Dinosaurs in the Attic: An Excursion into the American Museum of Natural History [Mass Market Paperback]

Douglas J. Preston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 12, 1987

Dinosaurs in the Attic is a chronicle of the expeditions, discoveries, and scientists behind the greatest natural history collection every assembled. Written by former Natural History columnist Douglas Preston, who worked at the American Museum of Natural History for seven years, this is a celebration of the best-known and best-loved museum in the United States.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

New York's American Museum of Natural History, one of the outstanding science museums in the world, contains an extraordinary collection of objects: dinosaur skeletons, human mummies, tiny beetles, birds of paradise, and massive totem poles. Only a tiny fraction of the millions of catalogued specimens is on public view, and Douglas, with a series of judicious choices, takes us on a tour of the great labyrinth of storerooms and vaults that houses the bulk of the collection. Of equal interest are the people who built up and continue to maintain this extraordinary collection. This is a delightful book filled with fascinating stories, anecdotes, and personalities. Highly recommended. Walter P. Coombs, Jr., Biology Dept., Western New Engalnd Coll., Springfield, Mass.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"A rare treat...utterly wonderful to museum buffs." --Publishers Weekly

"Conveys the feeling of excitement and unflagging curiosity of those working behind the scenes to add to mankind's knowledge of the natural world." --Lorin Nevling, Jr., Director Emeritus, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago

"Dinosaurs in the Attic is not just chronicle, or even history-it is literature, and a damn good read!" --Charles R. Crumly, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University

"The raucous and heroic history of one of America's best-loved museums...a beguiling book." --Chicago Tribune

"Preston writes...with breezy wit and insight." --Boston Globe

"A delightful book filled with fascinating stories, anecdotes, and personalities." --Library Journal

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (December 12, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345347323
• ISBN-13: 978-0345347329
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,673,003 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Douglas Preston, who worked for several years in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, is the author of the acclaimed nonfiction works Dinosaurs in the Attic and Cities of Gold, and the novel, Jennie. He lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You don't have to love dinosaurs to enjoy this book, October 13, 2000

By 

A.D. Georgsson (Houston, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dinosaurs in the Attic: An Excursion into the American Museum of Natural History (Paperback)

More than a book about a museum, Dinosaurs in the Attic is a survey of the last two centuries' at times predatory and rapacious drive to collect. I read this book years ago, and am still recommending it to people as one of the most interesting and enjoyable books I've ever read. The story telling is marvelous and the insights about the museum fascinating.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, July 10, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Dinosaurs in the Attic: An Excursion into the American Museum of Natural History (Paperback)

Until I read this history of the American Museum of Natural History and the stories of its great collections, I had little desire to visit NYC. While I thought "Relic" (the book AND the film) was a piece of junk, this book definitely made me travel to New York JUST to see the items described in this book. This was the first account I read of the tales of rival dinosaur hunters Marsh and Cope (now there is a film story). The hundreds of anecdotes such as the bone stripping beetles made it a fascinating read. I recommend it to anyone interested in the story of the finest collection of natural history artifacts on earth.

16 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing, hilarious (sometimes) human nature book, September 29, 2003

By 

K. L Sadler "Dr. Karen L. Sadler" (Freedom, Pa. USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dinosaurs in the Attic: An Excursion into the American Museum of Natural History (Paperback)

You wouldn't think of museums as providing the stuff for comedians, but I can see not enough people know about what actually goes on in these collosal monuments to human curiosity!
I came to this book by way of mystery writers (Preston and Child--Relic and Fairchild---The Bone Vault). So thanks guys for recommending this nonfiction read! Almost as quickly read as my mysteries.

The need for so many people to collect items, animals and even humans (would someone please stomp on Admiral Peary's grave for a while)! Geez. You wouldn't think people would be so obtuse as to not realize that living, breathing human beings do not belong in museums as specimens of a tribe or culture we do not know. But obviously the wealthy who often did the collecting, or those 'explorers' who put fame and glory above compassion had a problem with understanding basic human rights. And yes, if tribes ask for their ancestors back, the bones should be returned and buried. How would we all feel if someone went and dug up our grandparents and put their skeletons on display without concern for our need to respect them? You don't see museum guys going to dig up white American or English cemetary plots, do you?

Okay, off the soapbox. A fun read, well-written, well-researched. Preston went on to write several books using the museums as a somewhat creepy place, and frankly after reading this and other books, I don't think I'd want to be locked in the American Museum of Natural History. Pretty sure I'd freak out...too much past with too many ghosts attached to it. Besides, this place sounds like a mausoleum. Having just returned from visiting the Mutter Medical Museum in Philly with its assortment of bones, oddly shaped fetuses and a variety of other things like hands floating in some type of suspension fluid showing small pox at its worse...yikes, I don't know how much of this stuff I could take, and I took medical classes in the Morgue!

The history of the museum is fascinating...the fact that we are able to see so little of this makes me yearn to do exploring down in the 'tombs' and hallways in the presence of company and full daylight, thank you.

Karen Sadler,
Science Education,
University of Pittsburgh