King Tyrant - by Mark P Witton (Hardcover)

About the Book

"King Tyrant: A Natural History of Tyrannosaurus Rex is an accessible synthesis of our understanding of the evolutionary position, life history, and biomechanics of the T. rex. It explores answers to classic questions, such as "how fast could it run?" "what were its small arms for?" or "was it a predator or scavenger?" At the same time it uncovers new questions, like "was it one species or many?" and "what did it look like?" The text also delves into our own relationship with T. rex, from a historic overview to pop culture references, and discusses whether our love for the dinosaur has helped or hindered our research and understanding"--

Book Synopsis

A marvelously illustrated look at everything we now know about the fearsome king of the dinosaurs

Continue the adventure with the dazzling film, T.REX, narrated by Sam Neill, now playing in IMAX and museum cinemas worldwide

Tyrannosaurus rex is the world's favorite dinosaur, adored by the public and the subject of intense study and debate by paleontologists. This stunningly illustrated book brings together everything we have learned about T. rex--the "King of the Tyrant Lizards"--since it was first given its famous name in 1905. It presents these creatures as science knows them rather than the version portrayed in movies, revealing them to be dramatically different, and far more amazing, than ever imagined. With numerous original paintings and diagrams by the author, King Tyrant draws on the latest discoveries to offer a modern understanding of Tyrannosaurus, pulling back the curtain of media hype that often obscures these extraordinary extinct animals while cementing their reputation as the most formidable carnivores of the Mesozoic.

• Features more than 150 breathtaking illustrations, photos, and diagrams
• Covers everything from the research history of T. rex to their anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, behavior, and extinction
• Reveals how the Tyrannosaurus known to science is characterized as much by radical changes in body form throughout its growth as its enormous size and powerful jaws
• Discloses details about their lifestyles and behavior evidenced from fossils, from violent face-biting between rivals to their capacity to literally pull the heads off Triceratops carcasses
• Gets to the bottom of the many controversies surrounding T. rex, such as: Was there really more than one species of Tyrannosaurus? Did they live and hunt in groups? How fast could they run and how hard could they bite? Can we truly distinguish males from females?
• Discusses T. rex in popular culture, showing how our love for this dinosaur has both helped and hindered research

Review Quotes

"Witton's writing and artistic skills, along with the undeniable allure of T.rex, turn a highly scientific book into a page turner. King Tyrant is bountiful with diagrams that detail T.rex anatomy, accompanied by charts, tables, and Witton's amazing artwork. . . . Highly Recommended."-- "Choice"

"Well-rounded, thorough and extensive in its coverage of an animal for which a vast literature exists, and it presents scientific areas of uncertainty and debate well and fairly. It's also exceptionally well designed and visually exceptional. [This] will function as the definitive work on the species for some time to come. It excels as a model of what volumes on the natural history of extinct animals can and should look like and I cannot recommend it enough."---Darren Naish, Historical Biology

"The most modern and authoritative treatment of T. rex available. Beautifully illustrated and incorporating an extraordinary number of sources, the book compiles a staggering amount of research."---David E. Fastovsky, The Quarterly Review of Biology

"King Tyrant is an instant classic . . . . The book's brilliant execution immediately lands it a spot in my top 5 for 2025. A compulsory buy for dinosaur enthusiasts, this book is also a valuable overview for professional palaeontologists and an inspirational example of what excellent science communication looks like."---Leon Vlieger, The Inquisitive Biologist

"This book is a must-have."---Ian Paulsen, The Birdbooker Report

"[A[ beautiful new book."---Steve Donoghue, Open Letters Review

"Witton writes with expertise and enthusiasm in a way that is informative to both newbies and dinosaur aficionados. . . . The gorgeous illustrations in this well-cited summary and analysis make T. rex come alive for readers of all ages."---Catherine Lantz, Library Journal

"The illustrations (in many instances Witton's own work) are fabulous, from technical diagrams to photographs of museum specimens, and wonderful, fanciful recreations of life as it might have been in the age of the dinosaur. . . [A] magnus opus that is both educational and entertaining."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds

About the Author

Mark P. Witton is a paleontologist, author, and artist based at the University of Portsmouth. He designs and advises on extinct creatures for films and documentaries, including the hit Apple TV+ series Prehistoric Planet and the IMAX film T.REX, and his artwork is widely featured in books and museums around the world. His books include Pterosaurs: Natural History, Evolution, Anatomy (Princeton).