Against a backdrop of bureaucracy, corruption, and civil wars, White organised annual expeditions that “ he micromanaged without apology“, while fellow anthropologist Bruce Latimer marvels that he is “ without question the best field worker there is His science, logistics, and efficiency are phenomenal” (p. Pattison follows White’s story of fossil discovery in Ethiopia from its start in 1981. 71)-many also admit that he excels at what he does: “ Tim White is brutal. And while many loathe being at the receiving end of his withering criticism-” enemies not only resented him they fucking hated him” (p. He will take as long as he darn well needs to make sure his findings are beyond bulletproof. From the very first pages, he is unsparingly described as a relentless perfectionist with “ a razor intellect, hair-trigger bullshit detector, short temper, long list of discoveries, and longer list of enemies” (p. in December 2020 (hardback, 534 pages)įossil Men stands out for its brutally honest portrayal of the main protagonist, Tim White, something for which Pattison has had the full cooperation of White, his co-workers, and his many adversaries.

Fossil Men: The Quest for the Oldest Skeleton and the Origins of Humankind, written by Kermit Pattison, published by William Morrow & Co.

Fossil men kermit