The third edition of a classic book, Basic Ideas and Concepts in Nuclear Physics sets out in a clear and consistent manner the various elements of nuclear physics. Divided into four main parts: the constituents and characteristics of the nucleus; nuclear interactions, including the strong, weak and electromagnetic forces; an introduction to nuclear structure; and recent developments in nuclear structure research, the book delivers a balanced account of both theoretical and experimental nuclear physics for students studying the topic.

In addition to the numerous revisions and updates to the previous edition to capture the developments in the subject over the last five years, the book contains a new chapter on the structure and stability of very light nuclei. As with the previous edition the author retains a comprehensive set of problems and the book contains an extensive and well-chosen set of diagrams. He keeps the book up to date with recent experimental and theoretical research, provides mathematical details as and when necessary, and illustrates topics with box features containing examples of recent experimental and theoretical research results.