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Campbell encompasses the Upper Palaeolithic between the Mousterian at the older end and the Mesolithic. In a thorough review of radiocarbon dates he times this duration from 38000 to 10000 BP, i.e. the later half of the Middle Devensian and the Late Devensian. (Usage of these stratigraphical terms would have been preferable to such phrases as 'Late Last Glacial I'or 'Middle Last Glacial')- He divides the Upper Palaeolithic into an Early stage, 38000-18000 BP but with an acceleration of activity from 28000 BP, and a Late stage between about 15000 and 10000 BP. The gap of 3000 years or so is explained by a period of hostile environment when the Late Devensian ice sheet was making living, even outside its limits, impossible. It is this period of time, of course, which makes the book so interesting to the Quaternary geologist, whether he be a stratigrapher or a palaeontologist. Of particular value are the detailed sections through Campbell's own excavations and his reconstructions of earlier work from old notebooks. His re-interpretation of William Pengelly's records of Kent's Cavern, made between 1865 and 1880, is outstanding. Much of Volume 1 is devoted to discussion of the typology of the artefacts and to the mode of life of Upper Palaeolithic man, as would be expected in an archaeological textbook. Looking at it from a geological standpoint, one should be very grateful that now it is possible to see careful sections and plans of so many cave deposits, coupled with granulometric and palynological investigations of various layers and comprehensive lists and locations of bones of large and small mammals and birds. There is also a most useful schedule of 389 radiocarbon dates referring to the Devensian from the Chelford Interstadial and extending into the Mesolithic phase of the Flandrian. A few of these might have been omitted (as they are misleading) without comment but there are others which are discussed and pointed out to be grossly inaccurate, lending additional credibility to the great majority. Inflation has made these two volumes expensive and private buyers will consider whether they are within their reach. However, an account that has been awaited for half a century and has been compiled with such thoroughness, is really a necessity to anyone interested either in pre-Mesolithic archaeology or the late Quaternary. F. W. S.
NOCKOLDS, S. R., KNOX, R. W. O'B. & CHINNER, G. A. 1978. Petrology for Students, vi+435 pp.,

numerous illustrations. London: Cambridge University Press. Price17.50 (hardback);6.50 (paperback). ISBN 0 521 21443 6 (hardback); 0 521 29184 4 (paperback). For much of the time since microscopical petrology came into widespread use towards the end of the last century, generations of geology students have been brought up on Alfred Harker's excellent Petrology for Students. The authors of this newly rewritten version have all been associated with the same distinguished school. Nockolds, who was himself a post-graduate student of Harker, has written the section on igneous rocks, while Knox has been responsible for the sediments, and Chinner has dealt with the metamorphic rocks. Inevitably thefirmlyestablished position of the earlier work invites comparison. The new text is almost twice as long as previously, but it is the sedimentary and metamorphic sections that have mainly been enlarged, which reflects the developments made in these fields since the publication of the earlier editions.

Most of Harker's drawings of thin sections (principally of the igneous rocks) that were a notable feature
previously have been retained and many new drawings (also of a high standard) added, especially of the metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. It is pointed out in an initial chapter on the classification of igneous rocks that a genetic one would be ideal but that this cannot yet be achieved. In the conventional classification used in the book the igneous rocks are dealt with successively from acid to ultrabasic, and volcanic and hypabyssal rocks are dealt with in place with the plutonic types. The mineralogy of each group of igneous rocks is generally followed by a section on texture, and an account of the main types. The chemistry is considered, with selected tables of average compositions and norms. Each chapter is provided with a useful short list of references to original literature, and notes. Examples of rocks mentioned come from all over the world although references cited are principally in the English language. In each of the chapters descriptive of the main sedimentary types, the origin, mineralogy, and petrography (including reference as appropriate to fossil constituents) are considered. The use of such terms as wackestones and packstones is explained, although these are at present less familiar in the UK. The distinction between the term 'mudstone' used for an argillaceous rock and its use for a texture (of fine particle size) is emphasised, but 'mudstone' is also retained in the book for calcareous rocks, for which 'micrite' is less ambiguous. The metamorphic section illustrates dynamic, contact and regional metamorphism, with the essential though simple mineral equations; concepts of the phase rule are introduced to explain facies classification. Progressive regional metamorphism, granulites and

