H.-U. Schmincke. Volcanism.2004, Springer-Verlag, Heidelberg. 324 pp. ISBN 3-540-43650-2. Price £61.50, €79.95 (+ local tax), US$79.95.

It is more than 40 years since the appearance of A. Rittmann’s Volcanoes and their Activity , translated from his 2nd, German edition of Vulkane und ihre Tatigkeit by E.A. Vincent. A somewhat similar process has taken place with the publication of H.-U. Schmincke’s Volcanism but this time the author himself has translated the 2nd edition (2000) of his original 1986 German textbook. The English edition is updated and in part rewritten to take account of recent important eruptions and research. Further figures have been added to what was already an impressively well illustrated book. An introductory chapter first summarizes the history of volcanic studies, then outlines some of the fundamental concepts of the subject including the volcano-magma system and the global frame- work of volcanism. The importance of the work of volcanologists is explained both in relation to the understanding of Earth processes and the impact of volcanic eruptions on society and the environment in general. A short chapter summarizing the context of volcanic activity …