REVIEWS

Patricia Wright

This a wonderfully creative and educational book. It takes the reader time-travelling back through 550 million years of earth’s history. Each chapter takes you a different region at a different prehistoric geological period. The author’s descriptions of the geography, climate, plant life and animals create a vivid image of each snapshot of prehistory. It is well written, the author quoting literature, both ancient and modern, to reflect on mankind’s view of our world. In addition, there are delightful illustrations of flora and fauna, together with maps to add context. I really enjoyed this book, and I learnt a lot. For instance, dinosaurs could not have swept majestically across the grassy plains and grass had not evolved when dinosaurs were around!

Elaine Shepherd

A “must” read for anyone interested in the history, both the geological and biological aspects, of our amazing planet Earth. Thomas Halliday manages to inspire the reader to visualise in our own mind, the vastness of Earths timeline and how man as we know him has been around for only a minuscule moment in time. An evolutionary epic read.

Gill Campbell

This was not the sort of book that I would usually choose but I have to say that I found it fascinating. The author has used different time periods and different continents to suggest how the world evolved. The book is written in a style that makes it understandable even if the reader has no knowledge of prehistory. There is such a lot of information in the book that I felt it was better read in short bouts to enable me to think about what had been described. Not a book for the beach but certainly one to dip into every so often.

Barry Ward

I am generally not a reader of nonfiction except for the odd biography or historical event that interests me. This book is remarkable in its scope and of its type it is beautifully written. I think there is a good chance that this could become an important text book to aid the study of the history of earth and will no doubt be inspiring to many. However for me I found it a hard read and left me feeling I was not up to the task of understanding it.

Beth Diamond

This is not a book I would have chosen for myself, if I had seen it in a bookshop, However I am very glad that I did receive it. The book is fascinating. It takes the reader through the natural history of previous forms of life - some of them millions of years ago - and drops hints about what might be to come. The text is easy to read for someone like myself who is not a palaeontologist. Things are explained in a simple, but not condescending way. I would recommend it.

Diana Marchand

This book actually arrived whilst I was on holiday, so I have had to read it quite quickly. It is definitely NOT light holiday reading. It is a comprehensive overview of the development of the earth, working back to 550 million years ago. It is scholarly, yet readable, absolutely crammed with information about the natural history of life from the earliest of times. The language is quite poetic, but there is a huge amount to absorb. I intend to read it again, in small chunks, as it merits close study. The final chapter challenges us all to “reduce consumption and stop relying on climate-changing sources of energy. For our long term well being as a species and as individuals, we must enter into a more mutualistic relationship with our global environments.” Read this book, and I am sure you will be challenged to think about the future differently.

Ann Haddad

I started reading this book and within a few pages I was captivated by the unique experience learning about a lost world in the distant past. Each chapter focuses on a different land mass millions of years ago and vividly describes the vegetation, climate, and all life forms alive at that time and their interaction. I felt like I was there witnessing what was happening on earth at that time and gaining an understanding of how even one small action could have such a powerful effect on whether a species would survive or become extinct. This book shows how the survival of earth for future generations is dependent on how each of us is mindful of our use of its resources and make changes now that can save the planet. We can control the outcome of what happens to our planet if we are willing to try. There is hope for the future as our past has shown humans have always been adaptable, we must all work together to reduce consumption and stop relying on climate-changing sources of energy.