Customer Reviews

Fossil Collecting in the Mid-Atlantic States: With Localities, Collecting Tips, and Illustrations of More than 450 Fossil Specimens

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Before leaving Germany for my next job at Langley Air Force Base, VA, I discovered Jasper Burns' book and ordered it from Amazon.com (THE Bookstore that linked us to home while away and connects us to the world now that we are back). Suffice it to say, I was biting at the bit to see if Mr. Burns' words would bear fruit, or more importantly, fossils. In short, his location directions and pictures of fossils to be found there were spot on. If they were listed in the book, I have found and added them to my collection i.e sharks teeth (some as large as 6 inches),whale vertebrae, shells, etc... An excellent guide and reference! If you live on or plan to visit the Mid Atlantic Coast and enjoy spending time searching and finding fossils, this is THE book to own. Thank you Mr. Burns and thank you Amazon.

The book contains information on over 45 fossil-collecting sites in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia. Each site description contains detailed directions on how to find the site, what to look for when you get there, and drawings of representative specimens that the author has found there. The drawings help with an initial identification (e.g. "shark's tooth"), but the serious collector will want to consult a more detailed work for positive identification (e.g. "tooth from a Galeocordo aduncus"). The book also has very useful advice on what equipment you might need (not much is needed, but the advice and tips are excellent). Drawings

I went to many of the fossil locations mentioned in the book and came home with a load of fossils. It was a great book, one of the best fossil books i've ever seen. I would recommend this book to any fossil collector.

The book is laid out well and is easy for the layman to understand. The localities are varied, and the directions to them, plus the drawings of the fossils, are accurate and beautiful. I highly recommend this book to anyone even mildly interested in hunting/collecting fossils.

This book was helpful for me because of the life-like illustrations. While I have only visited one site discussed by the author, his drawings have been a great comparison point against the typical fossil guides' pictures.

The author's interest in his hobby is contagious - I recommend you read the book and share his passion.

One of the few books that reveals actual fossil hunting locations--for good reason. Because of frequent visiting, some of these sites have experienced overcollecting or damage to the natural surroundings (undermining rock faces, etc.). If visiting, please be sensitive to the environment and the site's neighbors. Best to stick to quarries or big highway cuts, where environmental impact is not a factor. These happened to be more productive fossil-wise than the more scenic locations, anyway, so everyone wins!

One of the best guides to invertebrate fossils hunting I have read. Drawing from his experience in the Appalacian region (mainly West Virginia and Virginia), the author offers many fine sites which are accesible to the professional and amature alike. Was well worth the 8 hour drive from New Jersey and the cost of the book ! Includes excellent annotated references as well.

This is a great book for adventurers of all ages. We have had several wonderful family trips with great finds. Shows where to go, what to look for and beautiful pictures of both the sites and fossils found at each site. Great background information for the new collector. Great insights for the pro. Highest recommendation.

I knew I was going to travel to the mid-Atlantic states, so I ordered thia book from an Amazon vendor. Then my trip got fast-tracked, and I had to go before the book arrived. Luckily I had a few weekend hours to see the Smithsonian's Natural History Museum, and there I found the same book for twice the price, so I had a copy while I was there. My acquaintances in Virginia share my interest in fossils, and we easily picked out a few weekend field trips from the many collecting sites in the book.

I've executed one of them already--the road cut on Rte 60, a couple of miles east of Lexington, VA. The Shenandoah Valley in mid-October is sublime, and the section of road-cut with the fossiliferous face exposed was dead-on right where the author described it. Based on my limited experience hunting mid-Atlantic fossils, I'd say this book is worth the price because it is right about the location information it gives. If you read carefully and go, things will probably be just like the book says. The book did everything for me except holding my hand--it organized sites by area, identified parking places, showed detailed sketches of common finds, ... Not any maps to speak of, but the author's good communication skills, and power of observation, make the book pretty darned easy to follow to a collecting site. The sketches provides good visual information to prime your eyes with, to know in advance what you're looking for. The drawings of fossils are instructive with lots of examples showing the textures and shapes of fossils found in the sites. Here is a fossil coral I found in the road cut outside of Lexington:[...]

Next field trip: The Harrisburg, PA area for trilobites, as described in the book, it sounds promising and easy to reach and collect from.

I do wish the book provided a concise discussion of Miocene fossil sites, I know there are many incredible things, like dinnerplate-sized scallop shells, and Megalodon teeth, found in grey marl clay of tidewater Virginia and Maryland. This fossil-bearing clay is common, so common that at times it has been mined for its high calcium content (from the fossil shells) and spread on agricultural plots to "sweeten" the soil, where soil acidity is higher than desired for crops.

Perhaps USGS mineral maps or state-sponsored geological/mineral surveys would help me, but this book didn't go very far in that direction. But it is a great book about a topic that isn't nearly represented well enough in the book stores. I will use over and over!

I became curious about fossil collecting after discovering one near my home in Frostburg, MD. This book gives the locations of many fossil sites in MD. WV, VA, and DE. I was able to find a trilobite on my first outing to one of these locations. It would be better if the publisher had used photographs instead of drawings of fossils, but the sketches are adequate for identification.