Customer Reviews

Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons (Ologies)

5 star:		(157)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book is something special, and will be loved by anyone who is drawn to the magical, the mythical, the wonderful.

As well as anything and everything you'd ever want to know about dragons and things dragonish and dragonly, you will be entertained along the way with what amounts to a quite spry sense of humor, and that when least expected. For example, dragons love lettuce (we all knew that, right?), so it would be well advised to tote a head of it along (iceberg will do) at all times, advance preparation being half the battle.

This book is presented in the spirit of Gnomes (Poortlvliet), Faeries (Froud), Giants (Larkin), Unicorns (Hathaway), Witches (Jong)...an entire library of books in which it is a given the creature is real and not mere fantasy. This makes for great fun, no matter the age; just be a child at heart.

Of exciting note: The original of this book having been written, purportedly, in the beginning of the 20th century, the language is delightfully archaic and (by today's standards) full of whimsy. We are placed in another mindset and into an earlier time, when perhaps it would not be so radical to believe such beasties could exist, indeed, while munching on lettuce.

The art is top notch, the book full of delights and cozy places to explore. For those of us who have no trouble at all believing that dragons are alive still (and very well, thank you) a keener book could not be found.

I'd give it 10 stars, sigh, if only I could. Now, 'tis time to find myself a dragon, or perchance to let it find me...

I am only seven, and this book was the best book I have ever read--and believe me, I've read a lot! My favorite dragon in this book was the Frost Dragon; I also liked the Marsupial Dragon. I like the spells because they were awesome, and they taught me how to seize dragons. One spell was you put dragon dust on a mirror and point it directly into his eyes, and then you could steal the gold! I also like the back page where the dragon has a mirror for an eye. In one of the secret envelopes I read "Beware: this spell will turn the dragon against you." The letters were camoflaged and kind of squished together, but my second cousin and I figured it out!

Do you know why the author mentioned a duck-billed platypus in a dragon book? I'll tell you...because it once wasn't believed that the duck-billed platypus existed, so why shouldn't you believe in dragons?

This book made me fascinated with dragons, and now I would like to become a dragonologist. Please read this interesting book if you love dragons, too.

Cameron

Ever wonder why Smaug hoarded all that treasure? Apparently it was just to impress the lady dragons. That's only one detail of "Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons," a faux-scholarly book that gives intricate details to the legendary beasts. (The actual author is Dugald A. Steer).

Without robbing dragons of their mystique, we get an overview of them: there are intricate studies of the different kinds of dragons, from the Eastern lung to the Australian marsupial (which is a bit too silly for the tongue-in-cheek tone of the book). "Dr. Drake" also examines their habits, such as courtship rituals and parenting, as well as the the biological means by which they spew flames, and the reason why they hoard gems.

He also gives quite a bit of advice for the budding dragonolist, ranging from the obscure (hide shiny objects from baby dragons) to the ordinary (wear fireproof clothing). Finally, there is a historical overview of famous dragonologists from around the world, and spells that assist them.

Dragons are a staple of legend and literature, although a neglected one. Though "Dragonology" is presented as a serious work, Steer never forgets to keep his tongue in cheek. It's a fun read, with lots of detail and thought -- after all, it can't be easy to document the physiology of a beast that doesn't, technically, exist.

Taken on its own, the book might merely be cute. But Steer also includes little details like a faux library card belonging to Ernest Drake, a little letter enclosed in a special envelope, and an inscription on the inner front cover: "To Friendly Dragons" followed by a bunch of Tolkienesque runes.

And the illustrations are as much a part as the faux-scholarly text. Classic-looking pictures of various kinds of dragons are only one part of it; there are also looks at embroyonic dragons in the egg, the different egg shapes, a foldout map that shows where the various species live, and several pictures of the anatomy of dragons, including musculature, skeleton, and things like claws, wing "fingers" and optic nerves.

Okay, maybe dragons don't exist. Big deal. The faux-scholarly tone, exquisite illustrations and intricate detail of "Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons" makes it an immensely fun read.

I FULLY recommend this book. Anyone, even the non-beleaver, would fall in love with this book.

My mom bought me this book at the local bookstore. They had only receved 2 in and this was the last one. Right when she gave it to me I sat down where I was, enchanted by the red jewled cover, and read it through twice. Seince then, I have read it at least 8 more times, memorized the riddles and language, and shown it to all to my friends.

"Earnest Drake" had supposedly written it in the late 1800s when dragons exsisted, even if scarce.

This book has wonderful pictures of Eastern and Western Dragons, their different eggs, and a map of where to find them. It also gives scientific resons why dragons can breath fire and fly. Also includes a few advertisments for products such as Dr. Drake's FLAMEAWAY hat, and the famous "Draco Dragon Whistle". There is much more, but I don't want to give away all of the knowlage of this magnificent book. It can make anyone beleve.

I am 11 years old and I have always beleaved that dragons exsited. But at the bottom of every belef, there is doubt. This book filled the void. Now I know. Someone else once knew too.

I bought this book for a friend's daughter for Christmas, and I hate to part with it! It is magical, gorgeous and stunning, from its rich, bejeweled cover to its many treasures within: beautiful illustrations, witty text, fun pull-outs, even samples of shed dragon skin, wing membranes and dragon dust (all lovely!) We learn much about dragons, from their life cycles and behaviors to their flying techniques ("A happy dragon is a dragon that loops") and how they're REALLY able to breathe fire (Ah, I'd always wondered....) And at the end, a wise message about caring for the world and its creatures lest they vanish....and another charming surprise that I won't give away. No serious dragonologist should be without this enchanting book! :-)

I gave my 9 year old grandson this book for Christmas and he went nuts over it. He immediately found the page with the secret dragon language and began decoding messages. Next he wrote out the dragon alphabet and shared it with his best friend so they could communicate in secret messages. Not only is this book beautifully imaginative and creative, it's also educational!

He now considers himself a budding Dragonologist. If your children love myth, magic and even fairy tales, they'll adore this wonderful book.

I got this book for a gift when I was 8 years old. I saw it at the bookstore and I thought the cover was pretty and it had neat stuff inside - dragon scales, dragon dust, and it had a big jewel on the back - by that I mean on the last page.

I mostly looked at it for the first day, but then I started reading it. The stories were great. I still have it and have been collecting these books. I have Dragonology, Egyptology, Wizardology, and Fairyopia. I love these books and take good care of them.

My sons, 4 and 8, saw this book at a well know book store and loved it. It costs $20.00 there, so $13.00 is a steal. They love the pictures and the book is very attractive and "cool" looking.

I'm a 6th grade art teacher. A student brought the book for me to see, shortly after Christmas. I left it laying on the corner of my desk, and walked away. Looking back, I spotted 5 students gathered around it whispering quietly, (and my students don't whisper quietly).
And so it went, through the day....through the week...They were ENGROSSED!...puzzles, riddles, dragon runes...secret formulas....
Well, I have to say, I ordered one for my class, one for myself, and one for a friend, and my students are conspiring to get up a HUMONGOUS order for DRAGONOLOGY.
From age 7 to 170.....it's a great fantasy and art book.

This is the most amazing book I've seen on the almost forgotten "science" of Dragonology. I, too, bought the book for someone else, but can't bear to part with it. It is truly a treasure--beautifully crafted and wonderfully witty (I especially love the section on rearing dragon chicks). A must-have for any dragon lover.