A work that exemplifies the triumph of the human spirit, Russell Ferrell’s biographical book, The Bone War of McCurtain County profiles the true events stemming from the heroic paleontological ventures of relic collectors Cephis Hall and Sid Love who found themselves heartily embroiled in a genuine good vs. evil event. This authentic book exposes the little known history of the “bone war” fought by underdogs Cephis Hall and Sid Love against the pressures of the wealthy, powerful and greedy. Both naturalists and fossilized treasure collectors Cephis and Sid rose from amateur obscurity to ambiguous notoriety with one very important paleontological find, the Acrocanthosaurus Atokensis or the High Spined lizard, a rare fossil find, this was especially important to Cephis in particular who held the life–long aspiration of making the ultimate find – a dinosaur fossil.

The protagonists of the story, Cephis Hall and Sid Love, were hard working and down to earth by nature, viable citizens coming from humble backwoods backgrounds, Cephis an Arkansas hillbilly and Sid a Choctaw Indian. Neither man yielded power or wealth so they were seen as nothing but peasants, by those that they battled. Thought to be both socially and economically disadvantaged, they were the underdogs with little resources to fight with, seemingly easy to crush. However, they were able to give the powers that be a real run for their money using nothing but their personal wit, stalwart resolve and a common love for fossils.

The story is told mainly from the point of view of Cephis Hall, his spirit, integrity and determination were well portrayed by author Russell Ferrell. Cephis who initially discovered the bones at Mountain Fork River, later invited friend and fellow naturalist Sid Love to help to continue his excavation efforts. For years the two worked tirelessly to excavate the dinosaur bones and meticulously preserve them. Their discovery was not only one of a kind but also held important historical value as well. Once word got around about the value of their find, the two friends innocent of any wrong doing were suddenly targeted by a major timber corporation, scientists, and politicians to relinquish ownership rights of their treasured find. Not only were they to be treated like common criminals for their important scientific find but they were also engaged in a battle against time, because there was the distinct problem of losing their precious specimen to disintegration.

Overall, I enjoyed The Bone War of McCurtain County; at times it was a gripping and engaging story, which was eloquently written and replete with tons of history, science and heroism. Additionally, there are plenty of shake your head moments as the antics of big business vs. the little guy are brought to the forefront. At times readers will cheer and there are moments when readers will jeer. I particularly enjoyed chapter 36, there was a definite cheer moment in there. My only contention with this book is that, while I found the history interesting at times it was a bit too much making for a slow read and detracted from the heart of the story. However, I did generally enjoy the book and do recommend it to history and science buffs alike.