Adrienne Mayor

Adrienne Mayor is a historian of ancient science and a research scholar at Stanford University whose work explores how ancient peoples interpreted the natural world. Her book Flying Snakes and Griffin Claws examines how the fossils of extinct creatures inspired the myths and legends of ancient civilisations, from the dinosaur bones that may have given rise to stories of griffins and giants to the fossilised remains that ancient Greeks and Romans interpreted as evidence of mythological beings. Mayor's research reveals that ancient peoples were careful observers of the natural world who developed rational explanations for the remarkable fossils they discovered. She has written several acclaimed books at the intersection of classical history and palaeontology, including The First Fossil Hunters and Gods and Robots. Her work has been widely praised for its originality, its interdisciplinary approach and its ability to make both ancient history and palaeontology fascinating for general readers. The audiobook edition brings her engaging, eye-opening exploration of ancient fossil discovery to listeners interested in history, mythology, science and the surprising connections between them.