Book excerpt: This classic book is a encylopaedic and comprehensive account of the classical theory of analytical dynamics. The treatment is rigorous yet readable, starting from first principles with kinematics before moving to equations of motion and specific and explicit methods for solving them, with chapters devoted to particle dyanmics, rigid bodies, vibration, and dissipative systems. Hamilton's principle is introduced and then applied to dynamical systems, including three-body systems and celestial mechanics. Very many examples and exercisies are supplied throughout.