Customer Reviews

The New Dinosaurs

5 star:		(10)
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3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

THE NEW DINOSAURS is an updating (with 32 added pages of new pictures and information) of my 1981 book THE DINOSAURS - A Fantastic New View of a Lost Era.

It's been said by many critics that this was the book that sparked the public resurgence in its interest in dinosaurs. I think it most certainly helped; Michael Crichton was nice enough to list my work as an inspiration for his book JURASSIC PARK.

The styles of the book's pictures change from illustration to illustration and are influenced by the great children's book illustrators of the past, artists such as Arthur Rackham, Edmund Dulac, Edward Detmold and N. C. Wyeth. THE NEW DINOSAURS not only gave me a chance to update the 1981 book's information and include exciting recent finds (like Giganotosaurus and the Chinese feathered dinosaurs), but to update readers as to my progress and development as an artist as well, displaying what I've learned in the last twenty years.

My "Sue" mural for Walt Disney's Animal Kingdom is included in the new book. This is the very first depiction ever painted of the famous Tyrannosaurus rex "Sue". It is also what I consider to be a "breakthrough" picture in that it is also the very first painting ever made of a specific dinosaur. I consulted with the chief Field Museum paleontologist overseeing the preparation of "Sue" to learn the nature of her pathologies. I incorporated "Sue's" wounds and injuries into my painting so that what the public would finally see was not just a painting of a Tyrannosaurus representing "Sue", but an actual portrait of "Sue" and only "Sue" --- that very specific Tyrannosaurus rex.

In the past twenty years a lot of people have come up to me and told me that they are now paleontologists because they received a copy of THE DINOSAURS as a child. My hope is that THE NEW DINOSAURS influences and inspires another generation of budding scientists.

I really can't express how happy I am to see this book in print again. This book has always stood out in my mind as something truly special--I owned a copy at the age of 10, but somehow in the 'intervening decades', I lost track of it and felt it was gone forever. But just today I saw this on the shelf, and within a glance or two of the illustrations knew this was the book I had lost. For the 10 year olds in all of us, I can say that Stout has really made the dino's come alive on the page--its enough to make even hesitant readers devour the book. I do not believe the publishers are overrating the importance of rekindling the world's interest in dinosaurs, as my memories of if have persisted all this time, despite so many other works which should have displaced it.

Stout's art is nothing short of fantastic--certainly there are a fair number of minor works here, but there are also paintings and illustrations here that are simply georgous. Scientific detail, emotion, rich and beautiful backgrounds, and sometimes even humor--they all come through here. While I am a great fan of the 'Walking with Dinosaurs' series, there is something not achieved in that film which is accomplished here because the images convey more than merely a depiction of dinosaurs. It is so blindingly clear that Stout must be a great dinosaur fan because he draws them in a way that is very passionate while also showing some incredible skill.

In the end, if you are looking for a good scientific book on dinosaurs, The Complete Dinosaur remains the ultimate tome, but many will find it unapproachable, and I would expect the size and reading level to be too much for all but the most dedicated high school student. Given this limitation, The New Dinosaurs is a book that could be read and understood by enthusiastic 8th graders (though probably with some help), and would provide no difficulty to high school age--which isn't to say that the text is dumbed down, but that instead it isn't bogged down with more science than the layman needs. More importantly though, children of most ages will find the illustrations compelling, and even the little ones will probably read parts of the text and try to understand the stories being presented. Once again, I know that as a 10 year old, I found the original edition nothing short of incredible, and I'm sure I read a good chunk of it.

Of course, there is the potential down-side for getting this book for kids--there is an illustration of dinosaur sex (nothing terribly detailed) and another of a dinosaur deficating. Perhaps it was just a matter of being raised by a mother who loved biology and was a teacher, but the inclusion of these topics as points of scientific interest, never seemed like an issue.

So to wrap this up, The New Dinosaurs seems the perfect book for several different people--fans of dinosaur art (or nature art), fans of dinosaurs (who might appreciate a more art-oriented book), younger readers with an interest in science and/or dinosaurs who would find large science texts intimidating, and really, just about any kid, because they all love dinosaurs.

Lastly, this edition looks to have an additional 30 pages or so of 'introduction' which not only includes some great new illustrations by Stout, but also some more detailed descriptions of the Mesozoic period.

The first edition of this book was released while I was in high school and, as an aspiring paleontologist, I immediately fell in love with Stout's beautiful, Art Nouveau dinosaurs. Now this classic has been updated, with new artwork and the inclusion of recent discoveries, making it even more wonderful. This is absolutely some of the most inspiring dinosaur art ever!

this book is the most beautiful dinosaur book I have seen. the pages are stunning and Mr. Stout clearly knows his paleontology! The text features lavishly described dinosaur mini-dramas and lots of data.

