Charles Hazelius Sternberg (1850–1943) was an American fossil collector and paleontologist involved in the Bone Wars, a period of intense fossil discovery and rivalry between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh during the Gilded Age. In the early years of this rivalry, Sternberg collected fossils in Kansas for Cope and authored two notable books: The Life of a Fossil Hunter (1909) and Hunting Dinosaurs in the Badlands of the Red Deer River, Alberta, Canada (1917). His fossil collections, including significant dinosaur specimens from the western U.S. and Canada, are housed in museums worldwide. The republication of his 1917 classic allows readers to embark on a journey through the rich cretaceous fossil fields, as Sternberg recounts his laborious adventures in the Red Deer River gorge. He pioneered fossil collecting techniques and made crucial dinosaur discoveries, while also sharing engaging narratives that captivate readers. His imaginative storytelling brings the lives of the dinosaurs he collected to life. Sternberg reflects on his fifty years of fossil collecting, crediting his sons and the Geological Survey for their invaluable support. His collections rival those of the American Museum of Natural History, and he expresses a desire to share his entire story.
