***** - Excellent
**** - Good
*** - Okay
** - Bad
* - Terrible
+ - Half-star
The Flight of Dragons
Peter Dickinson (Wayne Anderson, illustrator)
Harper & Row
Fiction, Fantasy
****
DESCRIPTION: Dragons are a near-universal phenomenon, and for all the differences between their legends, there are also many striking similarities. Could some unknown,
extinct animal once have lived to explain them? Is it possible for one creature be giant yet airborne, breathe fire, possess a hypnotic gaze, and spread poison wherever it
went? Biologically, several aspects of dragon mythos - if taken with a grain of salt to allow for storytellers' embellishments over the ages - are surprisingly plausible. Using
stories ancient and modern in conjunction with science, evolutionary theory, and a good deal of speculation, Peter Dickinson hypothesizes what the “real” dragons would’ve been
like, creating a peculiarly fascinating creature to explain various myths and legends. With illustrations by Wayne Anderson.
REVIEW: First published in 1979, The Flight of Dragons not only formed the partial basis for the animated movie of the same name, but essentially created the
“myth as reality” genre which has exploded in popularity lately. This book is something of a classic, and pure luck led me to a reasonably-priced copy in Half Price Books.
Considering the fact that Dickinson’s dragons aren’t the intelligent beasts I so enjoy reading about, or even the cunning marauders of elder tales, I found the book oddly
mesmerizing to read. The format – text being interrupted by numerous pictures, spreads, and quotes – and the occasionally-substandard Anderson illustrations cost it a point
in the ratings, but otherwise I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves dragons.
You might also enjoy:
Tales of Great Dragons (J. K. Anderson, YA Nonfiction - A good introduction to dragon lore from around the world)
The Book of Dragons (Ciruelo, Fiction - Dragon lore and illustrations)
Dancing with Dragons (D. J. Conway, Nonfiction - Using dragons as spirit guides and familiars)
Dragonlore (Ash "LeopardDancer" DeKirk, Nonfiction - Myths and traditions ancient and modern about dragons and their kin)
The Book of Fabulous Beasts (Joseph Nigg, Nonfiction - The classical origins and evolution of fabulous animals)
Dragons - Truth, Myth, and Legend (David Passes, YA Nonfiction - Dragon lore and myths)
Dragons: A Natural History (Dr. Karl Shuker, Nonfiction - Dragon myths from around the world)
Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology (Dugald A. Steer "editor", YA Fiction - A 19th century "dragonologist" discusses the dragons of the world)
How to Raise and Keep a Dragon (John Topsell, Joseph Nigg "editor", YA Fiction - A guide to keeping dragons as pets, based on real-world dragon lore)
The Flight of Dragons
(animated movie DVD, based partially on this book)
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