For some men, a career in science means the quiet of a laboratory. For others, it means the tranquility of museum life. Roy Chapman Andrews worked for the American Museum of Natural History—yet his career was anything but tranquil. This is the dramatic story of one of the great natural scientists of our time, a man whose exploits excel fiction, and whose life was a remarkable example of dedication and coverage.

Born in Wisconsin, not sighting the sea until his early twenties, Andrews became the world's leading authority on whales by the time he was thirty. Overcoming childhood fears, in his eagerness to increase man's understanding of the natural world, he fearlessly traveled to the far reaches of the globe. It his quest for scientific knowledge, Andrews was nearly killed by sharks, whales, tigers and wild dogs; endured blizzards, sandstorms and flash floods; risk death by thirst and bandit bullets—and much more.

Professional recognition came swiftly; but it was only with his daring plan to lead the first great scientific expedition into the vast Gobi Desert of Asia that Roy Chapman Andrews suddenly captured the public imagination. From that moment, his amazing feats entranced the world. Overcoming the perils of a China ravaged by bloody civil wars, triumphing against the most savage forces of nature, Andrews led his fellow scientists in the discovery of fossils of inestimable value... including the first dinosaur eggs, the world's largest dinosaur and the earliest mammalian ancestor of man.

The discoveries of Roy Chapman Andrews are a vital part of our store of scientific knowledge, and his exciting life demonstrates the challenges science offers, and the fulfillments that are its rewards.

From the dust jacket