The Story of Birds

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES & NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

‘Steve Brusatte has a rare gift for bringing the distant past vividly and fascinatingly to life’ – Bill Bryson

‘One of the stars of modern palaeontology’ – National Geographic
‘An unqualified success from beginning to end’ – New Scientist
‘An enjoyable tour of evolutionary science’ – Financial Times
‘A delight . . . unflaggingly fascinating’ – The Sunday Times
‘A gifted writer . . . Brusatte makes us look anew at these feathered beasts’ – The Times
‘Soaringly brilliant’ – Alice Roberts

Elephant birds as tall as basketball hoops. Demon ducks heavier than cows. Predatory penguins the size of gorillas. Welcome to the wild and majestic story of birds.

Billions of birds share the planet with us, astonishing us with their flamboyant plumage and joyous dawn serenades. But how did they get here? How did they break the bounds of Earth and begin to fly? And how does their legacy shape our world?

In this delightfully energetic book, expert palaeontologist and author of the bestselling The Rise and Fall of Dinosaurs Steve Brusatte takes us through the 150-million-year history of earth’s most magnificent creatures, from their origins among small carnivorous dinosaurs to the 10,000-plus species that thrive today.

If you think you know birds, think again.

*The Story of Birds was no. 10 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction best seller list for the week ending May 2, 2026.