Parfitt & Wilson neatly plug the gap in undergraduate volcanology textbooks by providing, in an accessible and clear prose, an introductory account of the fundamental physics behind magma generation, ascent and storage and volcanic eruptions. The book is well-illustrated throughout with graphs, photographs and figures that complement and explain the text and equations. The book falls naturally into two parts: the first part (chapters 1–10) deals with the physics of magmas and volcanic flows; the second (chapters 11–13) covers hazards, volcanoes and climate, and volcanism on other planets. In detail, Chapter 1 introduces the different styles of volcanism; chapters 2–4 deal with magma generation, magma migration and magma storage, outlining concisely the physical forces behind the processes that control the behaviour of magma. Chapter 5 outlines the role of volatiles in driving volcanic eruptions and chapters 6 and 7 deal with steady and transient eruptions, respectively. Chapters 8 and 9 cover pyroclastic deposits and Chapter 10 deals with the features, fluid dynamics and thermodynamics of lava flows. Chapter 11 briefly covers volcanic hazards and monitoring, Chapter 12 discusses volcanoes and climate, and Chapter 13 volcanism on other planets. A glossary is provided at the start of the book and each chapter provides a further reading list, taking the student further into the subject, and a short list of pertinent questions to test the newly acquired knowledge. Answers to the questions are given at the end of the book.

The value of this book is its emphasis on, and clear-headed account of, the essential physics, thermodynamics and fluid dynamics of volcanic flows and the rooting of this into well-described examples of volcanic phenomena. This is what separates it from other similar-level textbooks in the field, which tend to emphasize the descriptive aspects of volcanology. However, with the authors’ gift for explaining physical processes, they could perhaps have gone into a little more depth on some of the fundamental physics and fluid dynamics without risk of losing or confusing an undergraduate readership: some of the chapters would have benefited from being longer given that this textbook fills an important hole in the market. In any case, the book is clearly aimed an undergraduate market and it is well placed to become a required course textbook in many universities. It provides a comprehensive physical description of the most important aspects of volcanology and inspires the reader to delve further into the literature. The authors should be commended for doing this so well and in such a lucid manner.