Book excerpt: Shock-induced dynamic fracture of solids is of practical importance in many areas of materials science, chemical physics, engineering, and geophysics. This book, by an international roster of authors, comprises a systematic account of the current state of research in the field, integrating the large amount of work done in the former Soviet Union with the work done in the West. Topics covered include: Wave propagation, experimental techniques and measurements, spallation of materials of different classes (metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers), constitutive models of fracture processes, and computer simulations.