The first edition of this text, entitled Flame and Combustion Phenomena, was published by Professor John Bradley in 1969. Subsequent to John Bradley's untimely death, the second edition, Flame and Combustion, was published in 1985 by Professor John Barnard. The intention of my predecessors was that the book should be suitable for final year under­ graduates and as an introductory book about combustion phenomena for those involved in research and development in a wide range of disciplines. It is my hope that the same is true of this third edition, with particular attention paid to chemical aspects. The potential market for an introductory text has changed consider­ ably since the appearance of John Bradley'S monograph. There has been a considerable growth in concern for efficiency, safety and minimisation of the environmental impact of combustion, whereas the development of rocket fuels, explosives and propellants do not command the same intensity of effort as formerly. Thus, it seems prudent to shift the emphasis from some parts of the earlier texts, and to expand others that are more in line with current combustion activities.