot of these ideas, which the author seems to me to acknowledge in the end notes, commonly held but also capable of a lot more elaboration, usually in some degree of rehabilitation. The focus here though is on the fun stuff. So, when I think about the ideal audience for this book, I think about the teenager from the analogy. It is a light treatment of the subject, too scattered to be a useful introduction, but fun, and the sort of thing that ought to provoke further interest and glee.
Thank you to the author, Edward Dolnick, and the publisher, Scribner Books, for making the ARC available to me.
This analogy works both as an illustration of the book, Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party, but also an analogy for the book. The author writes as thought there was a non-fiction Bulwer-Lytton award, and I am here for it. It is excitable, bombastic, and more florid than an adulterer's apology to his wife. But it feels authentic. The author is that excited about dinosaurs and dinosaur history, and so are you. Yes, you, reading this, trying to be all cool and detached. You know this speaks to your inner teenager, if not your inner Golden. It is infectious.
It is also chaotic. The title of the book refers to the party given by Benjamin Hawkins that took place inside an iguanadon model created for the occasion, as Hawkins was the artist creating what we now know as the Crystal Palace Dinosaurs and this was his shop. The party is described in soaring detail as the conclusion, not climax, of the book. The subtitle of the book "how an eccentric group of Victorians discovered prehistoric creatures and accidentally upended the world," is in contrast to the stated original question of the book in its acknowledgements, which describes it as a history of science of the discovery of dinosaurs, where the book itself is neither, or possibly both. It is interested in the Victorian greats like Anning and Owen, but stops short of a biographic history, and includes a long discussion on earlier scientific research, such as with ancient (usually not dinosaur) bones in France and the United States, but also Mayor's theories on Ancient Greek interpretations of ancient bones (again, usually not dinosaur, and also criticized). For a book about the realization of Deep Time, it is adverse to chronology.
It is a mess, but it works, as each (short) chapter tends to work as a stand-alone document. Frustratingly, for me at any rate, the most interesting parts are those related most clearly with the subtitle, and the question of what as a matter of ideology set the Victorians apart in their relationship with scientific examination, the impulse towards collection, and the bifurcated interest in God and the natural world as either in opposition or in concert. I am suspect about this as an idea, but admittedly that is why it is the most attractive to contemplate. Here that I find the most to criticize about the author's style. I know that as of early 2024, proper citation is become an idée fixe within the commentator class and a culture war issue without. I am absolutely not accusing Dolnick of any misdoing. But the book has a sort of inconsistency in its methodology of citations and quotes where, in these chapters, where I am working on putting together a reading list to dive deeper, that lead to frustration and confusion on my part.
And while Darwin does not show up - he is in again the author's memorable method of description the bomb under the table Hitchcock-style at the titular dinner party - I know that the descriptions of some of these figure's problems with what would be Darwinism are reductive. This is the simplified view of a lot of these ideas, which the author seems to me to acknowledge in the end notes, commonly held but also capable of a lot more elaboration, usually in some degree of rehabilitation. The focus here though is on the fun stuff. So, when I think about the ideal audience for this book, I think about the teenager from the analogy. It is a light treatment of the subject, too scattered to be a useful introduction, but fun, and the sort of thing that ought to provoke further interest and glee.
Thank you to the author, Edward Dolnick, and the publisher, Scribner Books, for making the ARC available to me.
June 24, 2025
This was medium good! I wish it had been more citation heavy (in-text, the back matter is extensive and a great list of resources and tidbits) and I wish the writing had been a little bit more... I'm not sure actually, just more, but it was an easy, enjoyable enough read and did make me think much more about how unbelievably strange it must have been to be alive when the idea of dinosaurs was brand new, which was pretty much what I was looking for.
February 15, 2025
This is a popular-level history of the discovery of dinosaurs in Victorian England. In the nineteenth century, multiple large and unusual fossilized bones were uncovered. This was puzzling because at the time it was believed that God had created a world ideal for mankind and therefore the notion of an extinct species didn’t make sense, but these bones did not seem to belong to any known animals. Dolnick here tells the story of how the concept of dinosaurs gradually developed. He shows how scientists tried to reconcile the fossil findings with their understanding of the world at the time, and explains why the very concept of dinosaurs was so disruptive to the prevailing worldview.
