Rating: 
Summary: A neglected explorer gets recognition
Review: Roy Chapman Andrews in the 1950s was one of my boyhood heros. I avidly read his books about exploration in the Gobi and China. But Andrews faded away into obscurity over the years. This book revives his memory.For a reader unfamiliar with Andrews this book might be rated outstanding. For me, familiar with the outlines of his life, it was only good, not imparting enough new information. For example, a fascinating fact about Andrews is the animosity his colleagues at the American Museum of Natural History had for him. The best example of this animosity is that when Andrews died in 1960, the Museum did not even acknowledge the death of its most famous employee and former Director in any Museum publication. This snub to Andrews is somewhat akin to the TV networks failing to report the death of Walter Cronkite, when and if he passes into the hereafter. Why such hatred and spite toward Andrews, a personable, outgoing, charismatic leader? Who were those in the Museum who held a grudge against him and why? The author doesn't cover this topic adequately, leaving unanswered questions in my mind. Thus, while this book is well worth reading, there remain facets of Andrew's life still closed and mysterious. But this book does a fine job of reviving recognition of Andrews who was famous in his day. He deserves the acclaim.
Rating: 
Summary: A Real Indiana Jones!
Review: Roy Chapman Andrews lead a very exciting and interesting life, one that seems to have been the basis for the Indiana Jones films.
Andrews starts off from a kid in a poor family and rises to fame through his adventures. When he was in his teens, he talked (How many can do that?) his way into a job at the National Museum of Natural History as an assistient. While he was there, he was sent around to study various things, becoming the expert on whales, dinosaurs and the middle east.
He then began planning an enormous expidition to the Gobi Desert in China, to find evidence of the first man. He didn't fidn any, but he did find the first Velociraptor, the Flaming Cliffs of Mongolia and countless fossils of dinosuars and other exctinct animals. Along the way, they had to confront bandits, corrupt Governmental officials and a civil war.
Gallenkamp does a nice job writing this biography. It is fast paced and fairly detailed. He draws from several sources and puts them together to get this man's life in order. Along with that, you really get to see Andrews as a person, and you can see that he has a vibrent personallity. He is like a real Indiana Jones in many ways.
Along with the biography, Gallenkamp includes pictures, so we get to see what Andrews looks like, but he doesn't name the native guides at all.
The problem with it is that is too fast paces, and it jumps around a little bit, making it confusing for the reader. While this is not a huge problem, it is annoying and could be written better.
Overall, for its few shortcomings, this is a very good read and well worth getting.
Rating: 
Summary: Old and outworn
Review: Roy Chapman was a product of his times. He could appear at home in a Mongolian dust storm and an Upper East Side pallor. The book balances the many facets of his life, giving equal time to the travel, science, and personnel accomplishments of Roy Chapman. There is no doubt that he was a product of his times, backed by the rich, he traveled to the developing world, excavated thousands of relics and dinosaur bones and took them out of the country for display in a New York museum. In today's political landscape this could no longer occur, but to lessen his accomplishments by applying today's standards to his time period is revisionist history of the worst guide. The author does a solid job defending Roy Chapman from these illogical attacks. Roy Chapman's rise from small town high school graduate to global explorer and director of a major museum is the basis of the American spirit
Rating: 
Summary: A life of adventure
Review: Roy Chapman was a product of his times. He could appear at home in a Mongolian dust storm and an Upper East Side pallor. The book balances the many facets of his life, giving equal time to the travel, science, and personnel accomplishments of Roy Chapman. There is no doubt that he was a product of his times, backed by the rich, he traveled to the developing world, excavated thousands of relics and dinosaur bones and took them out of the country for display in a New York museum. In today's political landscape this could no longer occur, but to lessen his accomplishments by applying today's standards to his time period is revisionist history of the worst guide. The author does a solid job defending Roy Chapman from these illogical attacks. Roy Chapman's rise from small town high school graduate to global explorer and director of a major museum is the basis of the American spirit
Rating:
Summary: Old and outworn
Review: There's nothing new here. If you want a better overview with new material, see: "Morgan, V. L. and Lucas, S. G., 2002, Walter Granger, 1872-1941, Paleontologist: New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 19, p. 1-58."
