Book excerpt: The progress of materials science depends on the development of novel materials and the development of novel experimental techniques. The research on graphite intercalation compounds combines both aspects: new compounds with strikingly new and anisotropic properties have been synthesized and analyzed during the past couple of years by means of state-of-the-art experimental methods. At the same time, the preparation of the compounds already known has improved con siderably, giving increased reliability and reproducibility of the experimental results. The high quality experimental data now available have stimulated theo retical work. Moreover, the theoretical work has had a great impact on further experimental studies, with the effect of a much improved understanding of this class of materials. This volume is dedicated to a thorough description of all relevant experimen tal and theoretical aspects of the structural and dynamical properties of graphite intercalation compounds. Because of the large number of topics, a second vol ume, which is now in preparation, will follow and will treat the electronic, transport, magnetic, and optical properties. The second volume will also contain a chapter on applications of graphite intercalation compounds. There have been a number of reviews written on selected aspects of these compounds in various journals and conference proceedings during the last couple of years, but this is the first comprehensive review since the thorough overview provided by M.S. Dresselhaus and G. Dresselhaus appeared ten years ago.