This is the book to give to adults who never got over their love of the dinosaurs!

It just doesn't get any better than this - gorgeous drawings accompanying written snippets of fictional dinosaur life. Almost every type of dinosaur is well represented except the ostrich dinos. Some of the stories are based on specific famous finds like the "Fighting Dinosaurs" of Mongolia, Ostrom's Deinonychus-Tenontosaurus death assemblage, and what seems to be a wild interpretation of the Glen Rose trackway. Others are unproven scenarios that are likely to have occured, perhaps the most inspired being a vignet about the dinosaurs living at the exact time and space where the continents started to divide. With the original work flanked by art based on the latest finds, this book is up to date at the moment, and brings dinosaurs to life in a way more technical books just can't.

By the way, you may not want to buy this for bedtime reading for the kiddies unless you feel like explaining Parasaurolophus sex!

I checked this book out from the library after seeing a couple of illustrations on the net. When I was checking it out, the librarian said he never saw the book before and thought the illustrations were amazing, and wanted it for his son to read. After reading the text and looking at the drawings, I decided I HAD to buy this book, especially at the "used" rates. Drawings of dinosaurs chomping down on other dinosaurs, dinosaurs stalking their dinners, just stuff you don't see in everyday dinosaur books. Now I can return the book to the library and let others enjoy it. I have mine...

A book I grew up with, and borrowed many a time from the local library, is now once again in my life in this re-published edition. I flip through this book remembering fondly how this book originally sparked my love of all things dinosaurs and prehistoric, and intrigued me to the point where it became a focal point for much of my short story writing. I now have my own copy of this book, in the new glossy cover edition, but I can see this book becoming well read and worn over time. An awesome book for any dinosaur lover, a true classic. :)

Beautiful book, full of first rate colored pictures and stories about dinosaurs based on what we know or what we believe about dinosaurs! Updated, with something for both kids and adults.

I own about five prehistoric art books,and although this isn`t the best,it is pretty good too. It is not only a scientific fact book. Indeed,it is more some kind of illustrated litterature. Filled throughout with William Stout`s almost fantasy-like paintings,it tells us how the life might have looked like when the most fascinating creatures ever ruled on the Earth. It is actually an update of the 1981 hit "Dinosaurs". And this time a rewritten text and new paintings as well. This is a more advanced,but not too scientific book of dinosaurs,that is adaptable for both adults and teenagers. (I am teenage myself although my bookcase can be compared with a scientist`s ). And it is not only filled with brontosaurs,T-rex,Triceratops and Stegosaurus,but also with newly discovered rarities such as Mononykus,Argentinosaurus,Tarchia,and the frightening Giganotosaurus. Most of the paintings aren`t so detailed,and sometimes almost like comic books,but there are some real highlights of the book. The reason to just give it three stars is that the paintings are not so detailed and there could have been a little bit more scientific facts,as of the book "Life Before Man".

This is a one of the most delightful studies on Dinosaurs and it is on the top of my personal list for two very good reasons; it is beautiful to look at and it is personally engaging to read. Both Williams do an intriguing thing with this book, and this new revised edition is hands-down stunning. These men take the time to render in prose and in imagery an exploration into the day to day life of dinosaurs, from eating to sleeping, to fighting and dying and all points in between. Some of these one page stories are so intimate they are almost embarrassing but that's the beauty of this volume. It is a personal account of life for dinosaur, a page after page slice of life to draw us in and make the reader live along with these wonderful beasts.
There is not enough I can say about the evolution of William Stout's artwork. It was stunning in '81 and twenty years later it is still stunning, but it is also improved. His newer paintings show a level of expertise that has grown proportionately with his twenty additional years of illustrating dinosaurs and exploring the new data that is thoroughly reflected in these new paintings.
While this book is often recommended for the younger set (and I agree with that consensus, whole heartedly) this is also a book for older readers. This, to me, is a very accessible book for all readers who would like to read about dinosaurs without necessarily having an intense interest in the actual scientific study of dinosaurs (though even those with such serious interests would love this book as well). This is a book for all readers with an interest in the subject and especially for those who have not read about dinosaurs in a while.
Then from an artistic perspective, the variety of styles of paintings and other renderings used to illustrate the prose makes this volume a gorgeous art book. From the obviously Alphonse Mucha inspired cover art to the comic book style line art approach (and then there are flashes of Arthur Rackham and Edmund Dulac also represented in these pages) this is an artistic jem. To say I love this book is an understatement. It's too much fun and information to pass up.
Enjoy!