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent True Life Adventure for the Dinosaur Lover
Review: This book is a biographical account of the remarkable career of Roy Chapman Andrews. Andrews was among the most celebrated and colorful explorers of the 20th century, responsible for mounting several major expeditions to penetrate the mysterious (to the West) depths of the Gobi Desert. These expeditions resulted in some of the most important paleontological discoveries in history. "Dragon Hunter" is best characterized as a true life adventure story. It focuses on Andrews himself and his flair for solving the unsolvable. With his vivid imagination, Andrews conceived of an audacious plan to explore one of the harshest environments on earth --- in automobiles (keep in mind, this is in the 1920s). With his uncanny flair for spreading enthusiasm like a contagion, he was able to raise money for the expedition from some of the great tycoons of the era in amounts deemed impossible by his contemporaries. With his intense energy and bravado, he was able to overcome seemingly insurmountable logistical problems; rampant banditry, political chaos, warring factions, severe weather, bad communications, political corruption, death threats, you name it. This makes for a fascinating read, all set in the exotic and dangerous China of the last emperor, a romantic and intriguing world we may never see again. I should warn you, however, not to expect too much on the science of the expeditions, as I did. While there is some information on the scientific significance of the finds, the book really focuses on the story of "how" they were found and what implications they had for the success of the expeditions over some 8 to 10 years. To understand the paleontology of the Gobi, you will need to look to other sources. ("Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs" by Michael J. Novacek might be a good place to start.) This is hardly a criticism though. The book purports to be a biography, and that's what it is. If you enjoy a mix of history and adventure, this book is worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent True Life Adventure for the Dinosaur Lover
Review: This book is a biographical account of the remarkable career of Roy Chapman Andrews. Andrews was among the most celebrated and colorful explorers of the 20th century, responsible for mounting several major expeditions to penetrate the mysterious (to the West) depths of the Gobi Desert. These expeditions resulted in some of the most important paleontological discoveries in history. "Dragon Hunter" is best characterized as a true life adventure story. It focuses on Andrews himself and his flair for solving the unsolvable. With his vivid imagination, Andrews conceived of an audacious plan to explore one of the harshest environments on earth --- in automobiles (keep in mind, this is in the 1920s). With his uncanny flair for spreading enthusiasm like a contagion, he was able to raise money for the expedition from some of the great tycoons of the era in amounts deemed impossible by his contemporaries. With his intense energy and bravado, he was able to overcome seemingly insurmountable logistical problems; rampant banditry, political chaos, warring factions, severe weather, bad communications, political corruption, death threats, you name it. This makes for a fascinating read, all set in the exotic and dangerous China of the last emperor, a romantic and intriguing world we may never see again. I should warn you, however, not to expect too much on the science of the expeditions, as I did. While there is some information on the scientific significance of the finds, the book really focuses on the story of "how" they were found and what implications they had for the success of the expeditions over some 8 to 10 years. To understand the paleontology of the Gobi, you will need to look to other sources. ("Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs" by Michael J. Novacek might be a good place to start.) This is hardly a criticism though. The book purports to be a biography, and that's what it is. If you enjoy a mix of history and adventure, this book is worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: The flaming cliffs
Review: This book tells the tale of Roy Chapman Andrews. He was an outdoors man, who talked his way into the American Museum of Natural History, and eventually becomes the director there. Andrews has the strong belief that the human race originated in Asia instead of the more common belief of Africa. Andrews is able to find backing to fund trips of Asia and Mongolia to find proof to back up his belief.
Even though the writing is a little dry, I found the subject to be very interesting. The details of the expeditions, how they were funded, supplied and got to the sites were fascinating. Dealing with the different governments in Asia, at a time of revolution, was also of interest.
I would have enjoyed more information into the science of the expeditions, but that may be a subject for a different book. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the age of exploration. It is not a light read, but worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: HE WASN'T BORN IN INDIANA, BUT OTHERWISE....
Review: This is a great rollercoaster ride of a book. As the saying goes, a novelist couldn't dream up the real adventures that Roy Chapman Andrews lived through. Right from the get-go, Andrews had incredible energy and before he was 30 he had accomplished more than most people do in a lifetime! As a teenager, Andrews, using a book on taxidermy as a guide, taught himself to mount animals and birds. As the author explains, "He soon became so skilled that he acquired a license from the Wisconsin Conservation Department and started a part-time business mounting trophies for hunters, the proceeds from which paid for most of his college tuition." Andrews always knew what he wanted to do for a living and he went right after it... To quote Andrews, "Actually, I never had a choice of profession. I wanted to be an explorer and naturalist so passionately that anything else as a life work just never entered my mind." After college, even though he had received a letter from the director of the American Museum of Natural History in New York stating that they had no job openings, Andrews went to New York anyway and showed up at the museum. With his combination of charm and determination he convinced the director to hire him. Andrews started off as an "assistant", basically doing janitorial services, but quickly worked his way up. Still only 23 years old, he was sent by the museum to salvage the remains of a North American right whale that had washed ashore in February 1907, at Amagansett on Long Island. The museum wanted the whale for its cetacean collection. In 20 below zero farenheit weather, Andrews and another museum employee, along with local fishermen, started to "excavate" the whale from the sand. After a couple of days of backbreaking work a severe winter storm struck the area and reburied the whale. Andrews and his co-worker had to start all over again, and it took them a further 10 days to accomplish their goal. After that, Andrews was off to the races. The museum sent him out to shore-whaling stations in British Columbia and Alaska to gather anatomical data on whales. Andrews started to write papers on various topics. When he got back to New York he began attending Columbia University so that he could pursue a doctorate in zoology. In his anatomy studies he became quite adept at dissections. His instructor, a prominent surgeon, was so impressed with Andrews' skills that the instructor thought Andrews should pursue a career as a surgeon! Andrews also gave a lecture and slideshow and did so well that he got a standing ovation. He was invited to participate in a lecture program sponsored by the city's Department of Education. At this point, we are only up to 1908-1909 and Andrews was only 24-25 years old. I hope this gives you some idea of how interesting and exciting Andrews' life story is. All the Central Asiatic Expeditions, with howling sandstorms, civil wars and vicious bandits are still to come! This was easily one of the best books I've read in the past year. In what is always a great tribute to a wonderful story, I wish I could wipe my memory clean and start it all over again!
Rating:
Summary: Dragon breath!
Review: Worst writer of the century. Gallenkamp turned a fascinating subject into a bore. Read about Roy Andrews in another book written by a real writer. I couldn't wait toi finish this book so I could start a good one.
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