Review of 'Otherlands'

Review of a natural history book, Otherlands by Thomas Halliday

Otherlands – A World in the Making
by Thomas Halliday
Penguin Books (2023)

This book covers natural history spanning 550 million years. Each chapter moves us further back in time, and to many different locations. To make them relatable, Mr. Halliday tells us where the chapter relates to in the present day. This is known because he uses fossil records to create a vivid description of the life they are the remains of. But this is not just a book about dinosaurs, the diversity of life covered is wide and fascinating.

What is so compelling about this book is how well each location and time are brought to life in the mind’s eye. The animals, plants, insects, fungi and sea life interact, the significance of their setting described. We learn about the geography as it changes from age to age, in locations as diverse as hot water vents deep in the ocean, continent spanning lush forests, the first grasslands, and volcanic lakes.

It’s not always possible to follow lines of evolution, but comparisons are made to modern life forms, and sometimes we learn about a common ancestor of creatures you’d never suspect are related, such as horses and bats. We also learn that the horse fly existed for around 70 million years before the first horse appeared.

The time spans involved are perhaps incomprehensible to us, but reading this book gave me at least some idea of the immense periods of time involved, and how many times life has changed in our history. It’s a book I would recommend wholeheartedly as I have thoroughly enjoyed reading it.