In almost every area of biomedical research the making of new discoveries and their subsequent application to the relief of suffering proceed at an ever-increasing pace. Virology, perhaps more than any other discipline, is playing a key role in these advances, not only in the study ofinfections and their treatment and prevention, but also in the unravelling of the most fundamental aspects of biology. This is because viruses have an intimate relationship with the basic machinery of their host cells. Thus, research on how viruses reproduce themselves and spread has given us manyinsights into the ways in which the cells of our bodies function, leading in turn to a better understanding of the whole organism and of how infective diseases may be prevented or cured. The speed of advance in this area has increased the difficulty encountered by students and teachers in absorbing and imparting important information as efficiently as possible. It is important that students are provided with enough information, not just to pass examinations, but also to provide afoundation of knowledge adequate for subsequent professional practice. It is equally important that this information is presented in an attractive and easily assimilated manner. In this book Professors Leslie Collier and John Oxford present a delightfully written account of basic and clinicalvirology that meets both of these needs. Richly illustrated with over 130 line drawings and photographs Human Virology provides a complete overview of this rapidly expanding field for medical and dental undergraduates.