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eclogites, and the bluechist (glaucophaneschist) facies and very low-grade metamorphism are dealt with in separate chapters. The book is well produced, although there are a few typographical errors (including a 'colitic' limestone). This guide to the study of rocks in thin section is described in the cover blurb as being 'an essentially petrographic text for elementary classes in petrology', but it will continue to be of use to many petrologists and other geologists who have left elementary studies behind. Inclusion of locality and author indexes, which are not provided, would however have made it still more useful. Despite a tendency in some undergraduate courses to avoid the facts of geology in favour of broader theories, it is commonly much of the detail that stands the test of time, and this textbook is a first-rate introduction to the subject that will remain of value for later years. At 6.50 for the paperback, a 'good buy'. P. A. S. ANDERSON, J. G. C. 1978. The Structure of Western Europe, xii+250 pp., numerous illustrations. Oxford: Pergamon. Price 4.95 (flexicover); 10.00 (hardback). ISBN 0 08 022046 0 (flexicover); 0 08 022045 2 (hardback). The Structure of Western Europe is a compilation of data comparable to those familiar over many years from the continent - following for example the style of Gignoux's Geologie Stratigraph and Krenkel's Geologie Afikas. It is reproduced in facsimile typescript and includes diagrams quoted from a wide range of sources. Bibliographic references are abundant, making the book a useful guide to relevant literature. Chapter headings are in terms of orogenic belts, e.g. 'Caledonian Fold-Belts (Mainly Metamorphic)' and 'Caledonian Fold-Belts (Mainly Sedimentary)', but this includes (or conceals) fundamental geographical descriptions of the whole tectonic sequence for each area, an arrangement which breaks up stratigraphic description - which is available elsewhere - but puts specific orogenic events in a longer-term setting for each region. The general treatment is historical rather than evolutionary. It is closely linked to outcrop description and many of the illustrations are simplified geological maps. In line with the extent of outcrops the Pre-Cambrian blocks achieve relatively brief description compared with the full accounts of the Phanerozoic orogenic belts, of which the Alpine orogenic region is particularly well described. One unusual feature is the inclusion of references to published descriptions of excursions, so that a visitor to a particular area can follow the summary descriptions in this volume with more detailed information on finding critical outcrops in the field. The book is well illustrated with sections as well as maps. Most of these are diagrammatic, but there is a uniform absence of vertical scales, and it is consequently difficult to judge real structure from sections which are, in many cases, drawn with exaggerated proportions. One unfortunate case is the section of the Lake District (Fig. 4.5 A) which shows the present surface as c. 15000 ft above sea level and the restored Triassic base at three times this height. Apart from the scale problem this treatment fails to give adequate weight to the factors of overlap and truncation progressively developed over the older British blocks. In describing the regional tectonic development the author sadly perpetuates the widespread error of ascribing most major post-Hercynian movements to the Alpine orogeny. Mention is made of intra-Jurassic faulting in northern Scotland, and the short description of subsidence of the North Sea basin recognises the progressive development of the Viking Graben, but the concept (fully documented in recent years) that Mesozoic basins of northwestern Europe are largely products of contemporaneous, epeirogenic subsidence, frequently fault-assisted, is not recognised. Similarly the longevity of the Cimmerian movements - by no means limited to the two phases named by Stille - is not made clear in the text or tables. It is perhaps a pity that in a text aimed mainly at students the author makes no recognition of the fundamentals of modern stratigraphic terminology. For each area he quotes a list of 'Formations' which commonly include systems, stages and lithostratigraphical names together. The meanings are perfectly clear, but the distinction between time and rock terms is an important one which would be better maintained. It would perhaps have made the book too long if the author had added more discussion of controversial aspects of tectonic development to his factual descriptions. When this has been done (e.g. on polyphase movements, or the history of the Iapetus ocean) it is pertinent and appropriate, and more informed critical comments would have been welcome. The book is welcome asfillinga gap in British literature; it presents a contrast to the evolutionary treatment of other texts but provides a unique assemblage of factual information. With qualifications such as those quoted above (and no doubt others which will be made by other readers) The Structure of Western Europe is a useful text in its field. P. E. K.

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