From the reviews: "McNamara ... has produced a masterpiece of science writing. ... he proceeds to provide vignettes of the key theoretical developments and observational discoveries over the last 75 years that establish pulsars as one of the most important fields in astronomy. ... difficult topics such as relativistic effects are so well explained that casual readers will understand the basic principles. This book has ... excellent writing, thorough attention to historical accuracy, and good science. This book is hard to put down! Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries." (T. D. Oswalt, Choice, Vol. 46 (9), May, 2009) "The author begins with some background information on the life and death of stars, an introduction to the neutron that is essential, some comments on quasars ... . There are now a number of different types of pulsar, some having been found in the most unlikely places, for instance globular pulsars, pulsars with planets, magnetars and multibeams. The presentation is never boring and manages to convey the continued excitement that identifies the subject. I can ... recommend it." (Bill Barlow, Astronomy Now, September, 2009)

• ‘Life & Death Among The Stars’.- ‘1932’.- ‘A New Window’.- ’scruff’.- ‘What makes pulsars tick?’.- ‘The Crab’.- ‘Optical Pulsars’.- ‘The Searchers’.- ‘Two by Two’.- ‘Faster’.- ‘Globular Pulsars’.- ‘Pulsar Planets’.- ‘Magnetars’.- ’seeing Double’.- ‘Of Multibeams and RRATs’.- ‘The Future’.

From the reviews: "McNamara ... has produced a masterpiece of science writing. ... he proceeds to provide vignettes of the key theoretical developments and observational discoveries over the last 75 years that establish pulsars as one of the most important fields in astronomy. ... difficult topics such as relativistic effects are so well explained that casual readers will understand the basic principles. This book has ... excellent writing, thorough attention to historical accuracy, and good science. This book is hard to put down! Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries." (T. D. Oswalt, Choice, Vol. 46 (9), May, 2009) "The author begins with some background information on the life and death of stars, an introduction to the neutron that is essential, some comments on quasars ... . There are now a number of different types of pulsar, some having been found in the most unlikely places, for instance globular pulsars, pulsars with planets, magnetars and multibeams. The presentation is never boring and manages to convey the continued excitement that identifies the subject. I can ... recommend it." (Bill Barlow, Astronomy Now, September, 2009)

• ‘Life & Death Among The Stars’.- ‘1932’.- ‘A New Window’.- ’scruff’.- ‘What makes pulsars tick?’.- ‘The Crab’.- ‘Optical Pulsars’.- ‘The Searchers’.- ‘Two by Two’.- ‘Faster’.- ‘Globular Pulsars’.- ‘Pulsar Planets’.- ‘Magnetars’.- ’seeing Double’.- ‘Of Multibeams and RRATs’.- ‘The Future’.

From the reviews: "McNamara ... has produced a masterpiece of science writing. ... he proceeds to provide vignettes of the key theoretical developments and observational discoveries over the last 75 years that establish pulsars as one of the most important fields in astronomy. ... difficult topics such as relativistic effects are so well explained that casual readers will understand the basic principles. This book has ... excellent writing, thorough attention to historical accuracy, and good science. This book is hard to put down! Summing Up: Essential. All levels/libraries." (T. D. Oswalt, Choice, Vol. 46 (9), May, 2009) "The author begins with some background information on the life and death of stars, an introduction to the neutron that is essential, some comments on quasars ... . There are now a number of different types of pulsar, some having been found in the most unlikely places, for instance globular pulsars, pulsars with planets, magnetars and multibeams. The presentation is never boring and manages to convey the continued excitement that identifies the subject. I can ... recommend it." (Bill Barlow, Astronomy Now, September, 2009)

• ‘Life & Death Among The Stars’.- ‘1932’.- ‘A New Window’.- ’scruff’.- ‘What makes pulsars tick?’.- ‘The Crab’.- ‘Optical Pulsars’.- ‘The Searchers’.- ‘Two by Two’.- ‘Faster’.- ‘Globular Pulsars’.- ‘Pulsar Planets’.- ‘Magnetars’.- ’seeing Double’.- ‘Of Multibeams and RRATs’.- ‘The Future’.