Listen to a sample
The Story of Birds
- Author
- Steve Brusatte
- Narrator
- Patrick Lawlor
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Publish Date
- 11 June 2026
- Run Time
- 11 hours 48 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
'Steve Brusatte has a rare gift for bringing the distant past vividly and fascinatingly to life' - Bill Bryson
'One of the stars of modern palaeontology' – National Geographic
'An unqualified success from beginning to end' – New Scientist
'An enjoyable tour of evolutionary science' – Financial Times
'A delight . . . unflaggingly fascinating' – The Sunday Times
'A gifted writer . . . Brusatte makes us look anew at these feathered beasts' The Times, Best Summer Books
'Soaringly brilliant' – Alice Roberts
A New Scientist and Times most anticipated book of 2026, from the bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs.
Billions of birds share the planet with us. With their flamboyant plumage and joyous dawn serenades, many of them are impossible to miss. But how did they get here, how did they break the bounds of Earth and begin to fly, and how does their legacy shape our world?
In delightfully energetic prose, expert palaeontologist Steve Brusatte takes us through their 150-million-year history, from their origins among small carnivorous dinosaurs to the 10,000-plus species that thrive today. Along the way, we meet fantastic birds from all around the world, some known only through fossils. There are elephant birds that stand as high as a basketball hoop and lay eggs as big as watermelons; demon ducks that weigh more than cows; aeroplane-sized seabirds that soar the world’s thermals; and predatory penguins the size of gorillas.
Lively, majestic and full of wonder, The Story of Birds will ensure you never see birds the same way again.
'Steve Brusatte tells the amazing story of birds with enthusiasm and brio' – Henry Gee
'An eye-opening tour into the amazing world of birds' – Venki Ramakrishnan
*The Story of Birds was no. 10 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction best seller list for the week ending May 2, 2026.
Critics Review
-
Brusatte is at the top of his game . . . This excellent book captures not just the extraordinary heritage of the birds, but the sheer wonder of their existence
The Sunday Times
-
Expertly traces the story of how feathers, wings and egg-laying evolved, what happened when birds took flight and how they developed keen senses and diversified into the range of birds we know today
Literary Review
-
Excellent and sometimes startling . . . combine[s] a rigorous account of the science with a readable narrative . . . an unqualified success from beginning to end
New Scientist
-
[An] enjoyable tour of evolutionary science
Financial Times
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
Steve Brusatte has a rare gift for bringing the distant past vividly and fascinatingly to life
Bill Bryson, Sunday Times #1 bestselling author of A Short History of Nearly Everything
-
Soaringly brilliant . . . a fascinating, scintillating flight through the history and biology of some of the most incredible creatures on our planet . . . a tour de force
Alice Roberts, Sunday Times bestselling author of Crypt
-
The palaeontologist and author of the thoroughly enjoyable The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs turns his attention to our feathery friends and their deep past. Even stranger than you imagined
The Times, books to look out for in 2026
-
Steve Brusatte takes us on an eye-opening tour into the amazing world of birds, from their origins as the living descendants of dinosaurs to their remarkable cognitive and navigational skills. A thrilling addition to his hugely successful earlier books, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs and The Rise and Reign of the Mammals
Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel Prize-winning author of Why We Die
-
An authoritative and endlessly illuminating journey through the evolution of birds -- from their dinosaur roots in the Triassic to the hummingbird at your feeder. As one of the world's top paleontologists, as well as one of the finest science communicators working today, no one is better positioned to tell this epic and surprising story than Steve Brusatte. An instant classic. Anyone interested in the story of life on Earth needs this on their bookshelf
Peter Brannen, author of The Story of Co2 is the Story of Everything
-
Brusatte weaves cutting-edge science and vivid storytelling to give us a breathtaking account of one of evolution's greatest survivors
Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish
-
What a sensational book! Crisp, gripping, science writing at its very best. If you love birds, you will love this captivating story of how they came to be
Jennifer Ackerman, author of The Genius of Birds
-
Brimming with surprises, The Story of Birds reveals evolution as a restless tinkerer and birds as its most radical experiment . . . The birds around us [are] living records of a history far stranger, tougher, and more inventive than we assume. Clear, incisive, and quietly surprising, The Story of Birds makes it impossible to see the natural world the same way ever again
Hakeem Oluseyi, author of A Quantum Life
-
A brilliant history of how birds evolved, with an astonishing insight on every page
Stephen Moss, author of Ten Birds That Changed the World
-
Hold the front page – dinosaurs did NOT go extinct! They are all around us, and there are more of them than ever. They tweet! They squawk! They trill! They coo! They cluck! They shriek! Yes, they are the birds, and in The Story of Birds Steve Brusatte tells their amazing story with enthusiasm and brio
Henry Gee, author of the award-winning A (Very) Short History of Life on Earth
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Steve Brusatte
- Narrator
- Patrick Lawlor
- Duration
- 11 hours 48 minutes
- Release Date
- 11 June 2026
- ISBN
- 9781035032556
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Pan Macmillan
- Genre
- Dinosaurs and the prehistoric world: general interest, Zoology: birds (ornithology), Wildlife: birds and birdwatching: general interest
Synopsis
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES & NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER'Steve Brusatte has a rare gift for bringing the distant past vividly and fascinatingly to life' - Bill Bryson'One of the stars of modern palaeontology' – National Geographic'An unqualified success from beginning to end' – New Scientist'An enjoyable tour of evolutionary science' – Financial Times'A delight . . . unflaggingly fascinating' – The Sunday Times'A gifted writer . . . Brusatte makes us look anew at these feathered beasts' The Times, Best Summer Books'Soaringly brilliant' – Alice RobertsA New Scientist and Times most anticipated book of 2026, from the bestselling author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs.Billions of birds share the planet with us. With their flamboyant plumage and joyous dawn serenades, many of them are impossible to miss. But how did they get here, how did they break the bounds of Earth and begin to fly, and how does their legacy shape our world?In delightfully energetic prose, expert palaeontologist Steve Brusatte takes us through their 150-million-year history, from their origins among small carnivorous dinosaurs to the 10,000-plus species that thrive today. Along the way, we meet fantastic birds from all around the world, some known only through fossils. There are elephant birds that stand as high as a basketball hoop and lay eggs as big as watermelons; demon ducks that weigh more than cows; aeroplane-sized seabirds that soar the world’s thermals; and predatory penguins the size of gorillas.Lively, majestic and full of wonder, The Story of Birds will ensure you never see birds the same way again.'Steve Brusatte tells the amazing story of birds with enthusiasm and brio' – Henry Gee'An eye-opening tour into the amazing world of birds' – Venki Ramakrishnan*The Story of Birds was no. 10 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction best seller list for the week ending May 2, 2026.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.