The name "Cro-Magnon" inspires images of a snowbound world, mammoth hunting, and eerily alluring cave paintings. Who were these ancient people? In a word, they were us--the first anatomically modern humans.

Bestselling author Brian Fagan brings these early humans out of the deep freeze with his trademark mix of erudition, cutting-edge science, and vivid storytelling. "Cro-Magnon "reveals human society in its infancy, facing enormous environmental challenges--including a rival species of humans, the Neanderthals. For ten millennia, Cro-Magnons lived side by side with Neanderthals, an encounter that Fagan fills with drama. Using their superior intellects and tools, these ingenious problem solvers survived harsh conditions that eventually extinguished their Neanderthal cousins.

"Cro-Magnon "captures the indomitable adaptability that has made "Homo sapiens "an unmatched success as a species. Living on a frozen continent with only the most basic tools, Ice Age humans survived and thrived.