This is the fifth edition of a highly regarded family of titles which first published in 1965. The first edition had approximately one thousand pages in a single volume. This latest three-volume set will increase to over 3000 pages, and is a fair measure of the pace at which the discipline of physical metallurgy has grown in the intervening period. Given the long period since publication of the previous edition, all chapters will either be totally rewritten by new authors or thoroughly revised and expanded, either by the 4th edition authors alone or jointly with new co-authors. Consequently the work is expected to be at least 50-85% revised. In terms of specifics within the revision strategy, five chapters on new topics will be added, dealing with the Physical Metallurgy of Light Alloys, The Physical Metallurgy of Titanium Alloys, Atom Probe Field Ion Microscopy, Computational Metallurgy and Orientational Imaging Microscopy. Additionally, eight chapters will be folded into four chapters, and chapter 32 deleted. Consequently the work is expected to grow by around 10% compared to the previous edition. Throughout, special care will be taken in all chapters to incorporate the latest experimental research results and theoretical insights. Several thousand citations to the research and review literature are included in this edition. There is a very detailed subject index, as well as a comprehensive author index. Reflecting the modern publication environment, online features will also be used to complement and enhance the physical book (e.g. modeling experiments). Exhaustively synthesizes the most pertinent contemporary developments within physical metallurgy so scientists have authoritative information at their fingertips Replaces existing articles and monographs with a single complete solution, saving time for busy scientists Enables metallurgists to predict changes and consequences and create novel alloys and processes