The Shortest History of the Dinosaurs

“An entrancing primer… . Black has a knack for singling out the most surprising and engrossing findings of modern paleontology, bringing the ancient reptiles back to vivid life. The result is an excellent overview of the ever-evolving science on dinosaurs.” – Publishers Weekly“Black condenses 230 million years into 200 pages in this tour de Mesozoic force. By the end, you’ll understand the latest research on how dinosaurs lived, ate, mated, raised their young, and even interacted with our ancient mammalian ancestors.” – Big Think“Praise for When the Earth Was Green”Black masterfully uses science to breathe life into ancient worlds in which some of our favorite prehistoric animals lived.” – Science News“Black’s creative writing style and vivid descriptions, paired with well-chosen scientific facts, transport readers to verdant, sometimes violent scenes from our planet’s past.” – Booklist“Black masterfully transforms 15 fossil sites into vibrant, living landscapes … an exercise in empathy that left me hopeful about humanity’s ability to consider other perspectives, whether those of ancient, exotic organisms or members of our own species.” – Science Magazine“Brilliant, brimming with insight, and boundlessly entertaining.” – Jason Roberts, author of Every Living Thing and A Sense of the World“Black is a poet of prehistory.” – Sabrina Imbler, author of How Far the Light Reaches and staff writer at Defector“An essential, extraordinary story.” – Daniel Lewis, author of Twelve Trees, Dibner Senior Curator for the History of Science and Technology, Huntington Library“What a beautiful book! I couldn’t put it down. Black has crafted a prose so vivid and precise that it feels more like watching a film.” – Paco Calvo, author of Planta Sapiens“Praise for The Last Days of the DinosaursWinner 2023 AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Writing”Black blends the intricacies of science with masterful storytelling for a cracking, enchanting read.” – Newsweek“This is top-drawer science writing.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review“Exquisitely written.” – Booklist

Riley Black is the award-winning author of more than ten books about fossils, evolution, and dinosaurs. Her latest, The Last Days of the Dinosaurs, won the AAAS/Subaru Prize for Excellence in Science Books, and her follow-up When the Earth Was Green will be published in 2025 by St. Martin’s Press. When not penning books, Riley regularly writes about fossils for a variety of publications such as National Geographic, Smithsonian, Slate, and more, with repeated appearances on radio and television programs such as All Things Considered, Science Friday, and NOVA. She has also acted as a science advisor on dinosaur projects for the Jurassic World franchise, and has given talks about the latest in paleontology at venues ranging from Yale University and the Houston Museum of Natural Science to the Tucson Festival of Books. She lives in Utah.

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