A siren’s call. Fantastic fossil discoveries. Two driven adversaries. There will be bones–and blood.

It’s post-Civil War America, the period of western expansion–and the golden age of paleontology. Edward Cope, the genius, self-didactic naturalist and scion of a prominent Philadelphia family, is determined to unearth the remains of America’s extinct creatures. But in O.C. Marsh, Cope confronts a powerful rival; Marsh’s expeditions are well funded through his uncle George Peabody’s endowments to Yale. Hell-bent on becoming the country’s foremost paleontologist, Marsh will not tolerate Cope’s competition. Heated conflict erupts between the two scientists. Cope’s cleverness and Marsh’s questionable schemes make headlines in the press. Their battles intensify over the years and are unequaled in the history of science.

The Bone Wars story, as it has never been told before, starts here.