Everyone has heard of Archaeopteryx, but most (like me before I read this book), probably don't know much more than 'ancestor of birds'. This book tells the story of the discovery of the first fossil, how it ended up in the British Museum, and the effect it had on the contemporary controversy over the origin of the species – it was found at around the same time as Darwin published his ideas. On the way we learn a lot about Richard Owen and Thomas Huxley (and their feud), Cope and March (and their feud!), Gerhard Heilmann and a host of other characters. The story continues to the present, describing how other specimens were found, and the changing ideas about the origin of birds. I had thought that is was accepted that birds are the last dinosaurs, but apparently this idea is not as completely accepted as I had supposed.

The book is well-written and very readable,including anecdotes to flesh out the characters without this getting in the way of the science. According to Amazon it does not appear to be still in print, which is a shame. However there are copies available. Make sure you get 'The Archaeopteryx Scandals' – there are several other books called Bones of Contention that are about hominid evolution.