When the first edition of Optical Interferometry was published, interferometry was regarded as a rather esoteric method of making measurements, largely confined to the laboratory. Today, however, besides its use in several fields of research, it has applications in fields as diverse as measurement of length and velocity, sensors for rotation, acceleration, vibration and electrical and magnetic fields, as well as in microscopy and nanotechnology.

Most topics are discussed first at a level accessible to anyone with a basic knowledge of physical optics, then a more detailed treatment of the topic is undertaken, and finally each topic is supplemented by a reference list of more than 1000 selected original publications in total.