Hypersonic ?ight and aerothermodynamics are fascinating topics. Design problems and aerothermodynamic phenomena are partly very di?erent for the various kinds of hypersonic ?ight vehicles. These are and will be in the future winged and non-winged re-entry vehicles as well as airbreathing cruise and acceleration and also ascent and re-entry vehicles. Both authors of the book worked for almost four decades in hypersonics: at the German aerospace research establishment (DVL/DFVLR, now DLR) to the end of the 1970s, then in industry (MBB/Dasa, now EADS). They were involved in many major technology...