First Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Life

Sam Taplin grew up in a beautiful valley in Yorkshire, where he dreamed of being a writer, and after three years reading other people's books at university he started writing his own for Usborne. He's been doing it ever since. When he's not writing about lonely rabbits or inquisitive bears, he likes doing card tricks, writing songs and playing long games of chess by the fire.

• 1 The prehistoric world2 How the Earth began3 Under the sea4 Life on the land5 Swampy forests6 The first reptiles7 The first dinosaurs8 Hunter dinosaurs9 Raptors10 The first birds11 Tyrannosaurus rex12 Giant dinosaurs13 Duck-billed dinosaurs14 Horned dinosaurs15 Stegosaurs16 Boneheads17 Spiky dinosaurs18 Baby dinosaurs19 Sea reptiles20 Flying reptiles21 The death of dinosaurs22 The first mammals23 More mammals24 South American mammals25 Ice age mammals26 The first people27 How do we know?28 New discoveries29 Prehistoric facts and figures30 Prehistoric words31 Index