Bone Wars: The Excavation and Celebrity of Andrew Carnegie's Dinosaur, Twentieth Anniversary Edition

**With a New Foreword by Matthew C. Lamanna and a New Afterword by Tom Rea** Less than one hundred years ago, __Diplodocus carnegii__—named after industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie—was the most famous dinosaur on the planet. The most complete fossil skeleton unearthed to date, and one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered, Diplodocus was displayed in a dozen museums around the world and viewed by millions of people. __Bone Wars__ explains how a fossil unearthed in the badlands of Wyoming in 1899 helped give birth to the public's fascination with prehistoric beasts. Rea also traces the evolution of scientific thought regarding dinosaurs and reveals the double-crosses and behind-the-scenes deals that marked the early years of bone hunting. With the help of letters found in scattered archives, Tom Rea recreates a remarkable story of hubris, hope, and turn-of-the-century science. He focuses on the roles of five men: Wyoming fossil hunter Bill Reed; paleontologists Jacob Wortman—in charge of the expedition that discovered Carnegie's dinosaur—and John Bell Hatcher; William Holland, imperious director of the recently founded Carnegie Museum; and Carnegie himself, smitten with the colossal animals after reading a story in the __New York Journal and Advertiser__. What emerges is the picture of an era reminiscent of today: technology advancing by leaps and bounds; the press happy to sensationalize anything that turned up; huge amounts of capital ending up in the hands of a small number of people; and some devoted individuals placing honest research above personal gain.

With a New Foreword by Matthew C. Lamanna and a NewAfterword by Tom Rea

Less than one hundred years ago, Diplodocuscarnegii-named after industrialist and philanthropist AndrewCarnegie-was the most famous dinosaur on the planet. The mostcomplete fossil skeleton unearthed to date, and one of the largestdinosaurs ever discovered, Diplodocus was displayed in a dozenmuseums around the world and viewed by millions of people. BoneWars explains how a fossil unearthed in the badlands ofWyoming in 1899 helped give birth to the public's fascination withprehistoric beasts. Rea also traces the evolution of scientificthought regarding dinosaurs and reveals the double-crosses andbehind-the-scenes deals that marked the early years of bonehunting. With the help of letters found in scattered archives, TomRea recreates a remarkable story of hubris, hope, andturn-of-the-century science. He focuses on the roles of five men:Wyoming fossil hunter Bill Reed; paleontologists Jacob Wortman-incharge of the expedition that discovered Carnegie's dinosaur-andJohn Bell Hatcher; William Holland, imperious director of therecently founded Carnegie Museum; and Carnegie himself, smittenwith the colossal animals after reading a story in the New YorkJournal and Advertiser. What emerges is the picture of an erareminiscent of today: technology advancing by leaps and bounds; thepress happy to sensationalize anything that turned up; huge amountsof capital ending up in the hands of a small number of people; andsome devoted individuals placing honest research above personalgain.

With a New Foreword by Matthew C. Lamanna and a New Afterword by Tom Rea Less than one hundred years ago, Diplodocus carnegii —named after industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie—was the most famous dinosaur on the planet. The most complete fossil skeleton unearthed to date, and one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered, Diplodocus was displayed in a dozen museums around the world and viewed by millions of people. Bone Wars explains how a fossil unearthed in the badlands of Wyoming in 1899 helped give birth to the public's fascination with prehistoric beasts. Rea also traces the evolution of scientific thought regarding dinosaurs and reveals the double-crosses and behind-the-scenes deals that marked the early years of bone hunting. With the help of letters found in scattered archives, Tom Rea recreates a remarkable story of hubris, hope, and turn-of-the-century science. He focuses on the roles of five men: Wyoming fossil hunter Bill Reed; paleontologists Jacob Wortman—in charge of the expedition that discovered Carnegie's dinosaur—and John Bell Hatcher; William Holland, imperious director of the recently founded Carnegie Museum; and Carnegie himself, smitten with the colossal animals after reading a story in the New York Journal and Advertiser . What emerges is the picture of an era reminiscent of today: technology advancing by leaps and bounds; the press happy to sensationalize anything that turned up; huge amounts of capital ending up in the hands of a small number of people; and some devoted individuals placing honest research above personal gain. "Less than one hundred years ago, Diplodocus carnegii--named after industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie--was the most famous dinosaur on the planet. The most complete fossil skeleton unearthed to date, and one of the largest dinosaurs ever discovered, Diplodocus was displayed in a dozen museums around the world and viewed by millions of people. Bone Wars explains how a fossil unearthed in the badlands of Wyoming in 1899 helped give birth to the public's fascination with prehistoric beasts. Rea also traces the evolution of scientific thought regarding dinosaurs and reveals the double-crosses and behind-the-scenes deals that marked the early years of bone hunting. With the help of letters found in scattered archives, Tom Rea recreates a remarkable story of hubris, hope, and turn-of-the-century science. He focuses on the roles of five men: Wyoming fossil hunter Bill Reed; paleontologists Jacob Wortman-in charge of the expedition that discovered Carnegie's dinosaur-and John Bell Hatcher; William Holland, imperious director of the recently founded Carnegie Museum; and Carnegie himself, smitten with the colossal animals after reading a story in the New York Journal and Advertiser. What emerges is the picture of an era reminiscent of today: technology advancing by leaps and bounds; the press happy to sensationalize anything that turned up; huge amounts of capital ending up in the hands of a small number of people; and some devoted individuals placing honest research above personal gain"-- Provided by publisher