The first edition of this book came out in 1987, offering an integrated cov erage of the field of composite materials. I am gratified at the reception it receivedat the hands of the students and faculty. The second edition follows the same format as the first one, namely, a well-balanced treatment of materials and mechanics aspects of composites, with due recognition of the importance of the processing. The second edition is a fully revised, updated, and enlarged edition of this widely used text. There are some new chapters, and others have been brought up-to-date in light of the extensivework done in the decade since publication of the first edition. Many people who used the first edition as a classroom text urged me to include some solved exam ples. In deference to their wishes I have done so. I am sorry that it took me such a long time to prepare the second edition. Things are happening at a very fast pace in the field of composites, and there is no question that a lot of very interesting and important work has been done in the past decade or so. Out of necessity, one must limit the amount of material to be included in a textbook. In spite of this view, it took me much more time than I antici pated. In this second edition, I have resisted the temptation to cover the whole waterfront.
