DINOSAUR BONE WAR

A straightforward chronological account of the lives, work and conflicts between O.C. Marsh and Edward Cope, pioneers in the newly developed field of paleontology, whose 19th-century feud led to countless discoveries, bitter bickering in scientific journals and destruction of some fossil specimens. The narrative does not dwell on details of their fieldwork; it is the drama of their escalating quarrel that carries the reader along, while the author occasionally adds a reminder that much more might have been accomplished with cooperation. Occasional black-and-white photographs and reproductions of their notes and drawings add interest. This latest entry in the long-standing Landmark history series will especially appeal to middle-grade readers grown beyond their first fascination with dinosaurs and ready to learn more about the scientists who opened up this field, sometimes literally. (index, bibliography) (Nonfiction. 8-10)