It’s easy for modern readers who learned about dinosaurs as children to scoff at the difficulties people of that era had conceptualizing a bygone prehistoric world filled with extinct giant “terrible lizards,” but Dolnick tries to help us understand why this was so troublesome for them. Although he sometimes can’t help himself and lets his true feelings show, which is that those silly stupid Victorians naively believed that the world was created by God and that God cared for humans, until Darwin finally stepped up and set them straight: everything is due to random chance acting through natural selection, therefore the very idea of a Designer is unnecessary and antiquated.
Despite this pervasive materialist bias and the occasional condescending tone, there is still some good history here, with a fascinating cast of characters and some memorable stories. And it’s also interesting to read about how these discoveries had such a significant scientific and philosophical impact.
It’s easy for modern readers who learned about dinosaurs as children to scoff at the difficulties people of that era had conceptualizing a bygone prehistoric world filled with extinct giant “terrible lizards,” but Dolnick tries to help us understand why this was so troublesome for them. Although he sometimes can’t help himself and lets his true feelings show, which is that those silly stupid Victorians naively believed that the world was created by God and that God cared for humans, until Darwin finally stepped up and set them straight: everything is due to random chance acting through natural selection, therefore the very idea of a Designer is unnecessary and antiquated.
Despite this pervasive materialist bias and the occasional condescending tone, there is still some good history here, with a fascinating cast of characters and some memorable stories. And it’s also interesting to read about how these discoveries had such a significant scientific and philosophical impact.
September 30, 2024
Really enjoyed this look into the advent of fossils, geology and dinosaurs. The author did a great job of bringing history to life! The subtitle - “How an eccentric group of Victorians discovered prehistoric creatures and accidentally upended the world” - actually fit the book, which is surprisingly rare among non-fiction titles.
My favorite part was the chapter on connecting Greek myths with fossils the ancients might have found (ex: the skull of a prehistoric elephant looks a lot like a Cyclops). Also loved learning that one of the first major fossils finders was a woman.
There was a ton of commentary on the role of the Bible in society at the time and in the lives of the scientists themselves. I thought the author did a great job of exploring and referring to the Biblical worldview without deriding it or making it seem like a silly thing to believe.
My favorite part was the chapter on connecting Greek myths with fossils the ancients might have found (ex: the skull of a prehistoric elephant looks a lot like a Cyclops). Also loved learning that one of the first major fossils finders was a woman.
There was a ton of commentary on the role of the Bible in society at the time and in the lives of the scientists themselves. I thought the author did a great job of exploring and referring to the Biblical worldview without deriding it or making it seem like a silly thing to believe.
July 30, 2025
This was a fun listen while it was happening, but I honestly couldn't tell you one thing I learned while reading it. I retained nothing. Do not know if book's fault or mine, but same result either way.
[3.5 stars]
[3.5 stars]
October 1, 2024
"Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party" by Edward Dolnick is as utterly entertaining as any best-selling novel. The entire time I read "Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party" I told everyone around me to read it. The knowledge of dinosaurs has obviously, never not been part of my life. But I had never thought about the initial discovery or urge to understand the discovery of giant bones before. The fact it wasn't until the 1800s that people began to imagine all the options about what these bones, footprints, and fossils were from is wild to me. That history is still so close to us, and it's funny to think about the fanciful ideas people thought of to explain these fossils. Many of the historical figures you meet in this book you learn about the highs and lows of their careers in a new science in its infancy. Also, women are awesome and I'm glad Mary Anning and the others are finally getting their credit and acknowledgment for their part in the discovery of dinosaurs.
January 2, 2025
You'd think a book with the word "dinosaurs" in the title would be mostly about dinosaurs. But no, this was a drunken stagger (thank you, Charles Darwin for this phrase) through evolution. Thoroughly pretentious and overly written.
October 10, 2024
Super easy read filled with fun and interesting facts/anecdotes about people who realized the Earth's history was much more extensive than they had thought.
January 17, 2025
I’ve become a real dinosaur fan, and this was a good read, especially the parts dealing with the often eccentric discoverers of the 19th century.
March 8, 2026
4.5🌟 Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party is "dino"-mite! 🦖🦕
Nothing in this world fills me with more delight and wonder than a good, light-hearted nonfiction book. While certain tales and characters in the book have dark and twisted stories, the overall tone of the book leans towards enjoyment derived from curiousity and discovery. Meanwhile, the theme unpacks what it means to reconcile former perceptions and beliefs of the world in the face of new scientific revelations.
