Duncan MacKay is an honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Kent, Canterbury. He has four decades of teaching and research experience in astrophysics and pedagogical practice, and has published and lectured professionally on cross-disciplinary issues for many years. Mark Thompson is head of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leeds. He is an expert observational astronomer in the far-infrared to radio wavelength regime with more than twenty years of experience in observing Galactic star formation and international survey projects. James Urquhart is a Lecturer in Physics and Astrophysics and head of the Centre of Astronomy and Planetary Sciences at the University of Kent, Canterbury. He has contributed to almost 200 scientific publications in the areas of star formation and Galactic structure.

• Preface; Acronyms; Part I. Introduction: 1. An overview of star formation; Part II. Low Mass Star Formation (LMSF): 2. Two LMSFR surveys using IRAM and ALMA; 3. IRAS 16293 in Ophiuchus; 4. NGC 1333 in Perseus; 5. IRAS 15398 in Lupus 1; Part III. High Mass Star Formation (HMSF): 6. Two HMSFR surveys using APEX and NOEMA; 7. Sagittarius B2; 8. G29.96 in W43; 9. Orion BN/KL; Part IV. Ionization: 10. Two HII surveys using JVLA and ALMA; 11. An HCHII in G24.78+0.08; 12. G34.26+0.15 in Aquila; Part V. Photodissociation: 13. An ATLASGAL PDR sample; 14. The Orion Bar in M42; 15. The Horsehead Nebula in Orion; Part VI. External Galaxies: 16. Two extragalactic surveys: CANON and PHANGS-ALMA; 17. ST16 & N113 in the large magellanic cloud; 18. Starburst galaxy NGC 253; List of research journal abbreviations; References; Appendices; Subject index; Chemical index.

'The formation of stars is a mysterious process, 'viewed through a glass darkly', where the opacity is caused by interstellar dust. In recent years, however, the development of infrared and submillimetre-wave observational facilities has allowed us to peer through the fog to view star formation in all its complexity. In this book, the authors use a series of in-depth case studies to explain what we know about star formation in isolated systems and star clusters, from low-mass to high-mass objects, from galactic to extragalactic sources. Each case study follows a historical approach so that the reader can see both progress in our understanding and the questions that remain - as yet - unanswered.' Tom Millar, Queen's University Belfast