Hell Creek, Montana: America's Key To The Prehistoric Past Download Free (EPUB, PDF)
Hell Creek, Montana, is one of the most windswept, hardscrabble locales in the American West-a quiet town of ranchers, farmers, and others who seek the beauty of the open spaces. It is also the unlikely setting of some of the most fascinating events in the history of the United States and North America. From the first-ever discovery of a Tyrannosaurus rex to Lewis and Clark's landmark expedition; from the Freeman compound standoff to Sitting Bull and Little Big Horn, Hell Creek has been a central player in the events of the last two hundred years-and the last 200 million.Now, with grace and quiet wit, renowned paleontologist and writer Lowell Dingus takes us on a tour of this desolate, beautiful, out-of-the-way place and illuminates its inhabitants, geology, paleontology, and surprising place in history. Nature lovers, dinosaur buffs, and people fascinated with the turbulent history--both ancient and modern--of the American West will find much to delight them in this journey to Hell Creek.
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (July 1, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0312313934
ISBN-13: 978-0312313937
Product Dimensions: 5.3 x 1 x 7.5 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,399,952 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #207 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Animals > Dinosaurs #601 in Books > Science & Math > Biological Sciences > Paleontology #3402 in Books > History > Historical Study & Educational Resources > Archaeology
I bought this book because I am a distant relative of Harley Garbani; My Italian-Swiss immigrant grandfather had a dry-land ranch in the San Jacinto Valley. Over the years, I had seen Harley's name on exhibits at the LA County Museum and heard proud, family stories of his collecting in the deserts of California and Baja California. At the time of his death, I also noticed his obituary appeared in newspapers around the world. I, therefore, wanted to know about him. When I learned of this book, I ordered it. (On the other side of my family, my anscestors arrived in Montana in the 1850s.)It is amazing how much occured in this isolated area over time. I found the book an entertaining, quick read.(There is also a film, "The Missouri Breaks," a 1976 American western starring Marlon Brando and Jack Nicholson set in this area that a critical and commercial failure.)
A third of the book is about dinosaur hunting in the Hell Creek area of Mt; the rest is a paleontologist's take on Lewis & Clark, Custer's last stand, the Montana Freemen, and the future of the area. The most interesting parts were the chapters about Harley Garbani, a fossil-hunter who dug up multiple T. rex's in the area and a personal friend of the author, and the K-T extinction controversy, in which Dingus participated. Dingus clearly loves the area, but if your interest is the dinosaurs of Montana, this book is probably not for you. Also, Dingus has covered the K-T extinction in a separate book.Not helping is that the language is unnecessarily complex. The text is studded with five dollar words, and I don't mean technical ones. Actually, more technical terms would have been welcome.
Good history (geological and human) of the area. An easy, non-scientific read for anyone who wants to know more about where some of the greatest dinosaur finds have been made.
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