I always love collecting new fun facts to share with friends and family. And, man, this is a book worth savoring as the contents are jam packed with facts- like the term dinosaur wasn't coined until 1842. In addition to the general content, Dolnick's narrative style has me wanting to make a visit to England to explore the sites and museums integral to the Victorian era.
I gave the book 4.5 stars because some of the chapters felt a bit redundant at times- THAT SAID, its repetitive nature ended up being helpful whenever I took a long break from the book.
I'm so glad this book caught my eye while perusing a bookshop- it was a treat from beginning to end!
Nothing in this world fills me with more delight and wonder than a good, light-hearted nonfiction book. While certain tales and characters in the book have dark and twisted stories, the overall tone of the book leans towards enjoyment derived from curiousity and discovery. Meanwhile, the theme unpacks what it means to reconcile former perceptions and beliefs of the world in the face of new scientific revelations.
I always love collecting new fun facts to share with friends and family. And, man, this is a book worth savoring as the contents are jam packed with facts- like the term dinosaur wasn't coined until 1842. In addition to the general content, Dolnick's narrative style has me wanting to make a visit to England to explore the sites and museums integral to the Victorian era.
I gave the book 4.5 stars because some of the chapters felt a bit redundant at times- THAT SAID, its repetitive nature ended up being helpful whenever I took a long break from the book.
I'm so glad this book caught my eye while perusing a bookshop- it was a treat from beginning to end!
July 13, 2026
There’s nothing better than reading about what old timey people thought science stuff was, and this book is chock full of that!
February 9, 2025
Absolutely delightful! Short chapters and a little repetitive on places, but engaging enough to overcome all that.
July 19, 2026
4.5 stars. Be warned - it is a lively history of how Victorian society responded to the discovery of dinosaurs, not a history of the dinosaurs themselves. That said, it was absolutely fascinating learning about the culture’s attitudes about science prior to their discovery, how completely foreign the idea of extinction was to them, & how the discovery shifted how they understood the world. I also loved learning about the women & delightfully bizarre men that were at the forefront of these discoveries.
Also, the fact my kid who spent a decade planning to be a paleontologist also ate all kinds of bizarre things during that era just seemed fitting after reading about Buckland’s shenanigans 🙃.
Also, the fact my kid who spent a decade planning to be a paleontologist also ate all kinds of bizarre things during that era just seemed fitting after reading about Buckland’s shenanigans 🙃.
April 10, 2026
Such a refresher in the middle of a lot of very heavy books! I can't remember the last time I read an educational nonfiction book, much less one about a topic I'm not particularly interested in. This was a pleasant surprise.
"Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party" is about the discovery of dinosaur fossils and how that rocked the British science world in the 1800s. It's educational, but I found it engaging and not dry. The emotional aspect of the story was something I hadn't considered -- that finding out there was prehistoric life totally upended the comfortable idea that most people had at that time, which was that life on Earth was only a few thousand years old and restarted with a flood. The moral and religious conflict of science vs scripture is very strong here and you can feel how distressing and, at times, sad the discoveries were for both the scientists themselves and the general public.
Most enjoyably for me, some of the scientists described in this book are absolute freaks. From nonconsensual corpse-stealing to milking platypuses, the oddities and pettiness of the historical characters made me laugh out loud.
This isn't some kind of hard-hitting, life-altering book that readers will lie awake at night thinking about. Rather, it's pleasant, you'll learn something, and (at least in my case) look forward to reading it each day. It's always a lovely surprise to step out of your usual genres and find a gem, which "Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party" was for me.
"Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party" is about the discovery of dinosaur fossils and how that rocked the British science world in the 1800s. It's educational, but I found it engaging and not dry. The emotional aspect of the story was something I hadn't considered -- that finding out there was prehistoric life totally upended the comfortable idea that most people had at that time, which was that life on Earth was only a few thousand years old and restarted with a flood. The moral and religious conflict of science vs scripture is very strong here and you can feel how distressing and, at times, sad the discoveries were for both the scientists themselves and the general public.
Most enjoyably for me, some of the scientists described in this book are absolute freaks. From nonconsensual corpse-stealing to milking platypuses, the oddities and pettiness of the historical characters made me laugh out loud.
This isn't some kind of hard-hitting, life-altering book that readers will lie awake at night thinking about. Rather, it's pleasant, you'll learn something, and (at least in my case) look forward to reading it each day. It's always a lovely surprise to step out of your usual genres and find a gem, which "Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party" was for me.
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