Author: Michael Crichton
Publisher: Crichton Sun (Harper Collins)
Year: 2017
Genre: Historical Fiction
Age: Adult 18+
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The story begins in 1875 at Yale & we met our protagonist, William Johnson. He's a freshman at the college and unfortunately takes a rather dangerous dare by a fellow student. Johnson is dared to go with professor & paleontologist O.C. Marsh out west on his yearly fossil expedition. But having no real skills he lies to the professor, telling Marsh that he is a photographer to get on with the group. Johnson does end up taking lessons & learning about taking photos but it's not a pretty experience.
On their journey the group travels by train, for the first leg of the expedition, where it makes several stops & finally ends up in Cheyenne, WY. It is there that Johnson is left behind by Marsh because he suspects something is up. Fortunately for Johnson there is a rival professor & fellow paleontologist named Edward Drinker Cope also traveling west for his own expedition. Johnson is able to pick up with Cope's group & provide some valuable information.
Cope's expedition is traveling to the Badlands of the Montana Territory. In that region of the country in 1876 war is raging with the Indians. General Custer has just been killed by Sitting Bull at the Little Big Horn a short time before the groups arrival at Fort Benton. They are strongly advised to turn around, but Cope isn't going to be scared away from a great discovery by a few Indians. Over the next several weeks Cope's group does find some interesting specimens, including the bones of a well know dinosaur, Brontosaurus.
Unfortunately the story takes a turn when the Indians do catch up to the group & there is an ambush while moving the precious bones. From then on Johnson is separated from the group & ends up on his own, penniless in Deadwood Gulch, desperate to get home. The tale of the wild west photographer does get better though. Johnson gets into a gun fight, meets a girl, & becomes allies with the Earp brothers, eventually getting back home to Philadelphia with the bones in tow.
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Likes: This book is filled with history! During the story we learn about the invention of the telephone, the railroad being build, the gold rush is underway, & there are some famous names & faces.
The book moved fast which kept the story interesting. A lot happened in a short amount of time.
The book also has a bibliography in the back so if you want to do some more reading or get additional info it's all there.
Dislikes: I would have liked to see some pictures from that time.
Rating:
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