Popular Science Books
The Story of Birds
The riveting story of the dinosaurs that live among us. To be published in the USA by Mariner in April 2026 and the UK by Picador in June 2026. Foreign language editions will be published in: French, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, Turkish.
A New Scientist most anticipated book of 2026
'The palaeontologist and author of the thoroughly enjoyable The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs turns his attention to our feathery friends and their deep past. Even stranger than you imagined' The Times, 'Books to look out for in 2026'
'An instant classic' Peter Brannen, author of The Story of Co2 is the Story of Everything
'Brusatte takes us on an eye-opening tour into the amazing world of birds . . . a thrilling addition to his hugely successful earlier books' Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel Prize-winning author of Why We Die
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'Brusatte weaves cutting-edge science and vivid storytelling to give us a breathtaking account of one of evolution's greatest survivors' Neil Shubin, incoming President of the National Academy of Sciences (USA) and author of Your Inner Fish
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs
The 'ultimate dinosaur biography' (according to Scientific American): the story of how dinosaurs rose up, grew to huge sizes, dominated the world, and went extinct...except for their descendants, the birds. Published in 2018 in the USA by William Morrow and the UK by Picador, and translated into more than 20 foreign languages.
A New York Times (USA), Sunday Times (UK), and Globe and Mail (Canada) bestseller.
Goodreads Choice Award Winner in Science and Technology. Times (London) Science Book of the Year. A Best Book of the Year: Smithsonian, Science Friday, Popular Mechanics, Science News, Booklist, Library Journal, Chicago Public Library
'The best book I read last year' US President Bill Clinton.
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'Thrilling . . . the best book on the subject written for the general reader since the 1980s' Tom Holland, Sunday Times
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'Fascinating. ... Superbly illustrated with photos and art, this is popular-science writing at its best' Booklist, starred review
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'[A] Jurassic blockbuster. ... A gripping read in the best traditions of popular science. ... Infectiously ebullient' The Guardian/Observer
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'Scintillating. ... Brusatte’s mastery of his field, formidable explanatory powers and engaging style have combined to produce a masterpiece of science writing for the lay reader' Washington Post
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'If you ever loved a dinosaur, buy this book. … Brusatte does for dinosaurs what E.O. Wilson did for ants and Carl Sagan for stars' Washington Times
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'Tells the epic tale of the dinosaurs rise to dominance and extinction, taking us on a thrilling journey back in time' National Geographic
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'Vivid. … This is scientific storytelling at its most visceral' Nature
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'A page-turner...special' New York Times Book Review
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'Captivating. ... First-rate science writing' Publishers Weekly, starred review
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'An absorbing historical saga' Christian Science Monitor
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'A lovely book' Times (London)
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The Rise and Reign of the Mammals
The evolutionary story of our family, the mammals: from their humble origins during the Age of Dinosaurs, to how they survived the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs and made a new world in the aftermath, paving the way for us and our 6000+ living cousins, from bats to blue whales. Published in 2022 in the USA by Mariner and the UK by Picador, and translated into more than 20 foreign languages.
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A national and independent bookshop bestseller (USA)
A Best Book of the Year: Kirkus Reviews, Amazon, the Times (London), Science News, Waterstones
'A very beautiful story-driven, well-written book. This is like a fun novel you’re reading' Dax Shepard, Armchair Expert
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'Terrific . . . a saga on the grandest scale . . . beautifully told . . . Brusatte brings well-known extinct species, the sabre-toothed tigers and the woolly mammoths, thrillingly back to life' The Times (London), Book of the Week
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'Nothing short of a thriller, revealing the luck, evolutionary twists and near-apocalyptical catastrophes that have led to the mammals of today, us included' The Guardian
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'Outstanding. … Employs lucid prose and generous illustrations to describe the explosion of mammal species that followed the disappearance of dinosaurs. A must for any list of the best popular science books of the year' Kirkus Reviews (starred)
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'Terrific...engaging...fascinating' Christian Science Monitor
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'Stands out for its brilliant balance of scientific detail and lively, efficient storytelling' New Scientist
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'Deeply researched and entertaining' The Spectator
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'Five stars...a real page-turner' The Sun
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'A beautifully written book' Sunday Times
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'A whirlwind tour of mammal evolution' Science
Children's Books
I've written many books for children, including The Age of Dinosaurs, a younger readers' version of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs. It was published in the US by Quill Tree and UK by PanMacmillan.
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Most of my children's books are in collaboration with my wife Anne Brusatte, a teacher, educator, and children's author!
Dugie the Dinosaur
A fictional story of Scottish dinosaurs, braving storms and treacherous raptors 170 million years ago, on the Isle of Skye.
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Published in 2022 by Curly Tale Books.
My Grandparents Were Dinosaurs
A charming story of a barnyard chicken, keeping the foxes at bay by telling them of her ferocious dinosaur ancestors. A lighthearted story that explains how birds evolved from dinosaurs!​
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Published in 2025 by Magic Cat.