Impact on Composite Structures. S. Abrate. Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 2RU, UK. 1998. 289pp. Illustrated. £45. ISBN 0-521-47389-6.

All laminated composites suffer badly when impacted due to the very low through-thickness strength which can be less than one fortieth of the in-plane values. Low velocity impact damage may be barely visible since the interlaminar delaminations tend to be in the mid-surfaces and the tension fracture is on the back-face. The reduction in compressive strength may be more than 60%. Therefore, in the aerospace industry, the topic of impact damage in laminated composite structures continues to be a vigorous activity. In this respect Impact on Composite Structures is a welcome addition to the literature in this field as it combines theoretical topics with a large amount of scientific papers reflecting every significant development in this important new research area.