DINOSAUR BONE WAR: Cope and Marsh's Fossil Feud.

Ages 9 and up. Random House. December 2006.

The Story: The true, fascinating story of the bitter feud between paleontologists Edward Cope and O.C. Marsh and their epic race to discover dinosaur bones that would make them famous and revolutionize the field of American paleontology. Includes period photographs, drawings and historic documents.

Edward Drinker Cope was a charming man with a passion for old bones. Othniel Marsh was a stickler for procedure when he studied his fossil finds. They started as friends, sharing ideas and information, but after Marsh tried to poach Cope's digging site, they became bitter enemies. Their decades-long feud fueled their desire to dig up more bones, to discover new species, and to find ever bigger and more unusual dinosaurs. Through their competition, the two men laid a far-reaching foundation for the brand-new field of paleontology.

A fascinating story told with an engaging narrative technique, and well complemented by period photographs and drawings, a map, a time line, and an author's note.

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