Why yet another book on antennas ? The aim of the authors was to offer a didactic text appropriate for advanced graduate students, as well as a practical work for practicing engineers; to combine a solid theoretical treatment with a practical development which should allow the serious reader to undertake antenna design from fIrst principles. To accomplish these goals, the authors bring together their contributions from both industry and the academic environment. The developments of the various topics start at a level which is accessible to a novice in the speciality, but give a treatment which culminates at an advanced level. Another important feature of the book is its use of practical examples illustrating real engineering problems and designs. In most cases, the explanation is sufficient to grasp the principles of operation of the related equipment, and, where appropriate, the reader is referred to a relevant bibliography for more complete and hence more sophisticated methodologies of design. Of particular note are the chapters on specialist subjects such as antennas and signal theory, and signal processing antennas, showing how the antenna may be combined with signal processing techniques in imaging applications, in angular superresolution, and in adaptive arrays to suppress interference and jamming. Another example is the chapter on the use of polarimetry to enhance the wealth of information which may be extracted, for example, from radar signals.
