Neanderthals, The.changing the image of mankind

TRINKAUS, Erik & SHIPMAN, Pat

ISBN 10: 0224036483 / ISBN 13: 9780224036481

Published by Jonathan Cape, 1993

About this Item

The search for mankind's beginnings. Hardcover - heavy item which will require additional postage for overseas orders Fine in Fine jacket.

Seller Inventory # 3725

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Neanderthals, The.changing the image of mankind
• Publisher: Jonathan Cape
• Publication Date: 1993
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0224036483
• ISBN 13: 9780224036481
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First Edition.
• Dust Jacket Condition: Dust Jacket Included

About this title

Synopsis

In 1856, the disovery of the remains of Neandertal Man in a Swiss mountain valley forced scientists to face what Thomas Huxley called "The question of questions". What precisely was man's ancestry? Coming just as Darwin published "Origin of Species", Neandertal Man instantly became the focus of controversy and has remained so, in various ways, ever since. This book tells the whole story, from the religious crisis of the 1860s and its debate over ape-ancestors to recent arguments about the nature of prehistoric man (was he a peacable "flower child" or a brutish hunter?) and attempts to recover DNA samples from blood traces found on a Neandertal stone axe. Along the way we meet dozens of fascinating characters-archaeologists, charlatans, philosophers and scientists of every stripe.

Review

"A remarkable account of humankind, both ancient and modern, told with clarity, precision, and the narrative pull of a good novel." -- Jean Auel, Washington Post Book World

"Sketching in the lives of hundred of scientists and their discoveries, conclusions, blunders, and foibles...The Neandertals could stand as a textbook for a course in the history of science...Gripping." -- The New York Times Book Review