This book is the second edition of a successful, self-contained text for those students and readers interested in learning hypersonic flow and high-temperature gas dynamics. Like the first edition, it assumes no prior familiarity with either subject on the part of the reader. This second edition has updated figures and data to complement the presentation and discussion of the fundamentals. New to this edition are educational tools that the author has found successful in previous books, namely the inclusion of: previews of each chapter written in plain language to inform the reader why it is important to read and understand the material in the chapter, to highlight the important aspects, and to stir the reader's passion to consume the chapter; design examples scattered throughout the book to illustrate the application of the fundamentals to the design of hypersonic vehicles and ground test facilities; and roadmaps at the beginning of each chapter to guide the reader comfortably through the material.
New subjects discussed include shock-shock interactions, hypersonic waveriders, and aspects of hypersonic propulsion devices - always in light of the fundamentals emphasized in the main part of the book.