The Day of the Dinosaur is a science book by L. Sprague de Camp and Catherine Crook de Camp, illustrated with plates. It was first published in hardcover by Doubleday in 1968, and in paperback by Curtis Books in 1970 or 1971. A second hardcover edition was issued by Bonanza Books in 1985. The first chapter was reprinted as "One Day in the Cretaceous" in the de Camps's collection Footprints on Sand (Advent, 1981). Summary As stated on the dust cover of the Doubleday edition, the work is a survey of "the exciting story of the lost world of the great reptiles and of the fossil hunters who discovered them millions of years later." It argues, among other things, that the theory of evolution took hold after Darwin because of interest spurred by recently popularized dinosaur remains, corresponding to legends of dragons. Contents The Day of the Dinosaur The Finding of the Dragons Out of the Sea Life Invades the Land The Rise of the Dinosaurs The Reptilian Middle Age Reptiles of Sea and Air The Doom of the Dragons The Great Fossil Feud Diggers and Dinosaurs The Heritage of the Dragons Dinosaurs in the World of Today Notes Bibliography Index Reception Publishers' Weekly called the book "clear, comprehensive, [and] well-researched," noting that it "begins as a vivid and scientifically sound depiction of the age of the giant dinosaurs [and] develops into an impressive tribute to the science of paleontology. Awesome and sometimes spine-chilling as some of the de Camps' descriptions are ... the human story of the first discovery of fossils and the realization of their implications communicates a drama of its own." Summing up, he noted that "[r]eaders who are for the first time being introduced to the wonders of paleontology will be engrossed." Mary L. Blackwell, writing in Library Journal called it "an accurate and vivid description of the great creatures who roamed the earth more than 100 million years ago and also a fascinating account of the earth itself that makes the reality of its antiquity comprehensible." She felt the authors' "carefully organized, practical approach" resulted in "a book that will appeal not only to students of paleontology but to everyone interested in this remote world." She rated it "[r]ecommended for any public or school library." In Natural History Isaac Asimov, noting that "few people ... can speak more charmingly and enlightenedly about scientific subjects than