The Tyrannosaur ChroniclesAudiobook review by Paul Fiander
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Written by: David Hone
Narrated by: Gavin Osborn Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins Publisher: Audible Studios |
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Why Should I.....Listen to The Tyrannosaur Chronicles?
Author and Paleontologist David Hone explores one of the most enigmatic and awe inspiring creatures to ever walk the earth. Within this book Hone explores not just the famous T.Rex but the whole of the Tyrannosaur lineage with a entertaining tone that is ninety five parts knowledge and five parts humor. The theories fly thick and fast. Narrator Gavin Osborn does a fantastic job of not only the vocal linguistics of the dinosaur names but also adds a touch of his own personality into proceedings (especially true in the chapter titles) This is certainly one of the most entertaining dinosaur books I have consumed and is well worth your time. |
Full Review
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When it comes to Dinosaurs I’m not sure any animal can compare to Tyrannosaurus Rex, so when this book was announced I was extremely eager to consume it. However what I did not realise is how much I would learn through listening. Each chapter is packed with information not only concerning the T.Rex but also the other Tyrannosaurs and the Dinosaur world as a whole.
It’s a bit difficult to explain some of the more detailed ideas and writer David Hone (you can find out more about him at his website http://www.davehone.co.uk/ ) does a much better job than I ever will of giving you the larger picture. He is a palaeontologist by trade and also by the evidence of this book a very accomplished writer. There are times where books filled with scientific terms can be daunting. I have read tonnes of these books some are aimed at the scientific community but this book is a different beast. The Tyrannosaur Chronicles is a title aimed at the general public and this is where Hone comes into his own. His technical knowledge allows him to explain things in an accessible way, when this is mixed with a huge dose of wit then you are onto a winner. Quick side note the Chapter titles are brilliant if like me you love a pun. |
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The book covers 100 Million years or so of Tyrannosaur history, this is a fact you will hear quite a few times. If you listen in a bulk sitting like I did then you will notice this. Obviously there is an element of teaching making the review of facts important especially when it’s loaded up against a large amount of theory and the book has quite a few of these.
It’s pretty amazing that we are able to find bones that have been buried for hundred of million years (see I told you this is a term you will need to get used to). Scientists have been studying dinosaurs for over a hundred years with more discoveries being found on a regular basis. Even on the introduction we are told that many ideas could now be outdated due to the time it takes a book to be published. This also opos up again within the full text as a few revisions are contained throughout. This is refreshing and shows a writer who is keeping upto date with the field all the way upto publication.
I mentioned at the start that I learnt a lot from this book, one big example of this is the vast number of animals contained within the Tyrannosaur group. This to me was the most eye opening idea as well as one of the most difficult concepts to understand via the audio presentation of the book. The idea of an interconnected web of creatures is not a foreign one to anyone who has done basic biology at school. I really appreciated the opportunity to refer to the supplied pdf at this point and I do think it’s something that many popular science titles should utilise to increase their accessibility to the Audiobook community.
The narration by Gavin Osborn is a real plus, he adds notes of cynicism and delight to the aforementioned chapter titles which is great as he adds a spot of performance to his narration. His voice is very clear and at no point did I find myself needing to rewind to pick up a sentence. This is also credit to the generally high production levels we have come to expect from Audible Studios.
Overall this not only a great learning experience but also an entertaining listen. Be prepared to have data thrown at you but once you are done you will be able to chat happily with any dinosaur obsessed six year old with an air of authority on all aspects of the Tyrannosaurs. Now we just need books to cover the rest of the known dinosaur species. So Mr Hone please get reading glasses on and keyboard out.
It’s pretty amazing that we are able to find bones that have been buried for hundred of million years (see I told you this is a term you will need to get used to). Scientists have been studying dinosaurs for over a hundred years with more discoveries being found on a regular basis. Even on the introduction we are told that many ideas could now be outdated due to the time it takes a book to be published. This also opos up again within the full text as a few revisions are contained throughout. This is refreshing and shows a writer who is keeping upto date with the field all the way upto publication.
I mentioned at the start that I learnt a lot from this book, one big example of this is the vast number of animals contained within the Tyrannosaur group. This to me was the most eye opening idea as well as one of the most difficult concepts to understand via the audio presentation of the book. The idea of an interconnected web of creatures is not a foreign one to anyone who has done basic biology at school. I really appreciated the opportunity to refer to the supplied pdf at this point and I do think it’s something that many popular science titles should utilise to increase their accessibility to the Audiobook community.
The narration by Gavin Osborn is a real plus, he adds notes of cynicism and delight to the aforementioned chapter titles which is great as he adds a spot of performance to his narration. His voice is very clear and at no point did I find myself needing to rewind to pick up a sentence. This is also credit to the generally high production levels we have come to expect from Audible Studios.
Overall this not only a great learning experience but also an entertaining listen. Be prepared to have data thrown at you but once you are done you will be able to chat happily with any dinosaur obsessed six year old with an air of authority on all aspects of the Tyrannosaurs. Now we just need books to cover the rest of the known dinosaur species. So Mr Hone please get reading glasses on and keyboard out.
Review copy and Cover Image courtesy of Publisher
