Professor Ziman’s classic textbook on the theory of solids was first published in 1964. This paperback edition is a reprint of the second edition which was substantially revised and enlarged in 1972. The value and popularity of this textbook is well attested by reviewers’ opinions and by the existence of several foreign language editions including German Italian Spanish Japanese Polish and Russian. The book gives a clear exposition of the elements of the physics of perfect crystalline solids. In discussing the principles the author aims to give students an appreciation of the conditions which are necessary for the appearance of the various phenomena. A self-contained mathematical account is given of the simplest model that will demonstrate each principle. A grounding in quantum mechanics and knowledge of elementary facts about solids is assumed. This is therefore a textbook for advanced undergraduates and is also appropriate for graduate courses.