J. F. James has held teaching positions at The Queen's University, Belfast, and the University of Manchester, and is one of the pioneers of Fourier spectroscopy. He is the author of A Student's Guide to Fourier Transforms, now in its third edition, and Spectrograph Design Fundamentals (Cambridge University Press, 2011 and 2007 respectively).

• 1. Introduction: centred optical systems; 2. Telescopes and binoculars; 3. Eyepieces, eyes and colour; 4. Cameras and camera lenses; 5. The scientific CCD camera; 6. Spectrometry; 7. Interferometers and their uses; 8. Electro-optical effects and their uses; 9. Microscopes and projectors; 10. Siderostats and coelostats; 11. The detection and measurement of radiation; 12. Practicalities; Further reading; Appendices; Index.

'James writes so well and includes so many personal and historical lessons learned that I had difficulty putting this book down … It is perfect for a pre-job-interview review of hands-on optics. When you get to the last page you will still be hungry for more, which makes the three appendices even more welcome. [The book] is excellent and the best one I have reviewed this decade.' George Fischer, Optics and Photonics News

J. F. James has held teaching positions at The Queen's University, Belfast, and the University of Manchester, and is one of the pioneers of Fourier spectroscopy. He is the author of A Student's Guide to Fourier Transforms, now in its third edition, and Spectrograph Design Fundamentals (Cambridge University Press, 2011 and 2007 respectively).

• 1. Introduction: centred optical systems; 2. Telescopes and binoculars; 3. Eyepieces, eyes and colour; 4. Cameras and camera lenses; 5. The scientific CCD camera; 6. Spectrometry; 7. Interferometers and their uses; 8. Electro-optical effects and their uses; 9. Microscopes and projectors; 10. Siderostats and coelostats; 11. The detection and measurement of radiation; 12. Practicalities; Further reading; Appendices; Index.

'James writes so well and includes so many personal and historical lessons learned that I had difficulty putting this book down … It is perfect for a pre-job-interview review of hands-on optics. When you get to the last page you will still be hungry for more, which makes the three appendices even more welcome. [The book] is excellent and the best one I have reviewed this decade.' George Fischer, Optics and Photonics News

J. F. James has held teaching positions at The Queen's University, Belfast, and the University of Manchester, and is one of the pioneers of Fourier spectroscopy. He is the author of A Student's Guide to Fourier Transforms, now in its third edition, and Spectrograph Design Fundamentals (Cambridge University Press, 2011 and 2007 respectively).

• 1. Introduction: centred optical systems; 2. Telescopes and binoculars; 3. Eyepieces, eyes and colour; 4. Cameras and camera lenses; 5. The scientific CCD camera; 6. Spectrometry; 7. Interferometers and their uses; 8. Electro-optical effects and their uses; 9. Microscopes and projectors; 10. Siderostats and coelostats; 11. The detection and measurement of radiation; 12. Practicalities; Further reading; Appendices; Index.

'James writes so well and includes so many personal and historical lessons learned that I had difficulty putting this book down … It is perfect for a pre-job-interview review of hands-on optics. When you get to the last page you will still be hungry for more, which makes the three appendices even more welcome. [The book] is excellent and the best one I have reviewed this decade.' George Fischer, Optics and Photonics News