Prehistoric Life: The Definitive Visual History of Life on Earth Paperback – 2 July 2012

This is a really marvelous canter through all of pre-history. Exciting presentation with numerous side facts and asides that really brings life to not just the fossils but also the world these amazing creatures lived in and the way they were preserved. Fantastic to dip in and out of, I particular enjoyed the evolution of plants which is often forgotten and the brilliant illustrations of all my favourites (Velociraptor with feathers - classic!). Every time I pick it up I learn something. I will be enjoying this rich volume for some time I am sure.

Excellent for newbies in paleontology. Great illustrations andthe text is adequate, albeit not very accurate and not verycomprehensive.Still, if you are not a professional geologist/paleontologist -it is adequate.Buy it! And if you are inspired to dig (literally) deeper - you will find alot of resources on the net and in specialized books.This book is a hell of a choice if you ever wonder what happenedon earth before YOU came along...

Absolutely superb book covering every aspect of prehistory from earliest moments through bacteria and beyond. I bought it to accompany an online course I am doing and they compliment each other really well. And it's got plenty of info about dinosaurs ... which didn't become extinct as one branch descended into the feathery little creatures that wake you with the dawn chorus and feed from your bird table. Next time you see two robins squabbling over territory imagine what they are really thinking.

This has literally made the perfect gift ever! My boyfriend is 19 and is extremely interested in dinosaurs as well as early humans, the ice age and generally all things before us, I bought it him as a Christmas gift and he loves it so much! He said it covers everything, even the smaller things that are usually skipped. Not only that but the illustrations are incredible! This is honestly a must for anyone interested in the same.

A great reference. I was trying to find a book on prehistoric life in general and had a hard time finding anything that wasn't very dinosaur focused.This book thankfully at least contains and covers these areas to some degree!

I've given 4 stars purely for the images which give a wonderful impression of the many life forms that have existed and make a good reference work. I'm disappointed in the text though. It deals purely in small sound bites and is lacking in any detail. If you want to learn about the subject you will need another book to accompany this one. If you treat the text largely as extended captions, it's a very useful and fascinating book.

A substantial book which covers ancient life in a readable manner, making it appealing to very young readers; particularly with the illustrations.

Such a good book covering the history of our planet, best book I've purchased in decades