I cannot see an ebook ever doing this!

OK, so we live in a digital age and ebooks are becoming more popular. However, I recently had an experience with a traditional hard copy book that I do not believe would have had anywhere near the same impact, had it been with an ebook. The book in question was: Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Reptiles – Mighty Monsters of the Past, written by Jane Werner Watson and illustrated by Rudolph F. Zallinger. The book was published by Hamlyn in 1966, just two years before I was born.


It was without doubt my favourite book as a child and I remember spending many happy hours reading it and allowing my imagination to run wild as a result of the fabulous palaeohabitat reconstructions. My favourite was without doubt the Allosaurus attacking a Brontosaurus.

I have no idea what happened to my original copy of the book. Out of nostalgia I decided to see if I could locate one online. To my surprise, it took only a matter of seconds to locate a very reasonably priced first edition, so I ordered it and waited with great anticipation for it to arrive. Opening the package was a rather strange experience due to the anticipation of memories and emotions the content may have been about to evoke. I sat back and relaxed and turned the pages delicately and slowly, allowing myself to soak up the content of each page in turn. The feel, the look and even the smell of the book transported me back four decades to a time of childhood innocence and wonder. Two months on and leafing through the pages still has the same pleasing and calming effect. Consider me old-fashioned if you will, but I do not believe that an ebook could ever conjure up such vivid 40 year-old memories.

This was the book that inspired my palaeontological passion during my very early years. I hope that some of our titles are inspiring the current generation. Click the cover images below to go to the product pages for more information, reviews, etc. … and remember that you never pay the full RRP when you order online directly from our website.