Simon Winchester, from the introduction to Skulls: "Skulls tells the story of the skull, in both the human and the animal world. Skulls-human in the main, but by no means exclusively-have exerted for scores of thousands of years an almost inexplicable power over the human imagination. They are symbols both of existence and of former existence; they are freighted with terror and awe...Perhaps no other biological entity retains such a grip on human psychology as does this assemblage of hollow bone...People are fascinated and captivated by skulls. They always have been, and always will be." At the centre of Skulls is a stunning, never-before-seen-in-any-capacity, visual array of the skulls of more than 300 animals. They skulls are from the collection of Alan Dudley, a British collector and owner of what is probably the largest and most complete private collection of skulls in the world. Every skull is beautifully photographed to show off it most fascinating features and to give the reader the most intimate view possible. Where possible, cross-sections and additional angles are also show. Along with the imagery, each skull includes a short explanatory essay, taxonomy, biological data, skull details, comparative skeletal anatomy and other pertinent information. The text is written by bestselling and international renowned author, Simon Winchester and covers the story of Alan Dudly and his collection as well as the biology, history and iconography of skulls throughout the world. Includes 550 visually arresting photographs throughout.